The Heart Chakra
Fourth Chakra - Anahata
Love
The fourth, or throat, chakra located in the region of the heart, connects us to our emotional self, bringing harmony, forgiveness sincerity and love. When off-balance it can lead to over-loving, jealousy, abandonment, anger loneliness and bitterness. When in balance we feel joy, love, gratitude and compassion.
Location: Centre of Chest
Colour: Green
Element: Air
Mantra: “I Love”
The heart chakra, Anahata, is associated with love, empathy, kindness, compassion, gratitude and faith.
Fear of Trusting
Grief
Jealousy
Isolation
Feeling unworthy
Hatred
Respiratory Issues
Heart Problems
Signs of an Imbalanced Heart Chakra
Yoga Postures to Balance the Heart Chakra
The most effective yoga postures to bring the heart chakra into balance are heart opening and back bending postures. Some you may want to include in practice include:
Natarajasana - Dancer's Pose
Anuvittasana - Standing Back Bend
Ustrasana - Camel Pose
Dhanurasana - Bow Pose
Bhujangasana - Cobra Pose
Ardha Matsyendrasana - Half Lord of the Fishes
Chakrasana - Wheel Pose
Herbs that activate the heart chakra are soothing florals, heart-toning berries and grounding green herbs. They work by unfurling joy and peace in the heart and cultivating care and compassion. Herbs you may want to consider if you feel your heart chakra is out of balance include:
Rose
Sage
Hawthorn
Thyme
Basil
Lavender
Moringa
Herbs to Balance the Heart Chakra
Using green, aqua or rose crystals, either close to your heart or holding in your hand while meditating can help balance the heart chakra. Some you may wan tto experiment with are:
Emerald
Green Jade
Rose Quartz
Green Aventurine
Green Fluorite
Green Calcite
Crystals to Balance the Heart Chakra
Essential Oils to Balance the Heart Chakra
Essential oils that evoke feelings of love, compassion, and emotional healing are best for the the heart chakra. These include:
Rose
Geranium
Melissa
Ylang Ylang
Rosemary
Cypress
Jasmine
When the heart chakra is in balance we are able to give and receive love easily, both from ourselves and from others. We feel open, full of compassion and empathy which flows through all our relationships. When it comes to relationships, a balanced heart chakra also helps us to establish and maintain healthy boundaries. A balanced heart chakra also facilitates deep feelings of gratitude but perhaps most importantly for eating disorder recovery, the compassion and empathy we feel allows us to develop a deeper sense of self-worth which can really aid in the recovery process.