4. Anahata Chakra
The heart chakra, Anahata, meaning ‘unhurt’, ‘unstuck’ and ‘unbeaten’ symbolises awareness and manifestation of love towards oneself and others, affection, compassion, acceptance, gratitude and kindness. It is about the heart of our feelings. The heart chakra is about giving and receiving love.
Associated with the spiritual heart centre, as we tune into the pulse of life and expand it through the conscious cultivation of prana, life force or breath. Anahata chakra is our inner temple in which Atma, our soul (True Self) resides.
With better balance in the lower chakras, it becomes easier to balance emotional connection through love. We slowly become more open to higher spiritual consciousness as it naturally manifests through compassion, gratitude, joy, love, and possibly most importantly, self-love.
Location
In the middle of the chest, at the heart level.
Element
Its element is air and the corresponding endocrine gland is the thymus.
Colour
Its colour is green and its mantra is YAM.
Unbalanced Heart chakra
An unbalanced Anahata can result in:
emotional pain
lack of compassion
indecisiveness
over-dependency in relationships
feeling disconnected from yourself
fear of rejection and abandonment
negative self-talk
low self-esteem and harsh self-criticism
Balanced Heart chakra
A balanced Anahata can result in:
seeing the positive in yourself and others
feeling kind and compassionate
optimism, hope, motivation
cooperative, sharing
feeling loved and loving
feeling happy within yourself
Affirmations to balance this chakra could be
I love and accept myself fully
I am grateful
I am loved and loving
I feel compassion and empathy for all beings
I forgive myself and others
I let go of resentment and grudges
I love
Essential oils to balance the Heart chakra
Lavender, Angelica, Neroli, Rose to balance emotions around Anahata.
Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Rosemary to soothe the circulatory system, and open the heart and lungs when feeling tightness in the chest.
A Meditation for your Heart chakra
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged position with your spine straight, or lie down in Savasana, Corpse Pose.
Take a few deep breaths in and out through the nose to centre yourself and to start calming the mind.
Bring your awareness to the present moment and to the rising and falling of your breath in the abdominal region.
Bring your left hand on your heart then the right hand on top of the left. Feel your heartbeat. Start to connect with it deeper. As you breathe in, feel your chest expand forward, then to the sides, and then in the back of the chest.
When you feel calmer and more centred, imagine a ball of pure love in your heart. Visualise and feel it grow with each inhalation. Feel this unconditional love and deep peace flowing through your heart centre and reaching every part of your body.
With each inhale, welcome and invite more love, kindness, compassion and gratitude into your heart space. With each exhale, allow old emotions that no longer serve you to leave your physical and emotional body.
Stay connected to the feeling of pure love, bathe in it, let it surround you warmly and peacefully. Remain with this sensation and allow it to ‘recharge’ your heart for as long as you enjoy it.
Journaling prompts to support Anahata
Do I think I am worthy of love?
Am I open to receiving love?
Is there a balance between my giving and receiving of love?
What is preventing me from welcoming love in my life?
Do I spend enough time on what I love doing? If not, what is holding me back from doing more of what I love?
What does ‘compassion’ mean to me? When do I experience compassion for others? How do I express it? When do I experience from others? How is it expressed and what does it feel like? What stops me and what helps me in being a compassionate person?
My heart is…
I am grateful for ….
Write a letter about yourself to yourself. Mention all the things you love about yourself, all the things you’ve overcome in your life and all the things/events/people/feelings you are grateful for.
