Being spiritually oriented, I used to have a problem with the whole idea of will power. It felt like muscling through something rather than gracefully moving toward a goal. Now that I understand the energy centers in the body, I know what it means to have will power and why it’s so important.
The energy center of will is located in your solar plexus, which is around your abdomen. The chakra below that is the creative/procreative energy center, which is driven by desire. The creative center is impulsive – like a wild animal. It wants to experience pleasure of all kind and RIGHT NOW. Because we live in an immediate gratification society, many of us give in to our desires at the expense of our overall well being. For example, having the goal to save money, but then stumbling upon a great pair of shoes that you can’t live without. Or, wanting to lose weight only to give into the temptation as you walk by a plate of pastries at work.
Your will is strengthened each time you don’t give in to the impulsive, self-defeating desires of your second chakra. Every time you say “No” to the untamed animal in side you, the energy in your body is able to rise up toward your abdomen where it accumulates and becomes power. Hence the term, will power.
Giving in to the impulses of your pleasure center (sacral chakra), causes the energy that’s meant to fill you up from the inside and nourish you, to prematurely release in favor of immediate gratification. So the insane game goes like this: Energy rises within your body to fill you up prior to extending into the world as your light, but the thrill of some impulsive behavior tricks you into thinking you’ll get immediate energy if you go for it. Giving into whatever impulse is in front of you releases the energy that’s meant to fill you up, before it even makes it to your solar plexus. You may get a short thrill from feeding the impulse monster, but you lose vital energy which leaves you more powerless to make the right choice next time.
Expect the first couple of times you say no to your impulsive self to be difficult. The knowledge of how it all works does not take away cravings. Success does however, and it doesn’t take much success to fill you with the power you need to make good choices effortlessly. One final piece of inspiration: Once enough energy collects in your solar plexus it can begin to rise up to your heart, which is when the real fun begins!