The Heart Chakra
Heart Chakra:
- Sanskrit Name: Anahata
- Color: Green with shades of pink
- Element: Air
- Sense: Touch
- Location: The center of the chest
The heart chakra governs our ability to give and receive love. When this chakra is fully open and healthy, we feel loved and nourished, regardless of our relationship status. We can tune into the flow of unconditional love that weaves through our world.
Anahata translates from Sanskrit loosely as “unstruck, unharmed, and unbeaten.” This intriguing translation teaches us that to allow this chakra to flourish, we must first heal from the emotional trauma that has hardened and closed our hearts. Our entire reality can shift once we see past pain as a gift that can expand our capacity for love and compassion.This chakra sits almost at the center of our seven major chakra system, connecting both the earthly foundational energy that we draw up from the world below and the celestial universal energy that we pull down from the unseen realms above. This mix of energies is essential for a fully awakened and aligned heart chakra. Essentially, we must be both grounded in this world and connected to the unseen to access the treasures this chakra offers. This is what some spiritual seekers call creating a “heaven on earth.”
The heart chakra is depicted as a lotus flower with twelve petals. In the center of the lotus is a symbol called Shatkona, which represents the union of the feminine and the masculine. The petals are inscribed with 12 seed sounds, believed to be connected to the twelve divine qualities of the heart. These are bliss, peace, harmony, love, understanding, empathy, clarity, purity, unity, compassion, kindness, and forgiveness.
Blockages in our heart chakra can manifest in physical health issues such as heart problems, asthma, and weight issues. But blockages are often more apparent in people’s behavior. People with a heart chakra blockage often prioritize others at the expense of themselves. Being the middle of the seven chakras, it bridges the gap between our upper and lower chakras and also represents our ability to love and connect with others. When misaligned, we may feel lonely, insecure, and isolated.
