The heart chakra is in charge of our love and our compassion. It also helps us move from the state of 'me' to 'we' in our minds. This chakra is located in the middle of our chest and encompasses our heart and lungs. When this chakra is imbalanced we experience grief and can have a helper syndrome. We can even be heartless. We may feel like we are dependent on love and the affection we receive from others causing a fear of being rejected.
When this chakra is balanced from the suggestions below you can look forward to seeing more kindness, love and forgiveness in yourself and others. You will be able to awaken to a new spiritual awareness where service is paramount in your life and forgiveness is easy. So how do you get there? You can start by eating green foods that will automatically help heal your heart. You can wear rose quartz and green crystals as well. But possibly the most powerful way to open your heart chakra is yoga and breathwork. We also have intention candles you can use to keep this focus of healing!
Here are some yoga poses and breathing exercises that are very simple that you can do at home. Keep in mind that these are not advised for pregnant women or women on their moon cycle. If you have an injury or a health condition, consult with your physician to know if this is right for you. Listen to your body.
Breath of Fire
This will help the health of your lungs and release stuck emotions in this area. When you breathe intensely like this it not only brings in oxygen but it brings in prana to the nervous system, allowing you to charge your heart center and expand it.
This is done by pushing air out through your nose and snapping the belly in. The inhale will happen naturally but they should be the same length so it creates a rhythm. You can start with 3 minutes and work your way up to 11 everyday. They say in one minute you're whole blood chemistry changes and in 11 minutes it’s like a blood transfusion. It’s detoxing and will help you feel positive and optimistic. If you’re tired it will also give you energy.
Cobra Pose
This pose helps to stretch the chest muscles and helps counteract the hunched position they say represents guarding your heart. Bringing more flexibility into the spine can also help reduce pain in your back as well as your neck and shoulders.
Begin by laying on your stomach with your palms face down under your shoulders. Your toes should be untucked. Pull your sternum forward as you press into the ground and lift your chest. Continue a slow deep breath through your nose. Only lift up as far as your back wants to go. If you feel any sharp pains, lower down. Hold each one for 3-5 five rounds of breath and do this pose five times daily.
Seated Twist
This pose can help reduce rigidity in your emotions and help you see new perspectives literally by looking in a new direction but also because it’s so detoxifying it will help you feel better emotionally. This improves digestion which will give us more energy and emotional stability. This helps reduce tension in the middle back that can drain our energy and make us feel hopeless.
Begin seated with your legs out straight in front of you. Bend your right leg so your knee points up towards the sky and your foot is flat on the ground close to you. Take your left elbow outside your right knee so your torso twists. Sit tall without slouching and use your ab muscles to twist instead of jerking on your spine with your elbow leverage. Breathe slowly and deeply three to five times and then repeat the same thing on the other side.
Camel Pose
This pose opens you up to be more loving as it stretches the chest and awakens your creative and intimate energy at the same time. If you feel disconnected from people this is a great pose for you.
Begin kneeling with your knees no wider than your hips but about six inches between them. Place your palms on your lower back with your fingertips pointing down. Lift your chest up as you start to lean back and press your hips forward so they stay in line vertically with your knees. If you have good back flexibility you can bring your hands to your heels. Don’t reach your head back as far as possible because it can compress the cervical spine but bring it slightly back. Stay in this position as you breathe slowly through your nose for 3 to 5 breaths and then rest sitting on your heels and tucking your pelvis slightly in the other direction as a counterpose. Repeat camel pose three to five times daily for the best results. You’ll find you have lots of energy from this so avoid doing it right before bed.
Seated Forward Fold
The back area of the heart is said to be where we receive love. We need to stretch the front and back to bring balance in giving and receiving. This calms your nervous system and is great to do before bed. It also helps reduce compression in your spine and helps reduce lower back pain.
Sit on the floor with your feet out in front of you. Reach for your toes and relax your neck so your head can hang. Breathe deeply through your nose for three to five breaths. This will help reduce anxiety and make you feel more calm as well. You can hold this 3-5 minutes and just relax into it as a restorative pose to really let go of pain around giving and receiving love. It may bring emotions up but will make you feel better. This is often used in restorative yoga as a deeply healing pose.
Wall Arm Stretch
Your shoulders are also a part of your heart chakra and repetitive motions at work on a computer or phone could be contributing to a blocked heart chakra. Keeping the shoulders flexible and mobile is a great way to open the heart. You can do this stretch throughout the day to keep tension at bay.
Stand with your feet hip distance apart and place your palms on the wall at the level of your hips. Press your heart towards the ground but keep your elbows straight. You’ll need to walk your feet back so you can make an L shape with your body. You’ll feel the stretch on your arms, shoulders and back. Stay in this pose for three to five breaths and then repeat the position five times daily. There are great breathwork and yoga tutorial videos on our video on demand service app and website www.Hoi.Tv.
If you do this daily, it will start to have a physical and emotional effect. Be patient and be consistent. This is a time tested practice that has worked for me and will help you too. Just don’t expect it to be instant.
Finally, I have to say the most important part of healing your heart chakra is healing the relationship you have with yourself. Self love and taking care of your physical body will help you feel more loving and receive love. Check out our unconditional love candle and keep up with your daily exercise and healthy eating. Use affirmations to get rid of negative self talk so you love the heck out of yourself.
