Have you ever wondered what it means to truly open your heart? How can connecting with your heart chakra transform your life and relationships? The heart chakra, known as Anahata in Sanskrit, is the bridge between our physical and spiritual selves, playing a crucial role in our emotional and physical well-being. In this guide, we’ll explore the essence of the heart chakra, its significance, and practical ways to balance and open this vital energy center. Let’s dive into the heart of the matter and discover the profound impact of the heart chakra on our journey to wholeness.
The Essence of the Heart Chakra
The heart chakra is the central point of the chakra system – it is the midway point between the lower chakras (root, sacral, solar plexus) and higher chakras (throat, third eye, and crown). The heart refers to the essence of something: ‘to go into the heart of the matter.’ This is our spiritual core, the place that unites forces from above and below, within and without. The task of this chakra is to integrate and balance the various aspects of our being. It brings a sense of wholeness to the whole subtle body – the merging of spirit and matter.
The Center of Love and Compassion
The heart chakra is the center of love. This love is a binding force that holds together all the building blocks of life. The love at the heart center is experienced as a state of being (different from the sexual and passionate love of the sacral center). The love of the heart chakra radiates outwards, bringing love and compassion into our field.
In esoteric wisdom teachings, the 2nd ray is the energy of Love-Wisdom. This is desire as the great Law of Attraction: the capacity to draw to itself that which is loved. It is the bond of coherence, the principle of magnetic cohesion that works through all creation of forms on every level, from a crystal to a solar system.
Related: The Healing Power of Love
Anahata: The Still Center Point
The Sanskrit name of the heart chakra is Anahata, meaning ‘sound that is made without any two things striking’ or ‘unstruck,’ ‘unhurt,’ ‘fresh,’ and ‘clean.’ When this chakra is free of grief from old hurts, its opening is innocent, fresh, and radiant.
The symbol of the heart chakra is a circle of twelve lotus petals surrounding two intersecting triangles forming a six-pointed star, the Star of David. The triangles represent the descent of spirit into the body and the ascent of matter rising up to meet spirit. This is the balanced combination of feminine and masculine, yin and yang – the ‘Sacred Marriage.’
Practice: Lotus at the Heart
Keeping your eyes open, place your hands in a lotus shape in front of the heart and feel the energy of the heart chakra between your hands. As you breathe, feel the energy within the lotus expanding. Gently close your eyes and feel the shape of the lotus flower in the palms of your hands and feel your heart energy expanding even more. Notice any feelings, thoughts, or messages that arise as you are practicing this exercise. You can do this exercise sitting or standing. When you have completed the exercise, bring your hands together in a prayer position and express gratitude to your heart.
Relationships – Body, Air, and Breath
The heart chakra relates to the cardiac plexus and rules over the heart, lungs, and thymus gland. The element is air, the least dense of the physical elements so far. Air is associated with knowledge and freedom; it is expansive and spacious and represents lightness, simplicity, and softness.
Air represents breath, the vital process through which our cells are kept alive. The Hindu term is prana – ‘pra’ means first and ‘na’ means unit. In yoga philosophy, prana is the vital energy from which all life is made. The energy represents an interface between the physical and mental world. The mind can control the body through breath, and control of the breath can quiet the mind.
The heart requires an understanding and practice between mind and body, the inner and outer realms, self and others, and giving and receiving. Opening the heart requires a transcendence of ego, allowing us to surrender parts of us that do not serve us such as negative emotions, feelings of unworthiness or lack, and other limiting beliefs. Self-acceptance and self-forgiveness are important keys to opening the heart center.
Love and Opening the Heart Center
Opening the heart chakra expands our ability for sharing loving energy. The heart chakra perceives the world in its unity, not in its separation. Having an open heart means accepting yourself and accepting all others, no matter their race or religion.
Rejection is a basic human fear. It threatens our basic internal balance and sense of self-acceptance and can make us feel isolated and separate, rather than connected. Learning to love ourselves requires us to feel, communicate, and recognize our own autonomy and power. The heart chakra is yin, and sometimes the most profound love is that which can simply let things be the way they are.
