By Ashley Nicole Sarikaya Oct 24, 2021July 16, 2022

3 Lifestyle Shifts to step into your personal power

In our modern world, our overactive solar plexus chakra has created a power hungry and overworked culture. We are taught to climb the achievement mountain to the tippy top. Following the croaks of mass culture, we rise and rise without a divine purpose. Achieving ‘the ultimate goal’ is all that matters. With a limited perspective, we soldier on, leaving a trail of misfits in our wake.

Ripe out of my masters program, I landed a ‘big girl’ job somewhere at the bottom of the achievement mountain. On paper, it sounded amazing — a hefty salary with vacation days. Not to mention, my office was on the lake with a breath-taking view of the Alps. But beneath the luxury cubicles and Michelin-starred meals, was a toxic energy that I just couldn’t shake.

Imagine tribal warfare in stiff suits and matching ties. The gorilla that made the most noise won the battle. And his loyal companions elevated the corporate mountain right along with him.

As executives battled for bonuses and power, I felt exhausted and weak. I thought that there had to be more to life than this ruthless climb. I craved the polar opposite of the masculine world I inhabited. I wanted to spend my days creating beautiful things in the world, just for beauty’s sake. To ponder the mysteries of the Universe, just because. To enjoy the company of others, without a list of action items at the end.

And so, I enrolled in all the activities that I believed would ignite that pea-sized creative spark at the bottom of my heart. From figure drawing and watercolor painting to belly dance and yoga, I developed an insatiable hunger to learn. And eventually, I stepped into my personal power and confidence.

When you feel weak, tired, and confused about your purpose, use these three lifestyle shifts to balance your solar plexus chakra, or your energetic center of confidence and willpower: