“When you touch the celestial in your heart, you will realize that the beauty of your soul is so pure, so vast and so devastating that you have no option but to merge with it. You have no option but to feel the rhythm of the universe in the rhythm of your heart.” ~ Amit Ray
In the wake of conceitedness and geocentrism, where ‘I’ is the centre of it all, feelings like love, compassion, and empathy are fast losing their true meaning. When we refer to ourselves physically, we indicate ourselves by pointing towards the heart centre.
Yes, this is the power of the heart, the seat of the soul, the place where our true identity exists. This source of an individual being is located at the centre of the seven major chakras. Integrating the top three and the bottom three chakras, Anahata chakra in Sanskrit means something that cannot be destroyed.
Similarly, the same philosophy when applied to the self, is the soul that can never be destroyed, as it is beyond the realm of the physical world. The heart and lungs are the main organs in the body because they’re responsible for the distribution of nutrition across the whole body.
The thymus gland, which programs and stimulates the immune system of the body, is associated with the heart chakra. Since the heart is associated with the self, it directs the immune system (through Thymus) to destroy anything that is self-destructive in nature. With the symbol of a star, the heart chakra is the meeting place of the divine and the self.
The downward-facing triangle (in the star symbol) is the downward descent of the energy from the supreme power, whereas the upward-facing triangle is the instinctive physical energy extruded from us, as a result of being on this plane.
And the intersection of the two is where the heart chakra resides. It is rightfully associated with the element air for air is all permeating. Similarly, the self is also universally permeating and has no shape or size.
The heart’s energy centre is connected to the sense of touch. Not only does it use the hand and feet but also the receptors of other organs to facilitate a grounding experience.
A well-balanced heart chakra can help one, transform negative emotions into positive ones. Devotion, compassion, and religious and spiritual sentiments are all derived from the heart.
But what happens if we have an imbalanced heart energy centre?
The Issues that Arise Due to an Imbalance with the Heart Chakra Energy
Due to an energy deficit in this chakra, one can experience problems like a lack of ample blood circulation and BP Low/high. The upper extremities are impacted here causing lung diseases, breast-related problems, pain in the upper back, shoulders or wrists, asthma or allergies.
Low immunity is yet another obvious result of the underactive heart chakra, causing the person to fall prey to diseases very easily. On the other hand, excess immunity can lead to autoimmune diseases.
Feelings of rejection, loneliness, and depression are also causes of deficient energy, as the sufferer is unable to develop a meaningful connection with others. They have a low sense of self, which creates behavioural issues like narcissism, which again cost them their connection to the world.
An excess of energy can create an overflow of emotions, which creates jealousy, attachment to worldly things, clinginess and lack of self-independence. The sufferer is constantly dependent on others for self-fulfilment and faces deeper insecurities.
Yet another obvious negative impact of an imbalance here is no or little warmth, compassion, and devotion. Such people are lost in their own needs, desires, and wants and have very little time to look compassionately towards those around him or her.
Here are some of the ways through which you can help heal an imbalanced heart centre.
Ways to heal the heart chakra
Yoga Poses
It is no secret that yoga poses have the ability to balance the chakras, and with the help of certain poses, you can hope to rectify the problems associated with specific chakras. Since the heart chakra is located in the thoracic region of the spine, here are a few postures you can try under supervision that can help alleviate the distress symptoms of this chakra.
Bridge pose or Setubandhasna, Forward bending or Uttanasana, Camel pose or Ustrasana, and Cobra poses or Bhujangasana are a few heart-opening poses.
Crystal therapy
We all know that crystals have a healing capacity and can rectify the discrepancies found in the astrological chart. But, did you know crystals could also compensate for a chakra imbalance in the body? Wearing green and pink colour crystals like Rose quartz, aventurine, emerald, jade, or malachite, will be beneficial in the long run.
Beej Mantra
The root sound of the heart chakra is ‘YUM’. In order to work on the same frequency, you can chant this mantra just as we chant OM. Simply be seated in a comfortable position and start by chanting ‘YUM’ multiple times. Or you could also chant OM, followed by YUM.
This alternative pronunciation is responsible for reaching the highest point because OM helps the practitioner reach the crown chakra and from thereon connect the heart chakra at the highest point with YUM.
Greenery and Nature
The colour of the Heart Chakra is green and pink. Those of us, whose heart chakra is blocked or imbalanced must spend time in nature. Walking on the grass with bare feet can help the practitioner connect with the energy of Mother Earth and soak in its richness. Also, having plants in the house and watering them daily will open up the gates of compassion and love for other beings.
Forgive
One of the many reasons for a blocked heart chakra is to hold grudges, pain, and hurt from our past experiences. The only way to heal this chakra is to forgive and forget. As difficult as it may sound, you have to trust this process. Letting go is a challenging task for many. However, those who overcame this barrier can vouch for the fact that is so unburdening.
Meditation
Since the sense of touch is associated with this chakra, in order to heal it, we have to draw our attention away from this sense and experience stillness. Practising a heart chakra meditation can be the best way to experience a sense of stillness.
With love being the core emotion of it all, take some time out to truly love yourself and others by removing the burden of expectation. It is not necessary to have anything in return because the universe is abundant and the more love you give away, the universe will find a way to give back more love to you.