The Chakra’s Gateway: Anahata

Though in typical chakra discussions one begins with the Muladhara chakra and works up to the crown,  we’re heading straight to the gateway between top and bottom due to a personal imbalance of this chakra (selfish maybe, but just another sign of a deficiency). Thus, we’re enjoying the most beautiful of all the chakras, the driver of actions, the glue that holds the world together, and the chakra we can’t live without—Anahata.

Anahata is our heart chakra, literally meaning unstuck. In a short synopsis of this chakra, it is represented by the color green, element of air. It allows one to live a life of love and balance with total self-acceptance, and brings about harmonious relationships through the acceptance of others.

It’s difficult for most to be empathetic and accepting of those closest to them, including the self. We can be kind to a stranger on our way to practice; capable of loving unconditionally all of our teachers and fellow students as we immediately enjoy the awareness of our breath when we step onto our mats.

But how do we take this quality of awareness and bring it into our relationships?

How do we love those closest to us as unconditionally as we love our yoga practice?

We need to bring our practice into every moment of everyday, especially with those closest to our hearts.

I recently made a drastic life change by moving to another country to be with the one I love most. I love this man dearly, but have caught myself being critical and judgmental towards him. This move has also led me to find new characteristics within myself (all of which indicate a deficient heart chakra), as I have become quite withdrawn, antisocial, and am walking the border of depression.

Life should be a celebration rather than a tale of suffering, and change shouldn’t bring about such a shadow. Change is beautiful. Thus, I take a vow to heal and in doing so, I hope to help you heal as well.

Healing practices for our Anahata chakra (all free of cost), include journaling, affirmations and pranayama. Let us journal our way to self-discovery. Let us promise one another to dig through the sand dunes of those negative thoughts no longer serving us by simply re-networking the mind. Catching those thoughts that harm the heart chakra and shifting our thoughts with the following affirmations:

“There is an infinite supply of love.”

“I am loving to myself and others.”

“I am worthy of love.”

It is in the continuous practice of self-observation and awareness of our thought patterns that we can begin to heal and transform, living a life of balance, harmonious relationships, and with total acceptance of what is.

It is quite a difficult challenge and I wish all who try the best of luck, including myself. Continue to trek through, continue to re-route and re-wire your negative thought patterns to heal your Anahata chakra. For inspiration give a loved one a hug, drink some tea and practice heart opening sequences with lots of camels and yummy backbends.

Sammy is a Canadian who loves to wander this beautiful world. She is a lover of the ocean, all things organic, and dancing. She is a self proclaimed yoga-loving, dog-walking, foodie of a woman. While teaching full time in Austin and beginning to bring her life’s purpose into reality, Sammy continues to find the time to write about those crazy revelations on and of the mat. Follow her on Twitter if you’d like to link up to other writings, or have some tea and enjoy the day.

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Editor: Edith Lazenby

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