Yoga is a fantastic way to work on your strength and flexibility. The best part is that everybody can do it, not just people who want to meditate or the ability to touch their feet. Yoga includes different forms based on your purpose. While certain yoga poses involve considerable movement, others are more about relaxation.
What is Heart Chakra?
The heart chakra, or Anahata, as termed in Sanskrit, is the focal point that connects the first three chakras of our body, concerning the external world, with the three higher chakras related to spirituality and intuition. Situated at the central region of our chest, near the thymus gland, it colors our lives with love, compassion, and beauty. The term Anahata in Sanskrit means “unhurt,” “infinite,” or “boundless.” Backed by the principles of integration and transformation, this fourth energy epicenter is known to bridge spiritual and earthly aspirations.
Yoga and the Heart Chakra
When the energy within your heart chakra flows well, you feel like a free bird while also staying grounded on your lower chakras. You emulate the ability to love unconditionally, without attachments and expectations. Opening the heart chakra increases your self-respect instantly and bestows upon you a positive outlook toward life. An imbalanced heart chakra can have a profound impact mentally and can lead to issues like feelings of unworthiness, inability to trust others (and yourself) as well as manipulative behavior.
Air is the element for the heart chakra, and it spreads and energizes the body. Since air fills our breath, practicing pranayama is a great way to tone and balance this chakra. Pranayama helps you use up more air, leading to heightened enthusiasm and increased vitality for life. Sitting with your head leaned forward, chest collapsed, and shoulders rounded is an indication to start practicing fourth chakra poses and provide your heart with some breathing space. A deficient heart chakra makes you experience feelings of loneliness and shyness, lack of empathy, and an inability to forgive.
Vital asanas that revive the heart chakra comprise chest openers, with your body arching gently over the bolster or blanket and shoulders stretched like Eagle Pose and Cow Face Pose. Backbends are also a great option. Practicing backbends will help you develop the surrender and trust that you need to open your heart completely. In several back bending poses, the heart gets positioned higher than your head. The feeling is incredibly refreshing when you let your mind drop down from the top position and lead yourself with the heart instead. For symptoms like high blood pressure, jealousy, and possessiveness, forward bends are the best remedy as they keep you grounded and develop introspection.
Yoga Postures to Enhance the Heart Chakra
One of the best ways to work on and enhance your heart chakra is through yoga. However, what’s vital is knowing the right yoga poses to practice. Here are some yoga postures that can help in opening your heart and welcoming positivity.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
The bridge pose helps in opening your shoulders, heart, and chest. This pose stretches your spine and unlocks your heart chakra, back of your neck, hip flexors, and thighs. It calms your mind of fatigue, headaches, anxiety, and mild depression, and can relieve stress. Your blood pressure lowers, and your lung capacity increases.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Bhujangasana, or the cobra pose, is meant to strengthen your legs and back while opening your shoulders and chest. If you are looking for a heart chakra pose that stretches your body, this is the pose for you. Moreover, the posture successfully mobilizes and energizes your spine. That said, you must take your time to perform this backbend. Push yourself only to the extent you feel comfortable. Maintain a long lower back and keep your hips connected to the floor.
Wild Thing (Camatkarasana)
The wild thing pose stretches your throat, chest, and shoulders while opening up your hip flexors and hips. It stretches and strengthens your back. One of the best benefits provided by this pose is the energizing of your mind and body. You stimulate your Anahata, allowing you to cultivate feelings of acceptance and love.
Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
One of the most common applications of the camel pose that most yoga lovers are aware of is that it aids digestion. Moreover, this pose dramatically helps enhance your heart chakra by opening and stretching the front of your body and strengthening your shoulders and back. It relieves your body of lower backache while improving your posture and flexibility of the spine. This posture is also a good option for women suffering from menstrual discomfort.
Reclined Cobbler Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana)
The reclining cobbler pose is a restful and restorative pose that relaxes your body and refreshes it when you are stressed or fatigued. It offers a gentle stretch to your front body, hips, and spine. Moreover, it is an excellent pose that aids digestion and encourages the motion of waste in your digestive system. It relaxes your abdominal area too. Backbends are quite uplifting. Thus, this backbend can significantly improve your mood when you are feeling low or discouraged.
The heart chakra is one of the most vital aspects of your body that controls the flow of happiness and positivity within. While not all of us tend to notice or give much attention to the symptoms of a deteriorating heart chakra, awareness is essential for your well-being. Once you are aware of the condition of your heart chakra, try practicing a few yoga poses to reap the best benefits for your body and mind.
You might also like other articles about the Chakras and the Heart Chakra.
