Here is Part 4 of the 7-part Chakra Series. Chakras are the energy centers of the body and can cause issues in our physical and mental well-being when not properly balanced. Today we are discussing my personal favorite The Heart Chakra and everything you need to know!
To Catch up on the other 3 posts I have linked them here:
ROOT CHAKRA, SACRAL CHAKRA, SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA
The Heart Chakra {“ANAHATA” in Sanskrit means “un-hurt”}is connected to your intuition more than most realize.
Balancing and opening the heart chakra can help blend intuition with emotions and connections to others. Intuition is usually linked to the third eye and crown chakras, but having a balanced heart chakra contributes to a more harmonious integration. Keeping the heart chakra in balance supports well-being and strengthens the connection to intuitive abilities. Located at the center of the chest, the heart chakra is associated with love, compassion, and emotional well-being. It’s the energy center that influences our ability to give and receive love, connect with others, and feel a sense of inner peace. When the heart chakra is balanced, we easily feel empathy, forgiveness, and a harmonious connection to the world.
The color associated with the heart chakra is green, (and can even vibrate up to pink when fully activated) representing growth and renewal. The element is air, symbolizing expansiveness and freedom. As we go through life, circumstances cause us to literally put “walls up” around our heart to protect us from repeating past hurts. The energy stops flowing as freely as it once did.
What kind of circumstances can cause our heart chakra to become blocked or unbalanced?
- Emotional Hurt: Past emotional pain, like heartbreak or loss, can make the heart chakra unbalanced.
- Bad Relationships: Being in unhealthy or hurtful relationships, both in the past and present, can mess with the heart chakra.
- Not Loving Yourself: If you don’t love and accept yourself enough, it can throw off the balance of the heart chakra.
- Dealing with Loss: Going through tough times, like losing someone or something important, can make the heart chakra unbalanced.
- Fear of Getting Hurt: Being scared of being emotionally vulnerable or getting hurt can make someone close off their heart chakra.
- Not Forgiving: Holding onto grudges and not forgiving can create problems in the heart chakra.
- Keeping Emotions Inside: If you don’t express your feelings, it can lead to blockages in the heart chakra.
- Negative Thinking: Always thinking negatively about yourself or others can affect the balance of the heart chakra.
- Stressful Environments: Being in stressful situations, whether at home or work, can mess with the heart chakra.
- Not Connecting with Nature: Forgetting to appreciate nature and the connection we have with everything around us can affect the heart chakra.
Recognizing these issues and working through them instead of pushing them down, can help heal and bring you back to a more aligned state of being.
Symptoms that the Heart Chakra is Out of Balance or Blocked.
- Closed Off Emotionally: Difficulty expressing or receiving love and affection.
- Fear of Rejection: Avoiding relationships or being overly defensive.
- Lack of Empathy: Difficulty understanding or connecting with others emotionally.
- Overly Critical: Being overly critical of oneself and others.
- Isolation: Withdrawing from social interactions and relationships.
- Difficulty Forgiving: Holding onto grudges and inability to forgive.
- Jealousy and Envy: Feeling resentful towards others’ success or happiness.
- Conditional Love: Love given only when certain conditions are met.
- Self-Centeredness: Focusing too much on one’s own needs and neglecting others.
- Feeling Unworthy: Low self-esteem and a sense of unworthiness.
Physical Symptoms Manifested in the Body from Heart Chakra being Unaligned or Blocked
- Cardiac Issues: Heart palpitations, chest pain, and high or low blood pressure.
- Respiratory Problems: Shortness of breath, shallow breathing, or respiratory infections.
- Immune System Disorders: Frequent illnesses or weakened immune function.
- Circulation Issues: Poor circulation, cold extremities, or swelling in the hands and feet.
- Digestive Problems: Stomach issues, such as indigestion or irritable bowel syndrome.
- Skin Disorders: Skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis.
- Thymus Gland Dysfunction: Impact on the thymus, affecting the immune system.
- Shoulder and Upper Back Pain: Tension or discomfort in the upper back and shoulders.
- Thymus Gland Dysfunction: Impact on the thymus, affecting the immune system.
- Upper Back Pain: Tension or discomfort in the upper back and shoulders.
By now you have to realize that our thoughts and feelings effect our bodies and our health. Everything is energy, so it would make sense then, that if there was an experience that caused us to shut down emotionally, it can and will affect us physically. Allowing the pent-up emotions to run through and OUT of the body, and actually taking the time to feel the experiences and release them, can and WILL heal us. Balancing the heart and all other Chakras are an important part in keeping the energy flowing through the body. Here are ways we can balance the heart chakra:
Balancing the Heart Chakra
- Meditation: Practice heart-centered meditation, focusing on feelings of love and compassion. Imagine a green light or a rose in the center of your chest, visualizing it expanding with each breath. I wrote a blog on meditation here.
- Deep Breathing: Engage in deep and mindful breathing exercises. Breathe in slowly through your nose, allowing your chest and heart area to expand, and exhale through your mouth, releasing tension and negativity.
- Gratitude Practice: Practice gratitude by acknowledging and appreciating the positive aspects of your life, and taking the time to notice the beautiful things around you. This helps shift your focus towards love and abundance.
- Self-Love: Practice self-compassion and self-care. Treat yourself with kindness and prioritize doing things that bring you joy and relaxation.
- Foster Healthy Relationships: Strengthen your connections with others by expressing love, forgiveness, and understanding. Build and maintain positive, supportive relationships.
- Nature Connection: Spend time in nature to enhance your sense of interconnectedness. A walk outside can be particularly beneficial.
- Affirmations: Repeat positive affirmations related to love, compassion, and self-acceptance. Affirmations can help reprogram negative thought patterns.
- Yoga: Engage in heart-opening yoga poses, such as cobra, camel, or bridge pose, to release tension and open the chest.
- Healing Stones: Use heart chakra crystals like rose quartz or green aventurine. Place them on your chest during meditation or carry them as personal stones.
- Healthy Lifestyle Choices: Eat nourishing foods, engage in regular exercise, and maintain a healthy lifestyle to support overall well-being.
- Aromatherapy: Scents like Rose, jasmine, lavender, ylang-ylang, geranium, bergamot, and chamomile in essential oils, or candles can help to connect and open the heart chakra.
- Green up your space: Wearing green clothing or jewelry, along with adding green to your space like blankets, paintings, or crystals. One of the best ways using the color green for the heart chakra is adding live plants to your surroundings.
Here are some products below to help with opening your heart chakra. As an Amazon associate, I may make a commission on qualifying products at no extra cost to you💚
Taking the time to work on each chakra individually, allows us the space to go inward, in connection to our bodies and spirituality. It helps bring awareness to each ailment, be it mental or physical and gives us the opportunity to identify and release things piece by piece. While getting to know ourselves and bring more balance and a healthy energy flow into our lives with more love and kindness, makes everything better. 💚Please leave a question or comment or send an email, if I can help in any way! How may I serve?