You may be asking yourself, what is a chakra? The Sanskrit word Chakra translates to wheel or disk. In yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda, this term refers to wheels of energy throughout the body [1].
With practice, you can visualize chakras in the body. Each chakra is a swirling wheel of energy..and they make up the energy in the body called Prana, which is our essential vital life force. Prana is also referred to as chi, ki or life energy [1].
Located exactly center of the chest, just behind the sternum, not in the actual location of your heart, is your heart chakra. The heart chakra is the fourth chakra and its Sanskrit name is Anahata. Anahata means “unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten” [2]. There are quite a lot of emotions held here, and if we do not work through them or consistently work to clear the heart chakra…many things can be the result.
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When your chakras are balanced and your heart chakra is open, you have a positive feeling of self. Self-love, self-confidence, and that love has to be easily shared with others are well. Kindness, compassion, and forgiveness are key emotions. One is likely to feel more of a ‘we’ moment, rather than an ‘I’ moment.
With my recent divorce and many different things going on in my community, I started to feel a lot of ‘I’ over the ‘we’ that I pride my sensitive Cancer personality on. I love my sensitivity and if you are sensitive as well…cherish it. It is what makes you unique. But because things in life were getting really heavy, I knew some work needed to be done.
I sought help. I saw two different therapists, one was on the more traditional end, and the second specializes in helping women get back to self. Both of them were very helpful. I saw them for a number of months, and they both encouraged me to reach out to my newly found close circle of friends and ask for help, as I had very much been suffering in silence.
It is not always easy to ask for help, many of us struggle with it. Feeling guilty, feeling like you are a burden or a bother is very common feelings when it comes to sharing and asking what you need of others.
I implore you to push past those feelings. A few of my friends have been truly amazing. They see and understand me. They know no one is perfect and if I need to be called out, they do….but they are incredibly compassionate and helped me see that I am one very important thing…human. This makes me, and you….imperfect, beautiful, unique, and worthy of love. Even after mistakes, even when we have self-doubt, even when we know who we truly are and want to be but feel stuck….all of it.
Ask for help, your heart will begin to open. You will be able to see beyond your ‘perceived’ reality.
So, what happens when we ask for help? We feel less alone. We feel a lot less ‘I’, and a lot more ‘we’…and our heart begins to soften. Our hearts begin to open…and our chakra will be freer to spin and ground with our true self.
Out of Balance?
When out of balance and feeling ‘I’ or alone, loneliness is the #1 feeling. Feeling different, feeling like you do not ‘fit’, but I assure you that you do!
Have you had your heart broken? Your heart chakra will be affected. Do you slouch? Is this due to wanting to protect your heart? If so, this closes you off to the possibilities of healing. This is something to really be honest with yourself about.
Begin to look around you. Are you surrounding yourself with those that lift you up? Those that help to make you feel like you ‘fit’? Do not misunderstand, your happiness is absolutely yours and yours alone to cultivate and create every single day. Very much a choice….BUT you need to decide if your relationships are nurturing you or depleting you. Relationships are meant to help each other flourish, and to provide each other support, because life is hard!
If you just instinctively know that you have a relationship that is depleting you, there are some evaluations that need to be done, and decisions to be made. If this toxic relationship is a friend, that is ‘relatively easy’. If it is a significant other or a family member causing you constant strife, that is not so easy. Take some time to reflect.
Can you let go?
Can you forgive?
Can you find the compassion for others, even when right now you do not feel it is warranted?
I think you can!
Since your heart chakra rules the heart, lungs and ribs, out of balance can begin to manifest into more physical symptoms such as coughs and chronic bronchitis, heart pain (literally), heart problems minor or otherwise, hypertension (all pointing back to the stress and heartbreak) and others [3].
Sacral Chakra=”I love”
If the imbalances sound familiar to you, you may be thinking, “How do I bring my heart chakra back into balance?”
There are a few things…YAY!
Thymus Thump
The first is an energy technique that I learned from Susan Eden, a master in her field.
Here is a great YouTube video that her daughters created to explain how it works. Warning, they are bundles of energy!
Repeat affirmations to yourself for the heart chakra such as:
I forgive others and myself so that I can thrive.
I am open to love in all of its forms.
I create loving and nurturing relationships.
I allow all emotions to flow through me, with gratitude and love.
Aromatherapy for the Heart Chakra
There are a number of essential oils that help support the heart chakra and encourage love and forgiveness of both others and self to the user. You can use them in a diffuser, or place in an inhaler and use whenever it is needed.
My most recommended essential oil is Sandalwood Santalum album. Others that are beneficial are Ylang Ylang Cananga odorata, Jasmine Jasminum grandiflorum, Mandarin red Citrus reticulata and Bergamot Citrus bergamia. (Not an all-inclusive list)
Yoga for Heart Opening
If you are a yogi like me, make sure to include poses in your practice that are bending backward (backbends). These instinctively open your heart. In the poses, close your eyes and really focus on your breath. Recognize that this position is somewhat vulnerable and that is ok. You are safe.
The Yoga Journal goes over some of those poses here.
This is a good start to get you on your way to balancing the heart chakra. Take some time every day to visualize the chakra spinning freely in all its glory to support you on your path to feeling secure, and well on your way to greatness. <3
References
[1] Arewa, Caroline Shola, 2001, The Way of Chakras UK: Thorsons
[2] Ananda Yoga brings hatha yoga back to its original spiritual essence. Retrieved from https://www.expandinglight.org/anandayoga/members/AYSarchives/Anahata.phpSvadhishthana
[3] Healing the Heart Chakra. Retrieved from http://www.chakras.info/heart-chakra-healing/
Resources
Chakra series – Anahata or heart chakra. Retrieved https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/chakra-series-anahata-or-heart-chakra
Like so many practices in life, I encourage you to become educated on the proper use of essential oils. When using them, please do so cautiously, understanding that there is often misinformation on the internet. You can be assured that I support only educated and proven resources. While essential oils should not be feared they should be respected and used properly to ensure the safety of the individuals using them.
Please note that I am not a medical practitioner. The content of this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, nor should it be considered a substitute for, professional medical advice. Do not use the information on this website for diagnosing or treating any medical or health condition. If you have or suspect you have a medical problem, promptly contact your professional healthcare provider. By using this website, you assume full responsibility and liability for your own actions.
