Heart Chakra By: Anne Monet LaPine

Chakras Chakras are energy centers in the body 7 main chakras in the body Heart chakra is the 4th center Chakras discussed in both the Upanishads (600BC) and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (200BC)

Anahata Sanskrit name for heart chakra – Anahata Anahata means “unstruck, or unhurt” Center for love, warmth, connection, and compassion

Symbolism Two triangles cross in its center (6 point star) showing symbolic nature Heart chakra believed to be the center connecting earth realms and spirit realms Star is the confluence between matter and spirit

Symbolism Characterized by the color green (or pink) Associated with balance and serenity Element is Air Planet is Venus (or the Sun)

Twelve Petals Symbol resides within a twelve petaled lotus Each petal said to represent an aspect of the heart: Joy, Peace, Kindness, Patience, Love, Harmony, Clarity, Compassion, Purity, Understanding, Forgiveness, Bliss

Attributes Psychological function is Love and Social Identity Heart Challenge is Grief Attributed to Thymus gland (endocrine system) Sensory Organ is touch (skin) Seed Syllable is “YAM”

Balanced Heart Chakra Individual is open, loving and compassionate Forgives easily Listens to self and heart Accept others and Self Positive outlook Intuitive nature present, “Follow your heart”

Overactive Heart Chakra Ruled by your emotions constantly Lack of proper boundaries Putting others first to the point of neglecting self Losing sense of personal identity Saying yes to everything/everyone Codependency

Underactive Heart Chakra Negative and cynical outlook Feeling of “unloved” and “unworthiness” Social Isolation: fear of letting people in Reluctance to love Issues with trust

Finding Balance Color therapy: Surround yourself in green to help stimulate this chakra. Walking in nature is perfect Crystal Therapy: Stones like Green Calcite, Rose Quartz, and Turquoise are powerful healers for heart chakra Yoga asana and meditation Kriya

Asana for Anahata Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana) Opens heart Powerful posture, even when taking variations

Asana for Anahata Camel Pose (Ustrasana) Stretches entire front side of the body Beginners: modifications would be hands on back and gaze upward, deepening backbend according to comfort

Asana for Anahata Supported Fish Pose (Matsyasana) Great yin posture for relaxing into the stretch Great for use in conjunction with meditation focused on the heart chakra

Asana for Anahata Forward Fold (Padangusthasana or Pascimottanasana) Introspective, folding in on one's self Beneficial sitting or standing

Asana for Anahata Plow Pose (Halasana) All variations beneficial for heart center Inversions aide upper chakras (spiritual realm)

Meditation for Anahata Meditation practice is a great way to develop chakra balance Comfortable seated meditation with a set intention Intention could be merely heart center, or held in conjunction with visualization of chakra and color Affirmation statements helpful for heart chakra: “I am open to love” “I deeply and completely love and accept myself”

Mudra for Anahata Mudra is a hand posture to encourage flow of energy in specific ways For Heart: place thumb and index finger tips in Gyan Mudra over heart center

Kriya for Anahata A Kriya is a sequence of posture, mudra, breath (pranayama) and mantra chanting to attain a specific goal/outcome Kriya is a central tenant in Kundalini yoga An excellent step by step for a Heart chakra opening Kriya can be found here : http://www.3ho.org/files/documents/transformationvol2_kriya_to_open_the_heart_center.pdf

Love Most spiritual belief systems hold love as a central teaching of the utmost importance Love unifies us with each other and with the Universe Balancing the Heart Chakra can better our relationship with self Betters our interpersonal relationships with people in our lives

Conclusion Namaste By keeping open hearts, we can be better humans in this existence. We can maintain positive relation- ships with not only others, but with ourselves Namaste

Sources http://www.chakra-anatomy.com/heart-chakra.html http://sacredcenters.com/history-of-the-chakra-system/ http://www.chakras.info/heart-chakra/heart-chakra-symbol/ http://www.chakras.info/heart-chakra/overactive-heart-chakra/ http://www.oneworldhealing.net/chakra-healing/anahata/ https://www.ashtangayoga.info/practice/downloads/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anahata https://www.3ho.org/kundalini-yoga/kriya