To Love and Be Loved: The Heart Chakra
by Rachel Groff
Heart Chakra (Anahata)
Element: Air
Color: Green
Location: Chest, heart, cardiac plexus
The heart chakra is the fourth chakra in the system. This chakra is derived from love and balance. The basic right of the heart chakra—to love and be loved, which is simple and direct. Unfortunately, this chakra is easily damaged and wounded. The damage the heart chakra endures affects both the mind and body, spirit and the soul, and impacts the core of one’s true self. Love is something that cannot be ignored. Every human needs love to survive—nothing is as uplifting as love and nothing is more devastating than the loss of it. Love is the force that runs our lives.
What happens when the heart chakra is open?
When the heart chakra is open and full of energy, a person is loving, compassionate to themselves and others. The true test to a person’s heart chakra and whether it is open or not is if they are able or willing to show love and compassion to others, more importantly to themselves as well. An open fourth chakra allows a person to be empathetic, peaceful, and balanced. These people warm the room when they enter because they bring such peace and balance to those around them. An open heart chakra creates a person to be self-loving, one of the hardest things a person can feel for themselves. Self-love is the true test to an open, balanced, and energized heart chakra.
What happens when the heart chakra is closed off?
A closed-off heart chakra can be devastating to a person’s physical and mental health. They can experience loneliness, depression, and fear of intimacy or relationships. These people are often antisocial, withdrawn from social situations, and cold. Some can be very narcissistic and give too much love to themselves and not others. They aren’t empathetic or willing to give out love to another person because they don't feel loved themself or they feel that they are too good to give another person the love they deserve. A person with a closed heart chakra might have encountered rejection, abandonment, or loss at a young age. They could have been criticized or shamed as a child or young adult. If parents don’t actively try to open and balance their child’s heart chakra, then the child can grow up with theirs damaged and wounded.
What happens when there is too much energy in the heart chakra?
Excess energy in the heart chakra can bring on many things physically and mentally. Someone with excess energy can be codependent, demanding, and have poor boundaries. They can be jealous if someone else is receiving love and attention rather than them. This person can be overly giving in love and not receive what they feel they should back. This person needs constant reassurance and love even though they have excess energy in their heart chakra. In order to balance it out, they would have to love themselves as much as they love others.
How do I open my heart chakra?
Healing practices to open the heart chakra consists of searching for self-love. Journaling is a big practice that can allow someone to get all of their thoughts down on paper. This creates a way to “brain-dump” what they are feeling—sometimes things come up that they didn’t even know they were feeling. Journal is a form of self-discovery which leads to self-love. Therapy or emotional support aids in opening the heart chakra. If a person went through a hard childhood or emotional trauma then a person will need to work through what they experienced to then allow themselves to feel loved and be loved. Movement is another form of healing practice—any exercise can help a person experience love for their bodies and their abilities, which creates a start and a strong basis for the journey of finding self-love and giving love to others.
Affirmations:
I am worthy of love.
I am loving to myself and others.
There is an infinite supply of love.
I live in balance with others.
As part of the summer Chakra Series, Rachel’s classes from August 2 - 14 and August 30 - September 4 will bring awareness to the heart chakra.