Translated from Japanese Hara simply means belly, but Hara refers to gut instinct and is related to the first and second chakras. Just like chakras, Hara is an energy center that relates to the enteric nerve plexus in the lower abdomen. When we think of saying like, “I had a gut feeling” or “I followed my gut instinct” we are referring to guidance from our Hara. At a deeper level the word, hara, means one’s true nature. Given that 90% of our Serotonin (awake and aware neurotransmitter) is found in our gut and not in our brain, we begin to understand the science behind this ancient wisdom.
There is a Japanese phrase; “hara o waru” which literally means to split open the Hara or belly but refers to revealing one’s true self with vulnerability and purity. There is another Japanese phrase: “hara ga dekite iru” which literally means “the belly is full” but actually refers to a state of calm satisfaction; the calming of any longing as after a good meal.
The Hara is all layers of the lower abdomen; from energetic to physical, Often called the lower dan tien in martial arts and Chinese medicine, this is an area of instinctual connection with the web of life. It where we receive that is beyond logic. Like the umbilical cord that attached us to our mothers, the Hara is our on-going connection to the mother earth and our ancestral lineage. When this energy center is awakened we live without doubt, and are guided from our Hara trusting that guidance as divine.