“Beyond the universe, beyond everything, beyond all, beyond the greatest heaven, there is a light.” This is the light that emanates from your heart.” — From the Upanishads
The heart chakra is at the center of everything.
The heart chakra, the fourth of the seven chakras, is positioned in the center of your chest. Below the heart center, there are three chakras that function with earth energies—your capacity to stay grounded, recognize your body and physical senses, and work with your sense of self. Above the heart center, there are three chakras that operate with “heavenly” energies—your communication and expression, your “third eye” skills to connect with invisible forces around you, and the crown of your link with Source. The heart chakra, located in the center, is responsible for mediating between heaven and earth.
In Sanskrit, the heart chakra is known as Anahata. “Unhurt, un-struck, and unbeaten” is the meaning of the word anahata. Imagine feeling as if nothing can hurt you, that nothing bad is heading your way, and that you are in complete control of your life. Imagine having the ability to love without conditions! That is where the heart chakra comes from.
The heart core does not have to be thought of in Hindu terms. This energy center is known as the “heart wheel” by Tibetan Buddhists, and it is particularly significant in meditation. A mantra is first heard audibly, then cognitively, and lastly inside the heart when said. Later, the practitioner experiences the Yoga of Clear Light by dropping into the core channel at the level of the heart.
The heart is identified with the center of the Tree of Life in Kabbalah. This area is associated with Jesus and healing by Christian Kabbalists. Sufis, or Islamic mystics, speak of the Sirr, or secret, innermost heart of the heart, where Allah reveals His mystery to Himself. The dantian, or “furnace” in Chinese Qigong, is the region of the heart that turns qi energy into shen, or spirit energy.
You develop spiritually as you attempt to clear and balance your fourth chakra. You can enter into universal love and dispel the illusion of separateness in the heart. It is here that you can find emotional and physical healing. It’s when you open your heart to love in order to forgive yourself and others, connect profoundly with people, rise above the lower emotions of wrath, hatred, and envy, and reach a higher level of consciousness. Peace and deep inner equilibrium are experienced at the heart area. It’s lovely to have a balanced heart chakra. It is the source of compassion, altruism, devotion, and the ability to accept that everything happens in your life for a reason.
Most of us, on the other hand, have erected barriers around our heart chakra to shield ourselves from more harm. You may feel protective, critical, controlling, withdrawn, or fearful of letting go if your heart chakra is blocked. You’ll probably feel lonely and perceive others as separate from you. It’s possible that you’ve had a lot of bad luck in your life.
So, how can you open your heart and rebalance that center? Here are nine methods to do it:
- Go for a walk in the woods. Green is the hue of the heart’s core. Allow nature’s green to begin the healing process for you.
- Visualize green light filling and enveloping your heart center before you meditate.
- Give yourself permission to receive love, including love for yourself!
- Love people without expecting anything in return.
- Be grateful. Gratitude is an excellent approach to cease pointing out flaws in others.
- Develop the ability to forgive. The inability to let go of previous hurts causes a lot of heart chakra obstruction.
- Get your body moving. To gradually release stiffness and awaken your heart center, try a practice like yoga or tai chi.
- Work with a loving and knowledgeable therapist to restore broken relationships and release deep emotional wounds.
- Affirmations like “I am adored,” “I freely give and receive love,” and “I am connected to everything in the universe” are helpful.
Your ability to love improves as you follow the activities and meditations that are designed to help you open your heart. You progress from what we conceive of as love (our feelings of fondness and warmth for someone) to unconditional love (love as a force that flows through you and is unattached) and finally to universal love, in which you see love as the Source of your own being. You will become a more kind and joyful person.