Heart chakra is the fourth in your seven chakras. In Sanskrit it is called “Anahata”, which means which means “unhurt” or “Unbeaten” implying that beneath the hurt of past experiences lies a place of purity and strength. It is located in the center of the chest (the energy center is not located where our actual heart organ lies; rather, the heart chakra is in the center of the chest area).
The heart chakra is associated with compassion, affection, and love. The energy of the heart chakra starts in the center and expands through the chest. This chakra connects the lower three chakras with upper three chakras, acting as a bridge between earthly matters and higher aspirations. This forms your deepest connections to affection, tenderness, and endearment. Heart charka embodies your ability to love unconditionally. Not only it as a bond between lower and upper chakras, balanced heart chakra builds deepest bonds with other beings. This chakra enables you to live life with kindness and compassion towards others and yourself as well.
Heart chakra symbol
The symbol of the sacral chakra is composed of Two intersecting triangles forming a 6-pointed star in a circle with 12 petals. The color of this chakra is Green. And the element is "element of air." As such, its energy is associated to the breath and its movements, as well as the idea of spaciousness and connection with all things.
The mantra mantra for the anahata is ‘YAM.’
What if there is Imbalance in the Heart Chakra?
The chakra system in our body are interconnected, when one chakra experiences a blockage or imbalance, it affects all the others. This disruption of energy can cause your mind, body, and spirit to suffer. Heart chakra distributes the flow of Prana energy (life force energy) in our body, when you feel stress, illness, emotional upset, or conflict all can cause blockages or imbalance in your chakra system.
The sign of balanced heart chakra is when you have ability to love and forgive yourself and other. On other hand when heart chakra is imbalanced it causes both physical and emotional distress along with hatred, selfishness, fear of betrayal and jealousy.
The physical level imbalance in Sacral Chakra causes following health problems:
· Insomnia
· Increase in blood pressure
· A decrease in immune system function
On emotional level, imbalance Sacral Chakra shows following symptoms and problems:
· Restlessness
· Difficulty trusting others
· Impatience and irritability
· Lack of empathy
How to Balance Heart Chakra?
If you’re experiencing the symptoms of the blocked heart chakra, there are many ways to heal the imbalance. The anahata is a unifying chakra, bringing healing to all the paths of life. The energy connects the individual to the universe and is the center of spiritual healing within. When the heart chakra is balanced, you will feel warm and compassionate.
Air is the element of Heart Chakra, so to open blocked heart chakra your heart chakra. Yoga poses for the heart chakra should focus on opening the chest and draw energy into the heart. Below are specific yoga poses and movements to connect you to the energy of the heart chakra.
Similarly, there are many yoga poses, meditation practice and singing bowl sound meditation that helps to bring balance the imbalanced heart chakra. The camel pose, cobra pose and fish pose are few yoga pose to practice.
Heart chakra is associated with musical note “F”, when singing bowl with this note is played the vibration and sound frequency open up the blocked heart chakra point. If a certified sound healear is not available you can practice Heart chakra sound meditation at home as well.
Heart Chakra Sound Meditation
To perform Heart Chakra sound meditation, you need to follow steps:
· Wear a locket or bracelet made of Rose Quartz or Green Jade.
· Place a Heart Chakra singing bowl in the palm of your left hand and a mallet in your right hand.
· Sit in a comfortable, quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. Keep your spine straight, and your limbs relaxed.
· Take deep breaths inhale through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. Feel your body relaxing as you do this.
· Imagine that you’re drawing green energy up through your body towards the heart, starting at the base of the spine and moving upwards.
· Picture a round sphere of glowing yellow light in the center of the upper abdomen, and slowly concentrate on making the energy wider and brighter.
· Picture that energy solidifying into a bright ball of green energy sitting at the level of the heart chakra. As you inhale and exhale, see that ball becoming bigger and brighter, at a same time play a singing bowl by rubbing the rim of the singing bowl in clockwise rotation.
· Focus on the sound produced by Heart chakra singing bowl and picture the energy solidifying into a bright ball of green energy sitting at the level of the heart chakra. As you inhale and exhale, see that ball becoming bigger and brighter.
· After 3-5 minutes, let the energy dissipate throughout your body, take a few deep breaths again and open your eyes.
Other tips to Balance Heart Chakra
· Hang Chakra thangka or Green Tara Thangka or Kurkula Deity Thangka (Kurkula is the deity of love) on the sacred area of your home and perform either Heart Chakra yoga or Heart Chakra Sound Meditation.
· Wear bracelet made of bracelet made of Rose Quartz or Green Jade on regular basis.
· Green is the color of Heart chakra so eating foods like kale, limes, green bell peppers, spinach and green apples, hearty and rich soup and foods rich in vitamin C like orange juice, strawberries and other fruits on daily basis also helps to maintain heart chakra balanced.
· Wear green color clothes.
· Burn essence oils made form Jasmin, lavender and rose.
· Practicing the above methods/technique on Thursday specially to heal and balance the heart chakra.
