Anahata Chakra - Heart Center

"There are still shadows in the cave even though one has seen the Light"
  ~Hillman

Anahata Chakra
Unstruck Sound  (without beginning and without end)

Heaven and Earth meet through Anahata Chakra. The heart centre is about compassion, kindness, unconditional love, harmony, and equilibrium. Its' sense organ is Touch and its' element is Air. It relates to the circulatory and respiratory systems, the thymus gland, heart, lungs, pericardium, upper back, ribs, arms, and hands.

When our heart center is in balance, we feel peaceful, centered, and in harmony with the rhythms of nature. We can walk "the middle way", and are in touch with unconditional love, feelings of expansiveness, and gratitude. We integrate the polarities, seeing the purpose in all: light and dark, masculine and feminine, inner and outer. There is a sustainable balance in giving and receiving love.

When out of balance, fear and attachment show up. We may have excessive bouts of grief, loneliness, isolation, and withdrawal. Alternatively we may over-give, people-please, and be overly sympathetic to the detriment of our own needs. Physical symptoms can manifest in heart and lung disease, asthma, bronchitis, hypertension, circulatory problems, aching in the chest or upper back, a weak immune system, or breast cancer.

Practices for the Heart Chakra
Kriyas (click on blue titles to take you to the practice!)
The Essence of the Self
Kriya to Open the Heart

Mantra
Sat Kartar - Manifestor of Truth
(I practice this with the Sat Kartar mantra on Sat Kartar's "Listen" album - Sat Kartar is the name of the singer, as well as the mantra itself)

Pranayama:
Ego Eradicator, and breathing practices in general

Asanas:
GuruPranam (child's pose with hands in prayer stretched out in front), Triangle (this is downward facing dog in Kundalini Yoga), Halasana (Plow), Cobra,  and Matsyasana (Fish)

Other:
Breathe.  Practice Gratitude.  Relax your Tongue.  

All emotions pass through the heart - joy and sadness, love and hate, anger and compassion - claim your light and dark aspects. The purest of love is unconditional for oneself and one another. When we vibrate through this centre, we are vibrating "we" rather than "I" and "You". 

An open heart is beautiful, AND without a solid functioning lower three chakras, there is not a stable base for the heart to safely vibrate.


As always, your questions and/or comments are very welcome!                                                                       Sat Nam, Dawn