Seven Chakras

Anahata Chakra

Chelsea Murray
anahata chakra

Anahata Chakra: The Chakra of the Heart

Anahata: “unstruck” or “unhurt”

Your Heart Chakra is your fourth chakra in a system of seven, counting up from the base of your spine. It is located at the very center of your chest, and is commonly thought of as the bridge between your lower three chakras and your upper three chakras. The lower three chakras are considered centers of physical energy whereas the upper three chakras are more spiritual in nature. The heart chakra is located directly in the middle and provides balance for your physical body and your spiritual self. The Sanskrit name for the heart chakra is “Anahata” meaning “unstruck” or “unhurt”. When in balance it is perceived as a bright emerald green, the healthier the chakra the more vibrant the color. It can also be visible as various shades of pink.    

Tree Pose photo by kjpargeter at https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background

Anahata Chakra at a Glance

  • Location: heart region of the vertebral column, the cardiac plexus
  • Element: Air
  • Color: Bright Green (sometimes represented as pink)
  • Lotus: 12 petals
  • Bija Mantra: YAM/YANG
  • Aspects: Balance
  • Sense: Touch
  • Vayu: Prana
  • Planet: Venus

Anahata is your energy center for love, compassion, calmness, serenity, friendship, romance, and unity. When your heart chakra is in balance you feel connected to those closest to you, you feel cared for, and you feel love for yourself and others. You will also feel equality, joy, and passion. Having a balanced heart chakra is incredibly important for your quality of life.

Your ability to love not only affects your emotional and mental state but your physical body as well. The heart chakra is connected to your Thymus gland, which is located in the center of your chest. The Thymus gland is part of the immune system and correlates to our emotional well-being, it functions at its best when we are happy, loving and joyful. An underactive Thymus gland may be the result of emotional trauma, heartache, loss and more. Your heart chakra is also connected to your physical heart, lungs, arms and hands.

Upward Facing Dog photo by Yanalya at https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/people

When your heart chakra is out of balance you may find yourself angry, depressed, jealous, resentful, and envious. If you’re grieving a loss, feeling detached from those closest to you, losing hope, or having problems in your relationships these may be signs your heart chakra needs a little extra love.  

Nature walks, time spent with pets, time spent with family, practicing gratitude, and acts of self-care are all ways to nourish the heart chakra. As well as wearing green clothing, green essential oils, green gemstones, and eating green foods.  

Yoga for the Heart Chakra

A well-rounded yoga practice can also be helpful to balance the heart chakra. Some heart-healing asanas include

  • Fish (matsyasana) or supported Fish
  • Seated forward fold (paschimottanasana)
  • Cobra (Bhujangasana) or Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
  • Boat (Navasana)
  • Bow (Dhanurasana)
  • Child’s Pose (Balasana)
  • Puppy Pose
  • Camel (Ustrasana)
  • Dancer (Natrajasana)
  • Reclined Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)
  • Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
  • Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1)
  • Tree Pose (Vrikshasana).
Meditation vector by from https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/design

Meditation for Anahata Chakra

Meditation can be a very powerful tool in balancing not only your heart chakra but your other chakras as well. Visualizing a glowing, bright green orb in your next meditation while repeating heart opening affirmations (either silently or out loud) is a simple yet effective way to open your heart chakra. You may visualize this orb in the center of your chest, slightly in front of you, or washing over your whole being. Pink is also associated with the heart chakra, and you’re welcome to incorporate various shades of pink to intermingle with the green.

Practice Metta or Loving-kindness meditation daily. Loving-kindness meditation is a Buddhist meditation technique where one practices sending love to all beings in stages. Learn more about metta meditation here.

The seed sound of the Anahata chakra is “yam” chanting this mantra internally or out-loud before or after your meditation is another way to connect with your heart chakra. While chanting “yam” place your left hand on your heart with your right hand on top. You may also practice a heart-opening mudra while meditating, chanting or during your yoga practice.

Mudras for the Heart Chakra

A mudra is a sign or hand gesture that has been known to affect different parts of the body by engaging the nerve endings in our fingertips. Mudras direct energy flow from the fingers to the brain and help the body communicate with itself. Some heart opening mudras include;  Padma or Lotus Mudra, Apana Vayu Mudra, and Ganesha Mudra.

Ganesha Mudra

To practice Ganesha Mudra, place your left hand palm up in front of your chest and bend the fingers inward. Place your right hand over the top of the left, so that the palms face each other and the fingers grasp together.

Apana Vayu Mudra

On each hand, bend the pointer finger to touch the ball of the thumb. Touch the tip of the thumb with the tips of the middle and ring fingers and extend the pinky fingers outward.

Lotus Mudra

Begin with the hands at Anjali Mudra (prayer pose), keep the thumbs and pinky fingers and the bottoms of each palm touching and flower open the rest of the fingers.

Do you want to learn more about all of the chakras? Join the Ambuja Yoga Newsletter and I will send you our free Chakra Guide. You can sign up in the side bar or on the homepage. Easy Peasy!

