Loving beyond the self, your fourth chakra

The work ‘chakra’ means wheel. Although chakras are part of the subtle anatomy and cannot be seen by the eye, you can begin to connect to them through your yoga practice. It is said that most chakras exist as small faint circles, but that the chakras of a keen yoga practitioner should be bring and vibrant shining circles, often referred to as wheels of light, as yoga encourages the energy to flow toward them. It is possible to focus on specific chakras during your yoga practice to enhance their energy.

Chakras are found at specific points along the midline of your body and have their own set of characteristics that relate to the human developmental stages, parts of the human body and they hold their own demons to be overcome and gifts to be shared.

Your fourth chakra – Anahata

Anahata chakra points forward and is associated with ambition, hope, love, compassion, and devotion. The heart chakra relates to the developmental stage of four to seven years old the purpose of the heart is to love and find balance. A lot of the energy of this chakra pertains to matters forming peer and family relationships, developing your own social identity (persona), the ability to love beyond the self and even attain spiritual and divine attachment. When we have been hurt in relationship and experienced rejection or abandonment, we can experience grief, and this is the demon of the fourth chakra. Meaning that the basis of our own self-acceptance, social acceptance, healthy boundaries, and functional relationships can be stored in this area.

Working with the fourth chakra means to integrate and balance the various aspects of our being, to work with the most vulnerable and sacred aspects of ourselves. In doing so we bring a radiant sense of wholeness to ourselves, through love we are able to expose our authentic self, embrace and heal the world around us. You are in essence reclaiming your ability to love and accept us, others, and life as they are/it is. In the fourth chakra love is experienced as a state of being.

The element of the heart chakra is air. Air implies spaciousness and this implies the ability to let go, air fills and pervades a whole space bringing with it a sense of equilibrium, calm, and balance – between mind and body, inner and outer realms, self and other, giving and receiving. The basic needs of this chakra are to learn to love, create self-love, learn to be in relationship and intimacy, establishing devotion and the ability to reach out and take in.

The chakra system teaches us about the manifestation and liberation currents, the heart chakra is the mid-point of these two currents. This chakra is about unification and integration of the forces of our being that unites the forces from above and below as well as within and without, as well as the liberation current to experience the oneness and bliss of a higher connection to the divine.

Therefore, we focus on creating balance, compassion, self-acceptance, and good relationships. When we are anchored in our heart, we embrace our right to love and be loved and bring to life the balanced characteristics of this chakra. These are:

• Compassionate
• Loving
• Empathetic
• Self-loving
• Altruistic
• Peaceful and balanced
• Good immune system

Summer is the season of ultimate fire and yang energy. Within the body fire pertains to the heart and spirit, it is felt through the upper body, arms and chest and has affiliation with the tongue, speech, laughter, and the throat. The movement of this energy is to reach upward and outwards toward others, the external world, and the ultimate worldly fire of the sun.

Heart energy is known for intimate joyful and loving connections with others and is reflected through the ability to speak our heart to connect, reach deeply toward others either physically using the arms to touch (of which the heart meridians flow) or through words, song and laughter. Natural to the season of summer, more frequent social engagements are made, connection with others is found in regular parties or catch ups for heart felt discussions and a deep sharing.

The heart likes to burn strong and bright and naturally fills up during the summer months. However, care must be taken that the heart stays grounded within kidney water energy, as fire must be rooted in solidity to burn strongly and not flare out of control, or burn out, like a fire with no fuel. Short rest and some quietness of spirit is encouraged during this season to give the heart fire sufficient grounding preventing overstimulation, irritability, pathology of the upper body, anxiety, fatigue or depression, headache or insomnia.

Balance your heart and busy life with the deep rest and nourishment that Yin & Pin provides, combine the healing power of Yin Yoga and Acupuncture. Join our in-person workshop for 1.5 hours to calm and sooth your heart, mind, and body.

Our Women’s Wellbeing Harmony series Yin and Pin sessions are focused on supporting your chakras. Workshop two focuses on chakra’s three, four and five, learn more here: Yin & Pin Series - Women's Wellbeing (yogatotransform.com)

We have a special pop-up class just focused on balancing the heart, to learn more click here: Yoga To Transform