Complete Guide to the Heart Chakra
Complete guide
Meaning
Yoga
Chakra crystals
Color
Unblocking
The heart chakra , or "Anahata", is the central point of your entire chakra system and a place where you can finally realize the unity of all things.
Healing your heart chakra will allow you to transcend the ego and connect to the unifying force of love.
Love is the essence of your soul, and your heart center has an intelligence of its own.
- Would you like to learn to forget the past and live entirely in the present moment?
- Have you ever wondered how to escape the illusion of duality?
- Do you want to realize who you really are?
In this article, I will attempt to answer some of these questions and help you discover the limitless potential that lies within your beautiful heart chakra.
Let’s dive into it.
Article content
1. What is the heart chakra?
2. What is the function of the heart chakra?
3. Heart Chakra Symbol Meaning – What does the heart chakra represent?
4. Heart Chakra Color Meaning – Why is the Heart Chakra Green?
5. Heart Chakra Imbalance – What are the main signs of an imbalanced heart chakra?
6. Blockage of the heart chakra
7. Heart Chakra Healing
8. How do I open my heart chakra?
- Heart chakra breathing exercises
- Affirmations about the heart chakras
- Yoga poses for the heart chakras
- Meditation of the heart chakras
- Stones and crystals for the heart chakra
-Healing of the heart chakra through food
- Heal the heart chakra with essential oils
9. Heart Chakra Opening Symptoms
10. References
What is the heart chakra?
The heart chakra is the fourth energy center from the bottom, located in the middle of the chest, near the heart.
The Sanskrit name for the heart chakra is "Anahata", which translates to "unstruck" or "sound that is made without two things striking each other", because it integrates two opposing forces (the body and the mind) with the unifying energy of love.
The heart chakra acts as a bridge between the lower 3 chakras and the upper 3 chakras. A balanced heart chakra vibrates with the color green, with air being its dominant element.
A healthy heart chakra radiates the energy of unconditional love, openness, joy, compassion and acceptance of the oneness of all life.
What is the function of the heart chakra?
The heart chakra functions as your spiritual center, helping you develop a loving connection with yourself and others by cultivating compassion, empathy, joy for being alive, and truth.
Anahata connects you to life energy and spirit through the power of unconditional love. In other words, your heart is a bridge between ego and mind.
When your heart chakra is in its healthiest state, it allows you to have a sense of oneness with everything and transcend duality. The energy of the heart chakra is similar to the qualities of air: it is expansive, formless, soft and delicate.
Heart Chakra Symbol Meaning
The heart chakra symbol is represented by a green lotus with 12 petals and 2 intersecting triangles in the center, forming a hexagram. The first triangle symbolizes the masculine essence of God (interpreted as Shiva), and the second symbolizes the feminine essence of God (interpreted as Shakti).
Each petal of the heart chakra lotus is associated with one of the 12 virtues of a pure heart:
- Love
- Harmony
- Empathy
- Understanding
- Purity
- Clarity
- Compassion
- Unit
- Pardon
- Goodness
- Peace
- Bliss
In Hindu mythology, Vaju, who is at the center of the heart chakra symbol, is the god associated with the heart chakra. Vaju is also known as the "deity of life" and the god of air and wind.
Heart Chakra Color Meaning
Green is a naturally calming color of life, as it encourages an overall feeling of good health and well-being. Green is also associated with feelings of compassion, kindness and love.
The powerful energy of green represents growth, expansion and openness. Green is the most calming color for the mind.
Abundance of green can be found anywhere in nature, so one of the best things you can do for your heart chakra is to spend time outdoors in a forest or park.
Heart Chakra Imbalance
Some of the main signs of imbalance in your heart chakra include excessive attachment in love, codependency, lack of affection and a feeling of constant exhaustion.
When your heart chakra is out of balance, it is difficult to relate to others, embrace them, and feel empathy or compassion.
For example :
Imagine a person who desperately needs love, but at the same time is very afraid of it. The threat of letting down her defenses and letting love in would expose her and make her fear losing control.
Take a moment and read the questions below.
