Jul 2, 20214 min read

Heart Chakra: Gateway To Our Higher Self

Updated: Mar 4, 2022

Our fourth chakra

Often we call the Heart Chakra our centre for love and devotion. It is associated with the colour green and we connect with this chakra between the ages of 22 and 28 when we are forming deep relationships with the hope of shared love. Our heart chakra is located in the middle of our chest and is associated with the sense of touch and the element of air. Many of us associate the heart chakra with falling in love, but our heart chakra is opened by the kind of love we get when we look at a beautiful sunset or the scent of a rose. It is the love of creation that gives us pleasure, bliss and joy. This is where our emotional development or emotional wisdom happens. The fourth main chakra manifests and expresses unconditional love for self, others and creation.

In Sanskrit, our heart chakra means unstuck sound or note, unhurt and unbeaten. When our prana, the life force energy, is balanced and moving freely through our heart chakra we can feel and acknowledge our emotions in the most challenging situations, express our emotions and, with the unconditional love of self, release these emotions to forgive and finally give way to allow the divine to guide us. When we open ourselves to the divine, we connect with our higher self.

With a heart chakra that is balanced, we

express our love with kindness, and without fear
have a sense of peace and self-love
forgive no only others but ourselves
have a sense of joy
have compassion for others
feel and express gratitude

When our prana, that vital life force, is not flowing through our heart chakra, because either there is too much (stagnant) or too little (blocked), we can be affected physically and emotionally in the following ways:

feelings of being personally attacked
selfishness
being overly secretive in expressing our feelings
jealousy
withdrawal from relationships
feelings of unworthiness
shyness, fear of relationships
anxiety and depression
not letting go of anger and difficulty with forgiveness and/or holding on to grudges
physical signs of shortness of breath, chest pains, high blood pressure, hyperventilating, immune deficiency
avoiding social interactions
constant "heavy hearted feeling" which is usually associated with grief
lack of empathy
constantly feeling like a victim or having a martyr complex
trouble with establishing and maintaining boundaries in relationships

Since our heart chakra houses unconditional love, forgiveness, generosity, respect and compassion, it is important to practice healthy eating, activities and self-care to keep us balanced: meaning to bring our physical body, our mind and spirit in alignment.

Foods for the heart chakra:

leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale, dandelion greens, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, brussels sprouts, cucumber, peas
herbs such as basil, sage, thyme, parsley, marjoram, mint
green teas such as green matcha
watermelon (the heart chakra is often described as a watermelon: green with a pink inner heart)
green fruit such as kiwi, avocado, lime, guava, apples, grapes
cacao
soups

Physical and spiritual activities to open the heart chakra:

yoga asanas
dancing
walking
listening to choral music
singing (heart chakra resonates with the F note)
Reiki healing
Volunteering for a cause you are passionate about
prayer
working with the colour green

There are several ways to bring rituals into our lives that will open our heart chakra;

Forgiving: make a ritual to let go of the anger and sadness of past wrongs. Write down all the things that you still hold onto emotionally, light a candle and say a prayer to God or the Universe:

I release the anger I for the following....

I forgive the following people ....

I let go of the anger, resentment and bitterness to bring love and joy into my heart

Note: forgiving is not saying that the wrongs are okay now, but letting go of the anger and resentment.

Bring love into your home by letting your children and your spouse know you love them. Hug more. Bring in fresh flowers to the home.
Don't play the martyr role anymore because it's bad for your self esteem and allows others to cross your boundaries.
Yoga moves prana through each of our chakras. Practice yoga asanas daily.
Do something kind each day for a neighbour, the homeless, your school, or neighbourhood, etc.

Practice the following affirmations:

I look for the joy in myself and in the world
I let love and light into my life. I forgive myself and others
I release all past resentments and welcome love, light and joy
I am love, peace and light
Love opens me and heals me

Tarot reading for the Heart Chakra:

What will bring you peace in your heart?

Using the Deviant Moon Tarot

Reversed 9 of Wands, Reversed page of Cups and The Moon

There are things that weigh heavy on our hearts. It is more pronounced during a full moon I think. A step back to gain a different perspective is what is needed. You have done what you could. Time to question your rationale. Were you trying to fit in, being a people pleaser or a martyr? You reached that point where you lost yourself. You do realize that some people are just not worth the energy. Time to make your emotional health a priority. Having someone's emotional baggage dumped on you is not good for you. If you are doing the emotional dumping, know it's just as bad for you when you do it to others. Be kind to yourself and others. Knowing the difference between being nice and being kind is going to help you. It's also good for your Karma. These are life lessons. Self development includes trusting your intuition. Before you react just observe