Loving the Heart chakra
The 4th chakra embodies the most sacred of all human experiance- love.
What is the essence of the Heart chakra?
The Heart chakra or Anahata is our fourth charka, the midway point residing in our chest. You can connect to it right now by simply placing your hands over your heart and breathing deeply, maybe feeling your heart beat. Picture a warm green energy under your hands, in your chest. Picture it growing larger as you breathe deeper and ask yourSelf what a full Heart chakra means to you.
Being the midway point in the chakra system, a word that comes up consistently with Anahata is bridge or connection. It connects our upper and lower chakras, our physical & emotional body. The energies associated with the heart chakra- love, compassion, empathy, peace- connect us as humans to the divine. God, Source, is Love. Everything is Love. Even in this human body, we are love at our core. After we die, we are pure love.
In the same way that we are all Love, we are all embodiments of Source, as we are embodiments of each other. An open Heart chakra is one that understands this universal truth of Love and oneness. An expanding Heart chakra recognizes that we are all interconnected, we are all one. It operates from a place of ahimsa, or non-harm in Sanskrit. Because to harm others is to harm oneself.
Going back to Maslow’s Heiarchy of needs, we continue to think of the chakras as increasing in complexity and depth as we move up the system. Unblocking and unlearning from the root up. But when we’re born they are actually mostly open, expanding, unscathed. Especially the Heart chakra- children are living embodiments of this chakra for the first several years of life, with their absolutely pure intentions. We come into this world ready to love and be loved. But our experiences on the earthly planet begin to contract certain energy centers, depending on your childhood, almost immediately. As lower chakra become blocked, the upper chakras experience a constriction of energy as well. The average person in today’s society lives primarily in their Root chakra, and has been there since around age 7 when they had formed their most significant memories. Developmental psychology describes this phenomenon too, explaining how our entire personality, mental tendencies, illnesses, etc are formed in those ages.
Heartbreak and grief are the shadow aspects to our capacity to love and connect deeply. The two are closely connected, both describing a loss of love. They are undoubtedly a part of this human experience, but without addressing these shadows, the energy of the Heart chakra contracts, we become hardened & cold. It is from here that the great evils of this human experience arise: hate, fear, the conscious infliction of pain onto another being.
How can we work with the Heart Chakra?
Visualization mediation. This is super beneficial for all the chakras, but in my experience, the visualization of green energy washing over me and expanding in my chest is so powerful. Especially when I hold an amplifying stone (see list below) or place it on my heart. Do it every day and watch how by the green energy you’re picturing naturally gets larger and more vibrant every day. You can look up “Heart chakra visualization meditation” on YouTube and find one you like, or just picture it yourself.
Be kinder. I know you might be like “I’m a nice person. I’m an empath. I never want to harm or hurt others!” and that’s probably true! But we all have those moments where we feel triggered or hurt by others so we respond in a way that kind of intends to make them feel the same. Maybe its a mean tone you take with your family or significant other. Maybe its fighting with strangers on the internet or the customer service agent. Maybe its road rage. These are moments of unkindness, and failure to show compassion, ultimately reflecting that there are still parts of ourselves we do not accept and show compassion to.
Comit to self love and acceptance. I feel like no one ever says this but its okay if you honestly don’t know how to love yourself. Its okay if you hate yourself. The first step is acceptance of that. Accepting that bubble baths and face masks and positive affirmations are not going to make you love yourself, the way instagram might make it seem. Accepting that this is going to be a journey from self hate to even self neutrality is a huge first step.
Loving Kindness meditation. A devoted meditation & journaling practice in general. But specifically Loving Kindness meditations taught me to accept that my mind was going to wander during mediation, and instead of judging myself for it or being frustrated, to show myself loving kindness and compassion. Its just my brain trying to keep me alive, nothing to be mad at myself for. This helped me with the self love & acceptance & then kindness described above. In that order 🙂
Allow time to process emotions and integrate the lessons from hardships. The emotions associated with this chakra are deeper than that of the emotional center in the sacral chakra and thus require more time and ultimately space to process. Forgive, accept, let go.
Learn to set boundaries while also being vulnerable. Setting boundaries is an act of self love because it means you know what’s worth your energy. Being vulnerable is an act of self love when you allow yourself to receive the support you need.
Reduce stress and drama in your life. An open heart chakra is at peace and there is no room for peace when stress is a daily occurrence. Consider reducing your stimulation: be selective with what media (Netflix, news, music) you consume regularly.
Connect to the air element through breath work, sound healing (esp wind chimes or other instruments that use air/breath to make sound), smoke cleansing, offerings of feathers, wings, & faery magick
Connect to the inner child through imagination, play, and expression. If you have children of your own, they are your greatest Heart chakra expanders!
Journal Prompts:
When have I been unkind? What patterns (aka triggers) can I notice in these times I’ve been unkind?
What aspects of myself (my personality, my past, my looks, my tendency to do xyz…) do I not accept?
How do I allow myself to be supported by others? How do I care for others?
How often do I share honestly and openly? Or do I have a tendency to let people in too easily?
Why/when do I lack peace in my life (people, places, situations)? What could I do to have more peace & calm?
How have I made peace with the deep heartbreak and grief in my life? How have I integrated the lessons of that loss?
At a glance
Color: green
Physical vessel: heart, lungs, circulatory system
Bija mantra: “YAM”
Element: air
Ayurvedic dosha: vata
Crystals: ruby zoozite, rose quartz, malachite, moss & tree agate, emerald, jade, green adventurine, amazonite, rhondite, pink opal
Food: green tea, matcha
Planet: Venus
