UNDERSTANDING YOUR HEART CHAKRA By: Julia Katcher
“The enlightened can hear the sound of the universe within the Anahata Chakra” Cyndi Dale
The heart itself is one of the most vital organs in the body. The heart has many tasks of which it needs to accomplish to keep our human bodies working. The heart pumps blood which aids in circulation around the entire body. Through the aorta the blood is pumped through the arteries. This allows for the blood to be circulated through the organs and tissues which delivers food and oxygen to the entirety of the body. The blood is then circulated back through the veins returning home to the heart. The heart also pumps blood into the lungs. In the lungs, the heart replaces oxygen and removes the waste. Once the blood has been pumped through the lungs it returns to the heart with fresh oxygen. This powerful organ manages over 75 trillion cells and is the electromagnetic center of the body. It has thousand times more power than the brain and can ultimately process the bodies intuition.
The body itself is in constant rhythm with the earth. The heart beat can tell us a lot about our existence as a human. The sound and rhythm of our heart can demonstrate the levels of peace and our stress within the human body. When one truly stops and listens to the heart they can go within and see how their body responds to daily happenings. It is with this concept that when you practice meditation, pranayama (breathing techniques), yoga, Qigong, etc. you can transform your hearts pulse and the way it distributes the blood throughout the body. The more time and effort you put into calming the heart and filling it up with joy and happiness the entire body will respond with love and gratitude. It is a place that can be controlled merely by listening. Your heartbeat is your rhythm. Allow for your song to resonate with the earth and flow with it. The more you oppose its divine electromagnetic wave the more your body goes into stress and ultimately despair and sickness. We must take care of these vital organs not just in the sense of food and lifestyle but also being mindful on what you are feeding it through medial society and outside sources. You are the controller of your body. The heart often speaks much louder than the brain. Listen to it.
The heart chakra (Anahata, Hritpankaja, Dvadashadala) is symbolled as two superimposed triangles within a circle with one triangle facing upward and the other down. These two triangles symbolize the intertwining of the masculine and the feminine coming together into one united energy. This union allows for complete devotion to love and compassion not only to the self but to others. When you can embrace both your masculine and feminine you have rid yourself of judgement of either and accept the best qualities of both. The heart itself holds the second of the granthis (energy knots), it is these knots that we must untangle and peel through in order to see our true divine. These energetic knots are partially symbolized in the petals of the Anahata lotus. The lotus is made up of twelve petals and these have resemblance in the twelve mental capacities of which are: hope, anxiety, endeavor, possessiveness, arrogance, incompetence, discrimination, egoism, lustfulness, fraudulence, indecision, and repentance (Mahanirvana Tantra). One can deal with these “twelve petals” or divinities through self-contemplation and confronting each which in turn will heal and allow the Anahata to illuminate brighter. The vital breath of the Anahata chakra is Prana Vayu. Though prana is the life force energy, prana Vayu is the energy that partakes in things coming into the body such as food, water and air. It also allows for sensory perception and mental awareness. A good way to illuminate the heart chakra is utilizing this life force through the practice of noticing the breath with pranayama (breathing techniques). When balancing the heart chakra, it does not mean one must be completely open-hearted as to constantly be sacrificing for others or overly giving. To have a strong balanced heart one must live with slight detachment as to not get involved in the heart of others, almost a protective barrier of the heart that sits within the self. To give too much would mean to weaken the heart. To have discernment and the ability to truly give when needed is a stronger heart.
We as humans are natural lovers it is the imbalances that happen through the life that cause this light to go out. When working in the heart chakra space be patient and aware of all the goings about in your head to heart connection. When you can untangle the knots that have been formed you are that much closer to love energy. Think of when you were small and all the world a mystery. At that age, you were discovering and loving almost everything because you didn’t know any different. The heart chakra itself is developed during the ages of 4 to 6 years old. If one was catered to with love and gratitude during this time they will have a stronger bind to the heart. If one became heartbroken during this time they will have a blockage. Throughout the life you can trigger blockages or knots. It is time to peel away the layers really look at those blockages and become a “strong” heart. Practicing self-love is a good way to start to aid in the healing of the heart chakra. Focus on the breath, meditate and feed the body with love. To self-sabotage is just that, to close off the heart and live in the shadows. The heart chakra’s color, green, represents health, prosperity and abundance. It’s time to wear this color well and illuminate your green beautiful heart energy.
References: The Subtle Body By Cyndi Dale Sacred Earth: Prana Vayu- Five Vital Forces Chakra Foods for Optimum Health By: Deanna M. Minich, Ph.D., C.N.
