Otherwise known as Anahata, Hritpankaja or Dbadasjadala, the fourth chakra in yoga philosophy is the heart chakra. The heart is the energy centre for all things aspirational, love for yourself and others, compassion, empathy and forgiveness.
An open heart chakra will bring a multitude of happiness and peace to your body. It is the gateway to allowing you to properly connect with your emotions and blockages here are common. Harmonious energy will come to those with an open Anahata and remember, the energy of the heart is pumped throughout the body with the flow of blood. It is the centre-most point of all of the other chakras, providing that connection between them all.
The element of the heart chakra is air, while the colour is green like nature. It is also associated with pink as the pink quartz gemstone is particularly balancing for this chakra. Between the breasts, the heart is located in the chest, slightly to the left of the biological heart. It encompasses the cardiac region and the lungs, hence the element of air.
Focus on the Heart Chakra
When your fourth chakra gets blocked, you experience difficulty in your capacity to love. This can come in many forms – from self-love to love of others and compassion to appreciation of beautiful things. If you find yourself acting in life without gratuity, it could be your heart that is experiencing blockages. The Anahata allows energy for giving and energy for receiving and allows us to experience all of life’s beauties.
Heart Chakra Blocks
If you’re unable to let people in, or give love to others, your heart energy is likely blocked. You could be overly defensive about things, have a fear of intimacy or unable to forgive and let things go. Physical ailments such as circulation issues or cardiac issues can be a result of imbalance.
Heart imbalances often present themselves during our relationships with others but you don’t have to be in a relationship to realise your heart energy is blocked. Isolation in excess or feeling victimised are also traits of an imbalanced heart which needs healing.
Healing the Heart
Breathing might be the most important thing to help you balance the heart. Practice breathing exercises during your mediation and find things that bring you love. This doesn’t need to be in the form of another person; there is plenty of love around in nature and in our world.
Self-care and gratuity are two things we stress most here at Selfish Darling so it’s even better to know that these two habits will also help you to open your heart. Accept the bad and celebrate the good in your life, because there will always be something. Spending time with yourself and meditating helps you to reconnect.
Affirmations that may help with the heart chakra could be as follows:
I am entirely open to receiving love and I am entirely open to giving love.
I am empowered by love and I love myself unconditionally.
Yoga Poses
Physically opening the chest opens your Anahata. Back bends and other variations of the wheel pose will help you to open up. Cobra and baby cobra bends are great asanas for the respiratory system and the chest. You will feel comfortable in these poses because opening the chest allows you to breathe freely. The cat and cow poses also help spinal strength and heart opening.
Feature Image from Ideal Living Studio
