Did you know your heart chakra is responsible for your relationship with others? When you are feeling friendly, loving and amicable towards people, your heart chakra is open and well-balanced; when you are experiencing grief, loneliness or feeling anti-social, your heart chakra is blocked! Also known as the anahata chakra, this is the fourth out of the seven main chakras that help you understand the mind-body relationship. Located in the chest area, it is usually represented by the colour green, the element air and a circular flower with 12 green petals. It implies that deep beneath our personal stories of suffering and pain, lies boundless love and compassion.
A blocked chakra can be harmful
Says Veerji Sharma, chakrakriya practitioner, "When your heart chakra is blocked, some aspects of your life like health, mind, or emotions won't function well. You may feel anxious, dull, listless, sad for no reason, or chaotic and caught up in a whirl of unpleasant events."
He lists the physical and mental effects a blocked chakra can have:
Physical: Laziness, excessive weight gain or weight loss, lack of appetite or irregular eating.
Mental: Depression, negative thinking, criticising and keeping the mind busy in negative thoughts. Also, you will feel like a failure in your personal and professional relationships.
Tips to balance your anahata
Things to do at home: Put up pictures of loved ones and or a heart-centred spiritual teacher Incorporate vegetables and leafy greens like kale, spinach, dandelion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, squash, green and herbal teas and spices like sage, cilantro, basil, thyme and parsley in your daily diet to nourish your heart chakra Make use of essential oils. Rose oil, especially, is a wonderful heart healer, commonly used to combat depression. Use this oil to increase positive thoughts, a sense of spiritualism and feelings of hope and happiness Since the heart chakra is associated with the colour green, lighting green candles and having pictures of nature in your surroundings will help your heart feel at ease Chant the brij mantra `yam' daily. The heart chakra is associated with this vibrational sound.
Outside the house: Perform an anonymous `random act of kindness' every day, for a week.See how it makes you feel Volunteer at a pet or homeless shelter Spend time in natural settings. Forests are especially good. Visit cultures known for their open-heartedness and non-materialism.
With family and friends: Spend time with young children and animal companions. Get down on their level. Follow their lead Reconnect with an old friend. Let them know what they mean to you. If you have children, hug them and tell them you love them.
BDST: 1809 HRS, SEP-28, 2014