They will help you determine if your heart chakra is imbalanced:
- Do you have trouble loving yourself and expressing your feelings openly?
- Do you often ask yourself: “What is the meaning of life?
- Do you feel vulnerable to the negativity of others?
- Do you feel helpless and exhausted in the face of other people's problems? Can you afford to step back and let them learn through their own mistakes?
- Are you able to let go and trust that things in your life are happening exactly the way they are supposed to be?
- Can you fully accept the flaws, weaknesses, and imperfections of others without criticizing or judging them?
- Do you often feel like you're not enough?
- Are you struggling to find your inner peace, joy and happiness?
If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, perhaps it is time to open your heart to the radiance of love and bring more balance to your heart center.
Blockage of the heart chakra
When your heart chakra is blocked, you experience feelings of emptiness, apathy, stress, anxiety, lack of authentic connection with others, and lack of self-confidence.
One of the main reasons for blocked heart chakra is the fear of living an authentic life. To restore balance to this center, you must honestly evaluate your current lifestyle.
Here's why authenticity is so important for the blocked heart chakra:
When you are aligned with your core values, you can fully accept your deepest desires and no longer do things for others in order to be accepted. This process requires a lot of self-awareness and the ability to transcend one's own limitations and old habits.
Later in this article, I'll give you some of my favorite methods to "break the habit of being yourself" and open your blocked heart chakra.
What is an example of a person whose heart chakra is blocked?
An unbalanced expression of love can best be illustrated by the dysfunctional Actor/Actress archetype. The Actor/Actress refers to a person whose love is conditional and who approaches every relationship with a hidden agenda.
This type of behavior is unhealthy and harmful to the heart chakra. Their pain normally comes from old hurts, trauma from previous relationships, and leads to a love with many attachments. The actor/actress archetype won't let anyone get too close, because it's normally difficult for them to let go of old emotional baggage and let love in.
Heart Chakra Healing
The process of healing your green chakra involves opening and expanding your heart space letting in the energy of love.
Your heart chakra is your powerful healing center, and the energy of love is considered the ultimate healing force. The best place to start your heart chakra healing journey would be to accept and love yourself.
Interesting fact :
Did you know that the human heart is approximately 100,000 times more electrically powerful and up to 5,000 times more magnetically powerful than the brain? Your heart's electromagnetic field (EMF) extends up to 15 feet around your body.
So how can this help you on your healing journey?
Remember that your heart center is extremely powerful and has immense capacity to heal itself if you surrender to love.
Let’s talk about some specific tools and methods you can use to heal your heart chakra.
How can I open my heart chakra?
The first step you can take to open your heart chakra is to make the following commitment: I will live my life from a place of love and accept myself fully.
The power of love helps you transcend the illusion of duality created by the mind and realize that there is only one unity.
Healing and opening your heart chakra is a natural process, leading to spiritual awakening. Living in a state of joy and engaging in activities that make your heart happy are some of the best remedies for restoring balance to your heart chakra.
Unconditional love from a healthy heart is the most powerful force in the universe. People with highly developed heart chakras have a radiant, luminous and expansive energy field.
Here are some of the best healing methods I have personally tried when working on restoring balance to my heart chakra:
1. Heart Chakra Breathing Exercises
Breathing is one of the best ways to work with your heart chakra. Hindus understand the importance of breathing (sometimes called "prana") and its cleansing energy.
Yoga pranayama techniques were designed to help control breathing, increase the flow of oxygen in the body, and expand consciousness. Breath in traditional Chinese culture (known as "Qi", which translates to "air" or "life force") is the foundation of medicine and martial arts, such as Qigong.
Air is the element that represents the qualities of the heart chakra: expansiveness, freedom and constant flow. Breath is your energetic life force and a primary nutrient of the body.
Let's look at some of my favorite breathing exercises for a healthy heart chakra.
Diaphragmatic breathing
This is an easy and powerful breathing technique that involves contracting the diaphragm muscle, which separates the abdomen from the chest.
The best way to practice diaphragmatic breathing is to place one of your hands on your chest and the other on your stomach.
