The Heart Knows

Halfway up our chakra journey, we come to the heart chakra, which is located here at our hearts in the center of our chests.  This energy center is all about love, compassion, forgiveness and joy.  It is our ability to both give and receive love in order to feel a connection to ourselves as well as those around us.  Ultimately, this connection allows us to come to the realization that we are all one.  The Sanskrit term for this energy center is Anahata, which means "unstruck sound."  It refers to that sound that is reserved for only us to hear.  It is our unique vibration, where if we are silent and really take the time to listen to our hearts, we will hear it and hopefully follow its wisdom and guidance.

Anahata is the bridge between the earthly concerns of the lower three chakras and the divine concerns of the three higher chakras.  It is the connection of our body and our spirit.  Green is the color for this chakra, and the element is air.  Whereas earth (1st chakra), water (2nd chakra) and fire (3rd chakra) can be seen and felt, air is something that we can't have these experiences with (except when feeling wind).  So, it is the beginning of our ability to trust in things that go beyond our physical senses.  As air is the element for this chakra, the lungs and the breath are vital for opening and keeping this chakra balanced.  Our breath is the connection between our conscious and subconscious minds, so again it is this bridge or this connection between those parts of ourselves that are more obvious and we can more easily bring awareness to, and the parts of ourselves that are harder to reach and we just have to use trust to gain access to them.

Within the heart chakra lies a secondary chakra called Guru Haridya Manas (meaning the inner teacher).  Feeling and intuition are attributes of this chakra and it is from here that our “unstruck sound” or intuitive voice can be accessed.  It is why there is such a strong focus on listening to our hearts.  This intuitive knowledge can easily be drowned out by the louder voice of our verbal (ego) thoughts as well as the sensations and sounds coming from outside of us.  But it is this voice that is going to remind us of our beauty, our brilliance and our true loving nature.

Travelling along this chakra journey a few times now, I've found some common themes come up for me.  I often find that by the time I get to the heart chakra, I have a sense of exhaustion.  I don’t know if it’s because I’ve just come from the dynamic energy of the third chakra, or if it’s because I’ve spent a lot of time digging deep and accessing a lot of emotional “stuff” within the other chakras, but by the time I get to the fourth chakra, I just feel I need a break!  However, I have found that my biggest shifts have happened in this energy center.  Those times when I feel so connected to myself and to others have happened when I have been working or focusing on this area.  I’ve noticed it come through while I am teaching, doing yoga or through dance workshops.  For me, these are times where I can completely let go, and I am free of all thoughts.  So, these shifts have happened when I am too tired to think about my self-development any more and I just let it all go.  I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the key for working with the heart chakra – the ability to let go of all logic.  To let go, trust and feel this connection, and just let it breeze through.  So, find something that allows you to let go of your ego mind/thoughts.  It doesn’t have to be meditation or yoga or dance.  Find something that puts you in “the zone” whether that is some kind of exercise, writing, drawing, cooking or being in nature.  Whatever it is, it is most likely something you love to do.  So, even if you don’t quite access this center right away, at least you are taking the time to do something you enjoy and showing yourself that you are worthy of being loved because ultimately “being a friend to yourself is no mere metaphor or purely sentimental idea.  It is the basis of all relationship, because it is a fundamental recognition of soul.” Thomas Moore

I’ll end off with the video of the sound clip I played to start off class.  This lady has an important lesson to teach us all : )

Have an amazing week of letting go, seeing the beauty in yourself and knowing that you are a part of something wonderful,

Roxanne