All about the Heart or Anahata Chakra

This week will be CHAKRA WEEK!

That means each day, I will be talking about the different, main seven (7) chakras, starting at the 1st (the base of the spine) and working our way up to the 7th, (the top of your head).  Each day, I will post the basic chakra information and history at the top of the post then talk about the chakra of the day - so if you read the first post, you know now that you can skip the top part and move on to the end of the post. It will be done this way so that the entire information can be accessed no matter where you start reading.

What are the chakras?

Chakra is a Sanskrit word for a series of circular energy centers in and around the body. Chakra means "wheel" or "rotating" ring. The chakras are positioned where energy channels join in the body and work as "transformers" that control the energies of the body. Often, only seven (7) chakras are described and they coincide with important glands and nerve centers, but the exact number and location depend on the tradition a person follows. In Buddhism, there are four primary chakras. In many forms of Hinduism, there are seven. These seven chakras are believed to be connected via nadi, or energy channels. Some talk about 12 and according to the teachings of Dr. Sri Amit Ray, there are 114 chakras in the human body. These are split into the 7 major chakras, 21 minor chakras, and 86 micro chakras.

We will talk about the main seven main chakras that align along the spine, starting from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. The spheres run along the spine, but extend through and past the front, back, and both sides of your body.

Chakras are a spinning vortex of energy that is not seen by the human eye but can be seen, felt, and sensed with intuition. This invisible healing energy, called prana, is a vital life force, which keeps us vibrant, healthy, and alive.

Chakras store the energy of thoughts, feelings, memories, experiences, and actions. They influence and direct our present and future mindset, behavior, emotional health, and actions. The life force in each chakra can be processed, transmuted, and released so that we consciously manifest what we want to call in, rather than experience more of the same. Chakra healing is the intentional practice of connecting with our stored energy, so we may understand how our past is influencing the present and the future.

They are spinning disks of energy that should stay "open" and aligned for optimal emotional and physical well-being. If there is a blockage, energy flows are restricted.

History of Chakras:

The earliest written record of chakras comes from the Vedas, which are ancient Indian texts that describe the philosophy of yoga. The precise age of the Vedas is unknown, but they are thousands of years old. Over time, the concept of chakras evolved, influencing various Hindu and Buddhist traditions and healing therapies. They belong to a set of beliefs known collectively as Tantra. In the early 20th century, European spiritualists and occultists began publishing books about aspects of Tantra, including chakras. Today, these books are the basis of the Western understanding of chakras.

Today is all about the Heart Chakra



The fourth chakra, the Heart Chakra, also called the Anahata, is often considered the most crucial. It is in the middle of the seven chakras and unites the lower and the upper chakras. It is located in the center of our chest, above our heart. It serves as a bridge between our body, mind, emotions, and spirit. The heart chakra is our source of love and connection. It is connected with the heart, lungs, and thymus gland, regulating the flow of energy in this area of the body. This chakra is responsible for the storage and distribution of Prana, the life force energy that flows through our bodies, and for maintaining the air element in our system. 

When your heart chakra is open, you radiate with love, joy, peace, and compassion. You are more open to yourself and others. Your emotions are balanced. It allows us to receive and give love unconditionally. It brings inner peace, compassion, and emotional balance. It allows you to have a healthy relationship with no attachments or addictions, and to form deep and meaningful connections with others effortlessly. It helps us to trust others and feel comfortable with vulnerability. It helps us feel content and at ease with ourselves.

The hearth chakra is usually blocked by grief and loneliness. It can cause a lack of empathy, hatefulness, jealousy, trust issues, or make you very codependent. You may end up giving too much and have problems saying "no". It can cause a fear of rejection, lack of trust in a committed relationship, issues with giving and receiving affection, over-dependency in a relationship, distant behavior with people who care for you, and even physical symptoms such as heart palpitation, poor blood circulation, heart pain, angina, or even asthma.

There are plenty of ways you can open and activate your heart chakra. The best way to receive love is to give it so you can start with random acts of kindness, giving hugs, or giving compliments to people. You can also do yoga (Camel pose, Half-Bridge Pose, Fish Pose, Easy Cow Face Pose, and Cobra Pose), meditation, visualization of green color, hiking, journaling, and allowing yourself to feel your emotions.   Again, each chakra also has an associated mudra, or hand gesture, and even sounds that can help you engage with the energy of that chakra.

Element: Air
Chant: HAM
Color: Green
Symbol: A 6-pointed star with a 12-petal flower surrounding it.
Crystals:  Green and pink crystals such as malachite, rose quartz, green calcite, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, green aventurine, amazonite, and unakite
Food and Plants: Green foods, leafy greens, green apples, rose, jasmine, cucumbers, green tea,
Affirmations: I deeply and completely love and accept myself. I am wanted and loved. My heart is open to giving love. I forgive myself. I am worthy of love.



Shadow Work

Often when our heart chakra is closed, it means that we are storing a lot of dark energy within our subconscious minds. Your shadow self is the part of you where all of your rejected and denied personality traits, thoughts, feelings, habits, and socially unacceptable ego parts are stored. When you start to access these locked-away parts of you and embrace them, your heart immediately opens a little more. You can find a lot of information on the internet, TikTok, and Pinterest about Shadow Work!

End Note

A meaningful and happy life can only be achieved when our Heart Chakra is balanced so take some time today to work on it. Just remember, you are worthy of all the love that is out there! We do have the heart chakra crystals listed above in our Facebook Group! Just message me!