When you inhale, your belly is supposed to expand and stick out with your lower hand outward.
The movement of your upper hand should be minimal and the air should move downward during inhalation. When you exhale, the air rises and your stomach contracts.
Practice this technique daily for 5 to 10 minutes to get into the habit of breathing from your stomach and not your chest.
Gamma Breathing
This is my favorite breathing technique, which works wonders for releasing stress, anxiety, increasing focus, creativity, happiness and connection with the power of love.
Gamma breathing shifts your brain into the gamma state. Gamma brain waves are of the highest frequency in our brain (40-200Hz), and they are much more active in experienced meditators.
The good news is that you can easily shift your brain into this state using this breathing technique!
Gamma breathing consists of 4 breathing cycles, where you alternate between breathing through your mouth and through your nose.
| Inspiration (3 seconds of inspiration) | Exhalation (3 seconds exhalation) | |
| 1 | Mouth | Mouth |
| 2 | Mouth | Nose |
| 3 | Nose | Nose |
| 4 | Nose | Mouth |
Repeat this sequence at least 3 times.
Alternate nostril breathing
Alternate nostril breathing, also known as nadi shodana, is a cleansing breathing technique used to release trapped energy channels in your body and calm the mind.
Nadi shodana will fill your heart center with oxygen and allow you to feel a gentle sensation of freshness throughout your body.
Here's how to practice alternate nostril breathing:
- Sit with your back straight.
- Take the index and middle fingers of your right hand and fold them toward your palm.
- Use the right thumb to close the right nostril and inhale slowly through the left nostril.
- Pause after inhaling and plug the left nostril with your ring finger.
- Exhale slowly through your right nostril.
- Keep your ring finger in the same place and inhale through the right side.
- Close the right nostril with your thumb and exhale through the left.
- Keep your thumb in the same place and inhale through your left nostril.
If you find this confusing, keep in mind that each time you inhale, you seal and alternate with the next nostril.
Breath of Fire
Breath of Fire, also known as Kapalabhati Pranayama, is a powerful detoxifying breathing technique, which involves a series of short, powerful nasal inhalations (the exhalation is passive).
Breathing fire is very often practiced during kundalini yoga exercises. It helps increase blood flow to the heart center, detoxify the body and bring more clarity to your mind.
Kapalabhati is an intermediate breathing technique, and it is not recommended for people with certain health conditions. Please consult a doctor or qualified yoga teacher before trying this technique.
2. Heart Chakra Affirmations
Try some of these powerful heart chakra affirmations, which can be used throughout the day or during your meditation to strengthen this energy center:
- I am worthy of being loved.
- I am open to giving and receiving love.
- I love myself unconditionally.
- I have the strength to follow my heart.
- I realize my heart's desire.
- I am able to leave the past behind to forgive myself and others.
- I have the willingness and ability to forgive myself and others.
- I am open about my feelings in all my relationships.
- I am grateful for all my blessings.
- I am love, I am peace, I am light.
3. Yoga Poses for the Heart Chakra
Yoga is a great way to work the heart chakra, as certain physical postures (asanas) will allow you to open your chest and shoulders.
Yoga also improves the circulation of oxygen in your body, as most yoga exercises involve working with your breathing (air is the main element of Anahata).
Here are some of the best yoga poses for opening the heart chakra:
- Locust Pose (Salabhasana)
- Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)
- Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
- Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana)
- Upward Plank Pose (Purvottanasana)
- Full Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana)
- Half Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)
4. Heart Chakra Meditation
This wonderful heart chakra meditation will help you bridge the gap between mind and body. During this mediation, you will imagine the color green, focus on feelings of love, and integrate breathing as a key to your heart center.
Let's get started:
- Sit with your back straight and relax your body by taking a few deep breaths.
- Once you are completely relaxed, begin to imagine yourself surrounded by nature. It can be a place in the heart of the forest or a beautiful green garden.
- Spend a few minutes at this place, enjoying the serenity, peace and calm.