Love is a realization of no boundaries; we are all made of the same essence, experiencing life on this planet with similar challenges, hopes, and fears.
Fractals of Light and the Heart Center
Chakras are formations of light that are the origins of the physical body. When your soul looked at planet Earth and contemplated this lifetime, it sent out fractals of light to explore the parents, family members, and friends you would come to know. Those fractals, like brilliant spirals of light, began the first formations of energy that are housed within your physical structure.
The heart is the most important organ in the body. However, the heart chakra is connected to a greater field of energy, to the heart of all creation. The heart chakra can take us back to a state of pure love that we were created within – a state of unconditional love. Protection as an energetic ritual or rites placed around the physical body as a boundary restricts the heart chakra. The trust and compassion for yourself and for the world around you provide strength and power. You can use this affirmation instead:
Affirmation: ‘I am the Love and Light that transmutes all darkness in its presence.’
‘Love is a state of being in harmony with oneself.’
Self-acceptance is the foundation for unconditional love. When self-love is not conditional on some future or imagined change, it becomes easier to accept others, faults and all, with the unconditional love of the heart chakra.
Healing and Compassion
Opening the heart chakra and developing compassion, connection, and understanding gives rise to the urge to heal. The realization that we are all one means that we cannot evolve on our own; we need to evolve with the rest of humanity. Helping others comes from a state of compassion. Through non-judgmental compassion, we reach out in a healing way. We do not need to be a doctor, healer, or therapist to do this; we naturally feel the urge to help others and give comfort, support, and help when needed.
Related: Embrace Compassion: The Key to Nurturing Meaningful Relationships
Natural Remedies for the Heart Chakra
- HERBS: Hawthorn (Crataegus – heart), Digitalis (heart), Garlic (heart), Eucalyptus (clearing congestion), Thyme (lungs), Turmeric (lungs and respiratory issues).
- HOMEOPATHY: Nat Mur (emotional heart issues), Aconite, Convallaria (irregular heart beat), Digitalis (weak and irregular pulse), Crataegus (heart tonic), Calc Phos (painful chest), Spigelia, Kali Carb (heart palpitation), Mag Phos (spasms), Ant Tart (short breath), Nat Sulph (asthma).
- BACH FLOWER ESSENCES: Gentian (discouragement, doubt, despondency, take heart and have faith), Centaury (kind, gentle, anxious to place; active and positive worker), Water Violet (withdrawn, aloof, quiet grief; peaceful and calm, wise in service), Gorse (no hope; the sunshine of renewed hope), Sweet Chestnut (unendurable desolation; a light shining in the darkness).
Recommendation
- Take time to get to know the energy and frequency of your heart centre
- Start with activating the heart centre before intuitively moving to other centres
- Self acceptance and self-forgiveness is a daily practice
- Cultivate self love: learning to love oneself is the greatest love of all
Reading and Resources
- ‘Wheels of Life’ by Anodea Judith
- ‘Eastern Body, Western Mind’ by Anodea Judith
- ‘Letting Go, The Pathway of Surrender’ by David R Hawkins
- ‘The Gentle Art of Blessing’ by Pierre Pradervand
- ‘Radical Compassion’ by Tara Brach
Conclusion
The heart chakra is the gateway to love, compassion, and connection. By understanding and nurturing this energy center, we can cultivate a deeper sense of self-acceptance and unconditional love, fostering healing within ourselves and in our relationships with others.
Related: The Power of the 7 Chakras
Explore the fascinating world of the 7 chakras and unlock the secrets to balancing your mind, body, and spirit. Learn how each chakra influences your well-being, from the grounding energy of the Root Chakra to the divine connection of the Crown Chakra. Embrace the journey towards harmony and inner peace by understanding these vital energy centers.
- 1st Chakra: Root Chakra
- 2nd Chakra: Sacral Chakra
- 3rd Chakra: Solar Plexus Chakra
- 4th Chakra: Heart Chakra (Current Article)
- 5th Chakra: Throat Chakra
- 6th Chakra: Third Eye Chakra (Coming Soon)
- 7th Chakra: Crown Chakra
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