The Heart Chakra’s Love Without Fear
s you head to school for the very first time, your world opens up to new relationships. You start forming bonds with your classmates, teachers, and kids of all ages and genders. From ages 3 and a half to 7, the heart chakra develops as you form your social identity. You learn that at the very center of your being, your heart has the right to love and be loved. To give and to receive. To experience universal love!
As we climb the 7 chakras, Anahata, the heart chakra, exists at the center; it balances the 3 lower and 3 upper chakras. It creates spaciousness to integrate because it’s where the soul meets the body. You can almost think of it like a rest stop. If the other chakras are doing their work, this is a place where you can slow down and just be.
Anahata is about self-acceptance and forgiveness. This energetic center is about finding harmony with the self and the other. Dr. Steve Maraboli states, “When I accept myself, I am freed from the burden of needing you to accept me.” Keep reading to learn how to love yourself and others without fear!
Article Topics
Anahata Heart Chakra
- Sanskrit Name: Anahata, meaning “unstruck sound”
- Chakra Location: Heart, the center of the chest
- Element: Air
- Color: Green
- Function: Love, forgiveness, balance
- Governs: Heart, respiratory system, lungs, chest, arms, and hands
- Seed Sound: Yam
- Mudra: Padma Mudra (With palms at the heart, touch the outer edges of pinkies and thumbs together. Press the heels of palms together while middle fingers blossom open.)
When Balanced
If you’ve ever heard of the attachment theory, there are 4 different styles in which children attach to their parents that will predict their emotional and social outcomes later in life. You are either secure, avoidant, resistant, or disorganized. When the heart chakra is balanced, you have a secure style and can easily practice empathy, compassion, love, and forgiveness. When the 4th chakra is open, it feels peaceful and gives and receives without a second thought. The heart has created a space to let others in and be vulnerable.
When Underactive
An avoidant or disorganized attachment style may be present when there are blocks in Anahata. When you try to cut yourself off from love (which is impossible), you may isolate or withdraw from social interactions. You may have a deep-rooted fear of intimacy or of letting others get close. This could be due to emotional trauma, inconsistent caregiver behaviors, loss, or other experiences of heartbreak. Some other deficiencies equate to being too critical or lacking empathy for yourself or others. I know it’s hard to open your heart continually, but just like the lotus flower that blooms from the murkiest of waters, your heart can blossom, too!
Physical Ailments
The heart chakra is the element of air. Therefore, it is connected to your lungs and respiratory system. One example of a respiratory sickness is asthma. Have you ever heard of the spiritual meaning behind having asthma? Asthma is a sign that you need room to breathe, whether from over-involved adults who are “suffocating” you or needing space to love yourself. When you breathe, you trust that an exhalation will follow each inhalation, and vice versa. It’s an equal exchange of giving and receiving because life is perfectly balanced.
When Overactive
Then, there’s a resistant attachment style. This may show up as being clingy, overly demanding, or jealous. You fear the other person will leave you if you aren’t sacrificing yourself, leading to people-pleasing tendencies. Unknowingly, this can create codependent relationships that lack clear boundaries. People with an overactive Anahata are looking for attention and validation outside of themselves to feel loved.
Love Thyself and the Other
Self-love is a buzzword, but how do we accomplish it?
One of the best practices I always incorporate in my yoga retreats is asking my guests to write a love letter to themselves in nature. Out in nature, we are reminded of our natural essence. We see how nature works effortlessly together to create a harmonious union. It brings us closer to our divinity and opens our hearts, allowing love to pour out! It is a beautiful practice to write a love letter to yourself, and reading it aloud and declaring your proclamation in front of others can be incredibly healing.
To practice compassion, write down all of the roles that you play in relationships. Underneath each category, list all the qualities that make you a great friend, daughter/son, partner, coworker, etc. Then, make a list of the qualities that you love in those people. Take it further by choosing someone who challenges you and write some of their best qualities. Remember, we are all doing our best with how we’ve been taught to love!
Finally, there’s the big F word: Forgiveness. If there’s someone that you haven’t fully forgiven, what are you waiting for? Forgiveness is always about liberating you, not the other person! Write a letter of forgiveness to that person and hold a little fire ceremony. As you burn your letter, imagine your hard feelings turning to ash and transmuting into love.
7 Asanas to Activate the Heart Chakra in Yoga
There are various heart-opening postures in yoga, but I’ve compiled a short list of 7 you can try in your next heart chakra-themed yoga practice.
- Bhujangasana (cobra)
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward-facing dog)
- Salamba Bhujangasana (sphinx)
- Matsyasana (fish pose)
- Dhanurasana (bow pose)
- Urdhva Dhanurasana (wheel pose)
- Ustrasana (camel pose)
Affirmations
Try some mirror work with these heart chakra affirmations. Look at yourself in the mirror as you repeat these affirmations out loud. Look into your eyes and recognize your worth. You are loved!
- “I am worthy of love.”
- “I attract loving and trusting relationships.”
- “There is an infinite supply of love.”
- “I practice forgiveness and compassion for others.”
- “I live in harmony with all of existence.”
In Closing
You can only connect deeply with others if you first connect to yourself. We need love just as much as we need the air we breathe!
Grief is the demon of the heart chakra. Grief makes you want to close off, shut down, and never put yourself in a position to feel hurt again. Remember that every relationship has something to teach you about your social identity and your capacity to love. And, just in case you didn’t know, there is an infinite bounty of love!
Love is a feast where we are all invited to the table to eat. So don’t accept breadcrumbs when you should be consuming lavish courses of divine satisfaction!
