1. Heart Chakra
By: Anne Monet LaPine

2. 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)

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

4. 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

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

6. 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

7. 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”

8. 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”

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

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

13. 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

14. 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

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

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

17. 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”

18. 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

19. 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 :

20. 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

21. 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

22. Sources http://www.chakra-anatomy.com/heart-chakra.html