The heart chakra is known as Anahata in Sanskrit and actually means “unstruck” or “unhurt.” This alludes to the fact that at our very core, in Spirit we are perfect. We are unbroken, there is nothing to fix at the centre of our being. This untouched and unsullied part of us does not need to be redeemed. It is the template for healing those parts that have been heartbroken and downtrodden along the tumultuous road of life.
The heart chakra is the key to a happy and fulfilled life. We cannot be happy unless we deal with issues that contract soul and body. Chronic contraction of our bodies leads to ill health and unhappy relationships. Prevention is better than cure. Rather than have a heart attack, it’s preferable to have an attack of heart.
To develop a sense of heart, we must focus and learn to love ourselves. This raises our vibration drawing love into our lives. Despite whatever we have been through, at the most fundamental level, we are whole with boundless love and compassion.
Ask yourself these questions
- Do I have memories that require healing?
- What relationships (current or past) need healing?
- Do I have childhood issues that I haven’t fully addressed?
- Are my emotional wounds controlling my life, leading me to control people and situations?
- How do I allow wounds of the heart to control me?
- What do I need to forgive myself for? Who needs forgiveness from me?
- Do I have addiction issues? How do my addictions keep my heart closed?
Am I?
- Distrusting
- Cold, aloof or reserved
- Unhappy or sad
- Lacking compassion
- Self absorbed or selfish
- Hindered with a weak immune system
- A failure in relationships, career or life?
- If you now realise you have heart issues, then it’s time to do something about it!
Opening the Wounded Heart
Opening the heart is necessary to heal the heart. I find it best to take a balanced approach and work in the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical realms. Some people have a tendency to become ungrounded when dealing with emotional issues, so I stress that working in the physical universe is important to balance out the emotions.
Spiritually
- Meditation on the heart chakra, bringing in a clear bright colour that you are attracted to such as green (earthly love), pink (healing), magenta, metallic gold or silver (spirit). Avoid black, murky and dull colours such as brown and grey.
- Use rose quartz crystal as a focus point for meditation, wear it as a piece of jewellery or sleep with it under your pillow.
- If you’re nervous about the word ‘Meditation’ just breathe deeply, focus on your chest area and relax. Don’t get caught up thinking ‘am I doing this right?’ Your heartfelt intention to open your heart gets you half way there. Breathing fully and deeply will take you the rest of the way. Do this daily. You can start at just 10 minutes and increase gradually.
- Explore Karuna Reiki, go to a practitioner for a session or become attuned yourself. Karuna Reiki opens the heart and 3rd eye chakras increasing your capacity for both compassion and psychic ability.
Mentally
- Listen to subliminal affirmation tapes on love.
- Use positive affirmations for love and opening the heart chakra.
- Eliminate negative self talk such as “I don’t deserve love”, “I’m unlovable” or “no one loves me”? When you have negative thoughts, always replace with a positive thought immediately.
- Do mental housekeeping every day; by this I mean observe what is going on in your head. Take control as Master/Mistress of your headspace and imagine a waterfall washing away negative thoughts.
Emotionally
- When you are in a quiet and safe place, explore your feelings by allowing them to surface; embrace them allowing yourself to feel whatever you feel. Repressed feelings do untold damage to your self esteem, confidence and your body. When you allow yourself to feel, you will feel better afterwards. Generally it is best to do this alone unless you have an experienced and non-judgemental, self-development professional such as a counsellor or psychologist.
- Pour your emotions into a journal. Writing down your feelings gives clarity and a sense of release that you can refer to later.
- Work on forgiving those who have wronged you. If you have difficulties forgiving, then start with the affirmation “I am willing to forgive……(name the person)”.
- Cry when you can! But do this at an appropriate time and place. Emotional tears contain toxic compounds so better out than in.
- Get a pet to love – they give you unconditional love, they help keep you grounded as you must of course love and look after them. Do some research before you purchase as some breeds are more loving than others.
Physically
- Try stretching exercises to open the chest, shoulders and arms. Yoga is extremely useful as it works on multiple levels incorporating spirit.
- Sit and stand up straight, (I sound like an old fashioned school teacher don’t I?)
- Pull shoulders back, especially if you are working at a computer. If we slouch, our chest rolls forward and contracts leading to eventual spinal damage.
- Any sort of movement such as walking is good, but don’t get caught into the trap of overusing your muscles. Punishment of the body exacerbates existing spiritual and emotional issues. Movement is what the body requires not necessarily exercise.
- Gardening and housework are great! Not only do your accomplish something physical, you feel better for it
- EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) works wonderfully well on resolving both emotional and physical issues. It basically involves tapping on acupressure points on the body and releases stuck energy.
Be gentle and kind with yourself; this is the first step to love. The old dictum ‘treat others as you would like to be treated’ is the second step. You have a unique life to live so open your wounded heart and live it. Learn to love yourself and the world will respond in kind.
