The heart is a powerful symbol. We see it everywhere, from TV shows to album covers to coloring books, and little do we give it more than a glance. We hear the word, love, constantly in our daily lives - whether it’s in our relationships or overhearing it in other conversations. Love is a universal word and a universal feeling. During February, we might be hearing it a little more.
I find myself leaning more into exploring what the heart chakra can reveal. It’s in the center of the body, holding the power of either keeping us safe and aligned in our relationships or driving us into unalignment, towards self-sabotage and mistrusting others. This chakra is one of the most powerful, as it dictates where our energy lies within ourselves and how we treat others.
Before we get into the details of the heart chakra, let’s start at the beginning.
What are the Chakras?
The chakras are the energetic centers of the body that run along the spinal cord. Each chakra represents a part of the mind/body/spirit that needs attention and activation. Once the chakras are activated, one begins to feel balanced. Once the chakras are aligned, the individual reaches Samadhi, or Enlightenment - a higher level of consciousness.
Muladhara // Root Chakra - grounding, safety, security
Svadhisthana // Sacral Chakra - creativity, intimacy
Manipura // Solar Plexus Chakra - power, confidence, leadership
Anahata // Heart Chakra - love, compassion, empathy
Vishuddha // Throat Chakra - self-expression, honesty
Ajna // Third Eye Chakra - intuition, inner knowledge
Sahasra // Crown Chakra - pure consciousness, enlightenment
Anahata
Our heart chakra holds so much more than love. Although love is the most powerful energy and the highest frequency energetically, the heart center holds your sense of empathy, your ability to forgive, and your compassion for others and yourself.
The heart chakra is located in the center of your chest. You can imagine a green glowing light there. The light shimmers when it’s activated and as you work deeper with this chakra, you’ll feel the light get brighter and your feelings of love and connection expand.
Opening your heart can be scary. It involves vulnerability and with that, can come fear. But choosing to be open rather than closed off is a trait of an aligned heart chakra.
When this chakra is blocked, the individual can…
be closed off and not willing to be vulnerable
be more likely to be depressed or anxious
find it difficult to trust others
have difficulty keeping healthy relationships
develop toxic relationships
When this chakra is aligned, the individual can…
express love openly to others and to themself
trust others with ease
show compassion and empathy
forgive themself and others
maintain long, healthy relationships
Speaking from My Heart
The heart chakra is one of the most powerful energetic centers of the body. Located in the middle of the seven chakras, it has the invaluable strength in bringing peace and unity to all and in the individual.
I’ve felt the power of the heart chakra many times. When I was in my 200-hour Teacher Training, back in 2019, one of our lead instructors had us hold Wheel, or Urdhva Dhanurasana, for 5 minutes. It was the most difficult and eye-opening 5 minutes of my life at the time. I felt the physical sensation so deeply. I felt the emotion and feelings I was holding in, pour out of me. I felt the power of being vulnerable and open with myself.
Working with the heart chakra is not an easy task. It comes with a great amount of time, patience, and safety with yourself. I recommend working with someone you trust or a safe group of people when unblocking your heart chakra. Remember to be kind to yourself - this space holds love for you too.
Prompts to Get in Touch with Your Heart
Here are some ideas to get you writing or thinking about your heart space. You can journal the answers or sit with them in a meditation. If you’re curious about whether you’re leaning towards alignment or blockage in your Anahata, this is a good place to start.
Where do you see love in your life? Start with the close relationships (people you see or speak to often), then gradually step out to people you’ll never see more than once (strangers at the grocery store).
Do you love yourself? Not parts of yourself, but yourself as a whole. Take your time with this one, and recognize the truth.
Think of 3 ways you were compassionate recently.
Do you find yourself to be an open and vulnerable person?
Is it easy for you to talk about your feelings? Why do you think that is? Dive deep here.
Are there any relationships in your life that you don’t find healthy or serving you well? Why?
This month, I’m focusing on speaking through emotional hardship and communicating with love and compassion. If anything resonates here for you, I encourage you to make an intention for the month involving your heart chakra. What can you come back to in the next couple of weeks?
Go to my Instagram to see yoga postures that can help activate your heart chakra, mantras that you can carry with you throughout the month, and on February 23, I'll be leading a free meditation that focuses on Loving Kindness. Thank you for being here. I look forward to staying connected with you and guiding you on the path to more discovery, knowledge, and wisdom. Sending you love and gratitude.