The heart is the organ which is always associated with unconditional love and kindness. In Sanskrit, the fourth Chakra or Heart Chakra is also known as the Anahata Chakra which means ‘unstruck, unhurt and unbeaten’. Thus the Fourth Chakra is associated with calm, serenity and ‘sounds without violence’.
Location of the Fourth Chakra– As stated before, the Fourth Chakra is located in the center of the breastbone or sternum. Its superficial activation site is the place between the two breasts.
Color associated with the Heart Chakra– The color Green which symbolizes health, prosperity and abundance is associated with this Chakra.
Organs impacted by the Fourth chakra– The Fourth Chakra is associated with the skin, action of one’s hands and the Thymus gland.
Open and well balanced Chakras
The Seven Chakras sometimes suffer from imbalances which lead to physical afflictions and/or feelings of dissatisfaction. On the other hand, when the life energy or Chi is flowing freely through the well balanced Chakras; they spin properly and help maintain the mental, physical and spiritual balance in the individual. Hence, balancing the Chakras is very important for overall health and well being.
Overactive Heart Chakra
In the overactive mode, the heart or Fourth Chakra makes the individual feel overwhelmed by emotions. S/he tends to experience extreme grief, sadness, jealousy, greediness, anger etc without any control over these feelings. Lack of self discipline, tendency to live one’s life through another’s, and experiencing difficulty in relationships are a few signs of an overactive heart chakra.
Underactive Fourth Chakra
When the fourth chakra is in an underactive state, it makes the individual feel unloved, cold, distant, and inferior or constantly seeking out emotional support from relationships.
Balancing and opening the Heart Chakra
Both overactive and underactive Heart Chakra can lead to many physical ailments like circulation problems, skin diseases, sleep problems, heart palpitations, hypertension, immune system dysfunctions, back aches etc.
A well balanced heart chakra will make one more compassionate and loving towards others without expecting anything in return. Likewise, one will start to love him/herself first and also have immense gratitude in life. A well balanced Fourth Chakra can also lead to disciplined living, stronger relationships and freedom from depending on others for peace and happiness.
People with overpowering heart Chakras need to slow down and discover love within self. Conversely, those with inactive or underactive heart Chakra must open themselves up to receive love fully.
There are number of ways of opening and balancing the Heart Chakra:
- Since Green color is associated with the fourth chakra, one can meditate while visualizing the green color in the heart region. Wearing green clothes or decorating one’s room in green or surrounding oneself with plants and trees can also aid the Heart Chakra. Walking barefoot upon (or lying down on) green grass can also benefit in balancing the Heart Chakra.
- Crystals and stones like emerald, jade, green jasper, peridot and rose quartz are recommended for strengthening and balancing this Chakra.
- Yoga poses like Garudaasana (The Eagle pose) and the Gomukhasana (The Cow pose) are recommended for benefitting the Fourth Chakra.
- One of the simplest ways of opening the heart chakra is to love oneself completely. By taking care of and appreciating the self, one can learn to love others better.
- For infusing green energy in the body, one can opt for aromatherapy oils like patchouli, Cedar wood, Rose, eucalyptus and pine when meditating.
- Foods that strengthen the Fourth Chakra include green leafy vegetables, cucumber, melons, limes, green apples, and mint etc.
The Heart Chakra governs our relationships and interactions with those around us. It determines our values, beliefs and ethics as well as how well we accept ourselves and those around us. Meditating daily upon this chakra can strengthen it so that we can become dearer to others and also have our senses completely under control.