The Heart Chakra
Associated with the green color, the Heart Chakra is at the center of the seven chakras with three below and three above. This is the area where physical and spiritual meet. The fourth chakra is located at the center of the chest and includes the heart, cardiac plexus, thymus gland, lungs, and breasts. It also rules the lymphatic system. The Sanskrit word for the fourth chakra is Anahata, which means “unstruck” or “unhurt.” The name implies that beneath the hurts and grievances of past experiences lies a pure and spiritual place where no hurt exists.
When your heart chakra is open, you are flowing with love and compassion, you are quick to forgive, and you accept others and yourself.
Love and Compassion
In order to maintain a healthy heart chakra, you must learn to love yourself and others around you. Do not complain about things around you and what you do not have. Instead, enjoy and appreciate the things that you already have. Life is a wonderful thing.
Remember the Reiki percept that says “I’m grateful for my many blessings.”
Situations, which might cause emotional distress such as, divorce, separation, isolation, abandonment, grief caused due to death, or emotional abuse can seriously damages the heart chakra. If the heart chakra loses balance one becomes prone to many illnesses and may also suffer from emotional conditions.
Imbalances in the Heart Chakra
The heart chakra can become imbalanced as a result of life experiences that have a strong emotional charge, physical ailments, or significant changes in your environment. It may manifest as a blockage in the energy flow or, on the contrary, a tendency to become overactive or have an excess of energy.
You can see the following signs of imbalance in the heart chakra :
- Being overly defensive
- Feeling closed down
- Jealousy; fear of intimacy
- Codependency, relying on other’s approval and attention, trying to please at all cost
- Always putting oneself in the role of the savior or the rescuer; or on the contrary, falling into victimization
- Excessive isolation, being recluse, antisocial
- Holding grudges, not being to forgive
At the physical level, it can manifest as:
- Respiratory ailments, such as lung infection, bronchitis
- Circulatory and heart-related issues
- Remember that the best way to receive love is to give it
- Work with the breath to balance your energy; observe it, play with it with breathing exercises
- Cultivate your appreciation for beauty, whether it’s in nature, people or in the arts
- Practice self-care and love your body up, from a good bath with rose essential oil to yoga poses opening the heart area
- Cultivate self-compassion and acceptance, especially with regards to your emotions and body
- Engage in activities that feed your heart
- Focus on receiving if you are naturally inclined to be a giver; and on giving if you’re more inclined to receive all the time
- Reflect on old wounds inherited from family relationships and come to terms with them compassionately; practice forgiveness deep within your heart
- Express your gratitude, even if it’s in silence; you can be grateful for the presence of other people in your life or simply for good things that make your life easier and happier
Heart Chakra healing foods
Green Vegetables: spinach, zucchini, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, Asian greens, beans, silverbeet, peas and asparagus
Green fruits: kiwi fruit, green apples, green grapes, cucumbers, avocado and limes.
Green superfoods: spirulina, chlorella, wheatgrass, barley grass, matcha powder and green tea.
Herbs: coriander, mint, oregano, parsley, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, basil and sage.
Essential Oils
Rose, Neroli, Melissa, Ylang-Ylang, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Frankincense.
Gemstones
Rose quartz, Jade, Green Calcite, Green Tourmaline, Green Aventurine.