- As you sink into this meditation, gently move your attention to your heart chakra and imagine a green circle of energy in the middle of your chest.
- Continue to breathe into your heart center and expand this circle with feelings of joy, compassion, kindness and unconditional love.
- Enjoy the healing energy that emanates from your heart space.
- Stay in this state for at least a few minutes to integrate this transformative energy.
- End your meditation by placing your left hand on your chest and saying the words: “Thank you, I love you.”
- Recognize that ultimately you are the love you feel.
5. Stones and crystals for the heart chakra
Crystals and gemstones are great for healing your heart chakra. Here are some of the best gemstones that will help you improve your relationships and restore balance to your heart center:
Rose Quartz – this powerful pink crystal vibrates with the energy of unconditional love. Rose Quartz is very often referred to as a “heart stone” because it stimulates the loving energy of the heart throughout your aura. Rose quartz is the best crystal for purifying the heart.
Emerald – this beautiful green gemstone is very often called the “stone of successful love” because it offers healing energy to your heart chakra, and it restores balance between partners in a relationship. Emerald has a calming effect on your emotions, and it can be used to heal your heart after an unsuccessful relationship.
Malachite – this is a mesmerizing green protective stone, which is known to absorb negative energies from your aura. Malachite will help you develop a healthy relationship with yourself and others.
Rhodonite – this beautiful pink stone is also known as the “stone of self-love and unconditional love”, so it is perfectly suited to healing your heart chakra. Rhodonite will balance your emotions and protect you from envy or jealousy. It is an excellent gemstone for healing emotional scars after a painful breakup.
You can use any of these powerful heart chakra stones and crystals by holding them in your hands, wearing them as jewelry, or simply having them in your home.
6. Heal the heart chakra through food
Physical nourishment for the higher chakras has a more symbolic meaning. The best type of “food” for your heart chakra would be a life filled with joy, purpose, compassion, acceptance, and love.
The heart chakra is about eating physical food with an open heart infusing each meal with love.
Our lower 3 chakras serve the following aspects of our body:
- The root chakra views food from a survival perspective.
- The sacral chakra is interested in the pleasure of eating
- The solar plexus chakra deals with the transformation of food into energy
The heart chakra acts as a bridge between the body (represented by the lower three chakras) and the mind (represented by the 5th, 6th and 7th chakras). Here are some of the most important lessons from your heart chakra when it comes to food:
- Infuse love into your meals by using only the highest quality ingredients (organic, locally grown and otherwise sourced).
- Express gratitude for a meal, especially one prepared with love.
- Share your meals with other people.
- Eat more plant foods and raw fruits and vegetables (for example, green leafy vegetables).
Here are some of the best green foods that resonate with your heart chakra:
- Fruits - avocados, green grapes, kiwis, pears, green apples, honeydew melons.
- Vegetables - Dark leafy greens (kale, spinach, arugula), broccoli, celery, bok choy, lettuce, collard greens, cucumber, Brussels sprouts.
- Legumes – Green beans, green peas, edamame.
7. Heal the Heart Chakra with Essential Oils
Essential oils are a great way to work with the air element of your heart chakra. They stimulate your circulatory system, balance blood pressure and harmonize the rhythm of your heart.
Some of the best essential oils for healing the heart chakra include jasmine, lavender, cypress, sandalwood, orange, tangerine, and rose.
What is the best way to use essential oils for blocked chakra?
One of the best ways to get the most out of your essential oil is to use an aroma diffuser or humidifier, which will also create a soothing scent in your room and help with any dry skin issues.
Another way to use heart chakra essential oils is to apply them directly to your skin or give yourself a relaxing foot massage.
Heart Chakra Opening Symptoms
Your heart chakra has the power to open when you begin to surrender to the power of love.
Lack of judgment towards yourself and others is one of the main symptoms of opening your heart. You begin to have compassion for others and seek to help them on their journey of awakening.
You are able to let go and forgive, which releases a powerful healing force into your life.
A balanced heart chakra allows others to feel at peace when they are around you, because you are full of joy, passion, and your heart is filled with love and faith.
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