What is the Heart Chakra?

The heart chakra is your energy center of love, empathy, compassion, and joy. It’s located in the center of your chest at the heart level. It’s the fourth of the seven primary chakras and its Sanskrit name is Anahata, which translates to unhurt, unstruck and unbeaten.

The heart chakra moves love through your life. It is the seat of your soul and connects you with divine intelligence.

The heart chakra is the bridge between the upper and lower chakras.

The heart chakra is the center of your deep bonds with other beings, your sense of caring and compassion, your feelings of self-love, altruism, generosity, kindness, and respect.

Anahata is an integrating and unifying chakra. It is also your healing center. Most spiritual traditions recognize love as the ultimate healing force and the highest vibration existing in this dimension. The heart chakra is the bridge between the upper and lower chakras – the unifier of our humanity and our divinity.

The energy of the heart chakra allows us to recognize that we are part of something larger- that we are interconnected within an intricate web of relationships extending through life and the universe. In many circles, it is thought that the heart chakra is the central intelligence of the body, as opposed to the brain. It is where we first receive impulses, information and guidance.

Self Love

The heart chakra allows us to recognize and get in touch with the sacred and fundamental truth that runs through all of life and connects everything together. The “way of the heart” is living your life from this energy center of love. It is being receptive, open and appropriately vulnerable.

Living from the heart means living your life with loving kindness, compassion and being of service towards others. It means that your heart is energetically active, as you emit and inspire kindness and compassion in others. You create a safe and supportive environment just by being.

Others can feel your clarity, love and warmth. They feel loved and accepted unconditionally. People feel at peace around you, as there is no judgment coming from you.

Healing hands are extensions of your heart chakra.

When the heart chakra is open and energy is flowing freely, you are not only loving to others, you are also loving to yourself. You know when you need to say no to others and when you need self-care and nurturing. A heart-centered person has good boundaries and is that attractive light in the dark. Many people are drawn to this person, much like a moth to a flame.

Most of the world’s spiritual traditions recognize agape love as the unifying force – the energy that is the most fundamental part of the universe and of humans sharing this earthly incarnation. Agape love is brotherly love.

Empaths and the Heart Chakra

People sometimes feel that they love too much or are too sensitive and close off their heart chakras. This only hurts them. I recommend strengthening the solar plexus chakra and getting out of ego, then blasting the heart chakra at full force. Love really does conquer all!

Your heart chakra can never be too open or too big. There is never a need to close it off. It is your essence, your life force. To love and be loved is bold and courageous!

Symptoms of an Unbalanced Heart Chakra

• Apathy and faithlessness
• Distrust and difficulty to commit
• Asthma or breathing problems
• Upper back pain
• Premature aging

Heart Chakra at a glance:

• Sanskrit name: Anahata, (unstruck or unhurt)
• Element: Water
• Color: Green
• Shape: Crescent moon
• Rights: To love
• Endocrine gland: Thymus
• Physical association: Heart, lungs, circulatory system, arms, hands
• Psychological function: Love
• Identity: Social identity
• Challenge: Grief
• Planets: Venus (lunar, feminine), Sun
• Tarot suit: Cups

Heart Chakra Affirmations

I am open to giving and receiving love.
Love resides within my heart.
I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
I nurture my inner child.
I am wanted and loved.
I live in balance, in a state of gracefulness and gratitude.
I forgive myself.
I am open to loving kindness.
I am grateful for all the challenges that helped me become more loving.
I am connected with other human beings.
I feel a sense of unity with nature and animals.
I am peaceful.

Essential Oils for the Heart Chakra

• Rose
• Sandalwood
• Jasmine
• Ylang Ylang
• Lavender
• Palmarosa
• Elemi

Healing Exercises

Any exercise that opens up your heart center, such as pectoral exercises, back bends or inversions, stretching your arms behind your back and lots of breath work!

Healing Foods

Eat your greens, such as green vegetables, especially leafy and cruciferous ones like kale, lettuces, spinach, chard, bok choy, collard greens and broccoli. Green alkaline foods and juices are superb for balancing your heart and body.