The 7 Chakras Every Yogi Must Know

Abigail Cox

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If you are a yogi, aspiring yogi, or interested in mind/body/energy healing, Chakras play a big role in these activities. Chakras are our energy centers. The sanskrit word stands for “wheel”, “circle”, as well as “cycle”. There are seven main “energy centers” on each and every one of our bodies. At each of the seven energy centers, there are openings for life that allow energy to flow in and out of the aura. These openings start at the bottom of the spine and work their way up to the crown of the head.

You may be wondering what the purpose of these openings are. Well, the Chakras function is to stimulate the physical body and help aid and develop our self-consciousness. We must keep our Chakras open to flowing energy because a blockage in a chakra can result in illness. The invisible energy flowing through our Chakras is called Prana, which is what keeps us vibrant, healthy, and alive.  The swirling energy flowing through each Chakra harmonizes with nerve centers within our bodies. This flow of energy helps benefit our bodies psychologically, spiritually, and emotionally.

So how do you know if you have a blocked Chakra? You may be feeling off balanced emotionally or physically aching, sore, stiff, or even sick. One of the best examples I have heard is of a son who lost his mother and shortly after developed bronchitis. The ache in his chest from each time he cough was directly correlated to the ache in his heart he felt because his mother passed. Typically when we have a physical issue it results in weakness in our emotional behavior and vice versa. By guiding your awareness to a blockage it will help open your blocked chakra and promote healing for your body physically as well as emotionally.

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Identifying The Seven Chakras:

1. The Root Chakra (Muladhara)

The Root Chakra is our main hub, our survival center. Located at the base of our spine, it has the deepest connections with our physical bodies, environment, and Mother Earth. It holds the first three vertebrae, our bladder, and our colon.

  • When this chakra is open we feel safe and fearless.
  • When there is a blockage or an imbalance in the Root Chakra it will result in physical issues such as; tailbone, legs, feet, rectum, immune system. Emotional imbalances includes negative feelings affecting our basic survival needs such as; money, food, shelter, ability to provide necessities for oneself.

2. The Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)

The Sacral Chakra holds our ability to accept others. It is our creativity, passion, grounded intuition, and sexuality center. It is located above the pubic bone, about two inches below the navel and two inches in.

  • When the chakra is open we feel committed, creative, passionate, sexual, outgoing.
  • When there is a physical imbalance in this chakra it may result in sexual disfunction, reproductive issues, urinary problems, kidney issues, hip, pelvic, and lower back pain. Emotional Imbalances include problems with commitment to relationships, inability to express emotions, fear of betrayal, and addiction issues.

3. The Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)

The Solar Plexus Chakra is our ability to be confident and have control over our lives. It is located at the upper abdomen and stomach region extending to the breastbone.

  • When the chakra is open we feel confident, have self worth, willpower, self discipline, warmth in our personality.
  • Some physical imbalances of this chakra include digestive issues, liver dysfunction, chronic fatigue, stomach ulcers, diabetes, high blood pressure, pancreas and gallbladder problems, colon diseases. Emotional Imbalances include our inner critic coming out, no self worth, fears of criticism, rejection, physical appearance.

4. The Heart Chakra (Anahata)

Located at the heart this chakra is in the middle of the seven and unites the lower chakras of matter and the upper chakras of spirit. The Heart Chakra is our source of love and connection. The fourth chakra is a bridge between mind, body, emotion, and spirit.

  • When the Heart Chakra is open we feel at peace, love, and joy. “Unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten”, is the Sanskrit meaning of this chakra.
  • When physical imbalances occur, asthma, heart disease, lung disease, breast issues, lymphatic system issues, upper back and shoulder problems, along with arm and wrist pain. Emotional Imbalances include over loving to the point of suffocation, jealousy, anger, bitterness, fear of loneliness.

5. The Throat Chakra (Vishuddhi)

The Throat Chakra is the voice of our body. The fifth chakra is located in the throat. This chakra focuses on the ability to communicate and express how we feel.

  • When this chakra is in balance we have the ability to speak our highest truth, honest and truthful, good listener, free flowing words and expression.
  • Physical issues resulting from an off balance Throat Chakra is thyroid issues, laryngitis, TMJ, sore throats, ear infections, facial problems, neck, and shoulder pains, as well as ulcers. Emotional Imbalance includes issues of self expression through communication, the fear of no power or choice, no willpower, or feelings of being out of control.

6. The Third Eye Chakra (Ajna)

Our source for intuition and ability to focus and see the big picture. This chakra is located between the eyebrows.

  • When our Third Eye Chakra is balanced we will feel clear, determined, and focused. We can distinguish between truth and illusion. We are open to insight.
  • When our Third Eye Chakra has a physical imbalance we may have headaches, sinus issues, blurred vision, hearing loss, hormone malfunction. When there are emotional imbalances we may be moody, volatile, have the inability to learn from others, daydream and have an exaggerated imagination.

7. The Crown Chakra (Sahasrara)

The Crown Chakra is the high chakra and it represents spiritual enlightenment. This chakra is located at the top of our head. It centers trust, devotion, inspiration, happiness, and positivity.

  • When this chakra is balanced we feel present in the moment and have an unshakable trust within ones self.
  • When there is a physical imbalance of the Crown Chakra depression, inability to learn, sensitivity to light, sound , and environment may be present. When there is an emotional imbalance issues with self knowledge may arise, constant confusion, and alienation.

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Abigail Cox
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