Heart Chakra Meditation: Balancing your Energy Centres
At the beginning of my inner work journey, I remember during a class, one of the students shared something that stayed with me. She said: "The brain and the gut always have a story to tell, but the heart just knows".
The heart is the most intelligent organ in the body and the first one to be created in the embryo.
We carry many things in our hearts: love, joy, happiness, sorrow, pain and suffering. The heart can understand and accept people, things and situations that are inconceivable to the logical mind.
Have you ever experienced moments when you searched for a solution, but nothing seemed feasible? And this was after hours and hours of exhausting your mind?
I have. And not once but many times.
Tired and squeezed like a lemon, I checked in with my heart. The solution didn't jump up straight away, but a sense of peace and comfort beamed through my body. Shortly after, a feeling of inner knowing surfaced.
According to Hindu and yogic traditions, heart chakra meditation is a specific form of meditation that focuses on the heart Chakra, one of the seven major energy centres (or chakras) in the body.
The heart chakra, known as Anahata in Sanskrit, is associated with love, compassion, joy, forgiveness, and interconnectedness. Anahata is the 4th Chakra located in the centre of the chest, beneath the breastbone; it is the bridge between the lower and upper chakras, integrating the finite with the infinite.
Practising heart chakra meditation is believed to help balance and open the heart chakra, promoting emotional well-being and nurturing loving relationships. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you with heart chakra meditation:
Find a quiet space where you won't be disturbed. Sit up with your back tall and straight, elongating your spine, or lie down and notice all points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
Softly close your eyes and focus your attention on your inner landscape. Take a few deep breaths to relax your body and mind. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your lungs to fill, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Gently invite the breath to settle into its normal rhythm as you meditate.
Focus your attention on your heart Chakra and visualise a radiant, emerald-green light at the centre of your chest, where your heart Chakra is located. Imagine this light as a swirling, spinning vortex of energy. See how the colour intensifies, growing brighter and brighter and expanding with each breath, beaming through your body.
Spend as much time as you need focusing on your heart and Chakra and set an intention for your meditation when ready. You can use a positive affirmation related to love, compassion, or forgiveness, such as "I am open to giving and receiving love" or "I forgive myself and others."
Begin to cultivate feelings of love and compassion. Imagine someone you deeply love and feel their presence in your heart. Send them your love, kindness, and well wishes. Allow yourself to experience the warmth and tenderness of love.
As you feel your heart Chakra open, work on forgiving yourself and others for any past hurts or conflicts. Release any resentment or negative emotions and let forgiveness flow through your heart. You might experience a healing and liberating sensation.
Notice that no restrictions exist on how much love you carry in your heart. Little by little, expand the circle of your love and compassion. Think of people you have nothing in common with, even those you might hold grudges against, and send them love and acceptance. Extend your love to all living beings; wrap your arms around the world and feel the universal love.
Keep breathing and relaxing the body, focusing on the heart chakra. Visualise the green light accentuating and expanding beyond your body. Imagine this light connecting you with the Universe and every living being, encouraging a sense of oneness and connectivity.
Meditate in silence for as long as it feels good and right for you. Continuing to focus on your heart Chakra and the feelings of love, compassion, and forgiveness. Allow any emotions, insights, or sensations to arise naturally.
When you are ready, take a few deep breaths and return your attention to your physical body. Gently wiggle your fingers and toes and slowly and softly open your eyes.
Practising heart chakra meditation regularly encourages the mind to relax and calm down and simultaneously supports emotional and mental balance and harmony. Every meditation practice is different, so approach it with an open mind and heart.
Having a balanced heart chakra helps with feeling in alignment with your higher self and purpose. We cannot change or balance the world around us unless we change and balance the world within us.
Balancing all main Chakras in the body can create a sense of stability and security, promoting physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Chakras are centres of energy and consciousness within the body.
Here are a few ways to balance your chakras:
First, get familiar with the chakras, their location, colour, and qualities.
Meditation is one of the most common practices for balancing chakras. You can use guided chakra meditation or focus on each Chakra, visualising its colour and associated qualities, to bring them into balance.
There are certain yoga practises design to activate and balance the Chakras. For example, cobra pose can help open heart Chakra.
Positive mind and positive thoughts help to balance your Chakras. Use positive affirmations that relate to each Chakra. For throat Chakra you can repeat the affirmation: “I intend to speak my truth”.
Pranayama, a form of breathing exercise has been known to balance the Chakras.
Practise visualising the colours associated with each Chakras and feel their energy. The colours of the Chakras are the colours of the rainbow.
You can also experiment with crystal healing and sound therapy.
If you would like to have a more holistic approach, then acupuncture, reiki and energy healing can support balancing the Chakras.
I would love to support you get in touch with your essence energy and create balance and peace from within. For more information please contact us.
