The Heart Chakra
The heart chakra, or Anahata in its original Sanskrit name, colors our life with compassion, love, and beauty. Driven by the principles of transformation and integration, the fourth energy center is said to bridge earthly and spiritual aspirations. Explore what makes the essence of this chakra and how to unravel its powerful energy to enrich your life.
First, we’re going to look at the heart chakra key attributes:
Additional elements used in modern healing practices to balance the heart chakra are crystals or gemstones and aromatherapy. If you’re curious, here’s a list of the most common ones used to activate or balance the fourth chakra:
Other key elements associated with the heart chakra are:
The main meanings or functions associated with the heart chakra are:
When the heart chakra is open, you may feel being deeply connected, the harmonious exchange of energy with all that is around you, and the appreciation of beauty. However, when there’s a blockage in the heart chakra, you may experience difficulties in your relating with others, such as excessive jealousy, codependency, or being closed down, withdrawn.
The fourth chakra is related to the element of air. As such, its energy is associated to the breath and its movements, as well as the idea of spaciousness and connection with all things.
Even though most of us think about the pink color when thinking about the heart, this chakra is traditionally associated with the color green. The auric color of an active fourth chakra can also be seen as a pink or smoky pink, hence our popular representation of love as a pink heart.
The most commonly accepted location for the fourth chakra is at the center of the chest, between the breasts. It’s slightly to the left of the actual organ of the heart. That’s why it’s often referred to as the “heart chakra”.
As the fourth energy center, it’s important to remember that it is multidimensional and is energetically represented with a front going through the center of the chest, and a back going through the spine between the shoulder blades.
Because of its location, the heart chakra is associated to the cardiac system and the lungs. These organs are interdependent and rely on air and breathing to function properly. The gland associated with the heart chakra is the thymus, which is in charge of regulating the immune system.
The symbol for the heart chakra is traditionally composed of:
The intersecting triangles represent the air element and its all-encompassing quality. They also symbolize the union of seemingly opposite principles or types of energies, such as male and female, spirit and matter. The star that they form evokes the harmonious joining of forces and highlights the function of the heart chakra as a center of integration and connection. The twelve petals are often depicted with the color red.
The fourth chakra is referred to as:
The most common Sanskrit name for the heart chakra is “Anahata“, which means “unstruck.”
The Heart chakra is associated with the following psychological and behavioral characteristics:
The fourth chakra connects the lower and upper chakras. In other words, the heart chakra acts as a center of integration of earthly matters and higher aspirations. Far from seeing these energies as separate, the experience of the heart integrates them effortlessly and harmoniously.
The Heart chakra is all about connecting and relating. The emphasis here is on love, giving and receiving, and how open we are in relationships. Love is the energy that helps transfigure emotions and experiences. It’s an essential element in any relationship, whether it’s is with others or oneself.
Love experienced through the fourth chakra is not just about romance, but about going beyond the limitations of the ego and personal preoccupations to open up more fully to compassion and acceptance of all that is, as it is. When we live from our heart and our heart energy is opened and balanced, we can see clearly and position ourselves in any situation, no matter how challenging it is, with discernment and compassion.
The heart chakra is also a center through which we experience beauty in life. Seeing the world through a balanced fourth chakra is being in a state of openness and acceptance that brings us in touch with our world and ourselves in profound and fulfilling ways.
The heart chakra can become imbalanced as a result of life experiences that have a strong emotional charge, physical illments, or significant changes in your environment. It may manifests as a blockage in the energy flow or, on the contrary, a tendency to become overactive or have an excess of energy.
You can see the following signs of imbalance in the heart chakra :
At the physical level, it can manifest as:
When the energy in your fourth chakra is blocked or hindered, you may experience what is sometimes referred to as heart chakra pain.
To get started, try out these few simple practices:
Check out these resources to discover more ways to open and heal the heart chakra.
When properly balanced each of your 7 Chakras work together to create an optimal life. If you are like most of us your energetic ecosystem could use some help. Take this 2-minute chakra test to know which of your chakras may be the weakest.
Lizzy is editor in chief of Chakra Magazine and chakras.info. She is trained in several energy healing modalities including Reiki and Healing Touch. In addition she has spent many years studying ancient traditions such as the chakra system and Tibetan spirituality. She merges this knowledge with her passion for sharing information through journalism. Her mission is to offer accurate, up-to-date, reliable resources about topics that matter to readers with regards to the chakra systems.