You don’t have to be a Reiki practitioner to take care of your energy body, which is comprised of meridians and chakras. Meridians are the energy pathways that pass through at least one vital organ and help that organ’s functionality in some way. Chakras are referred to as “energy centers.” Today we will talk about the fourth or HEART CHAKRA. This specific blog series will continue every other month until we have discussed all the seven chakras in sequence.
The heart chakra is located directly in the heart chamber and associated with the color of emerald green. The chakra includes the thymus gland, which is connected to the immune system. As we age, the thymus becomes less of a physical gland and a more spiritual gland. The heart space reflects how we view ourselves and our capacity for love. We are most loving toward others when we have worked on creating self-compassion and acceptance within. Interestingly, the immune system can be a gauge for the development or lack of self-love. Donna Eden, a pioneer in energy medicine, offers this profound description:
“The electrical wave produced by the beating heart has about fifty times the amplitude and about a thousand times the strength of a brain wave. As a result of this vastly greater magnitude, the heart tends to pull the brain and other organs into synchronization or ‘entrainment’ with its rhythm in a similar manner to the way, in a room full of pendulum clocks, all the clocks will synchronize their ticking with the clock that has the largest pendulum. We may be run by our hearts far more than we realize.”
When balanced, the heart chakra extends love freely and unconditionally. Love is a spiritual principle that extends beyond the solar plexus’s intellect and its conditions onto what constitutes being “deserving” of love. When we are in heart, we have an open-mind and accepting attitude toward “what is.” Acceptance simply means acknowledgment of the causes and conditions that invite the circumstance, difficulty, or struggle. Furthermore, it includes the recognition that another being’s suffering is likely part of the equation. Practicing strategies to embody an open heart will create more patience and peace. We eventually distance ourselves from the Ego, or sense of individuality, and see the similarities among humankind.
Mindfulness training and meditation will help you to notice judgements that create disconnection to the qualities of the heart chakra. Some people have an easier time letting go of impatience, judgement, and blame than others, but we all have the capacity to heal our heart chakra and connect to its inherent wisdom. I would recommend any self-love practice to include placing one hand over your heart and another upon your belly, following the breath in and out of your energy body. Below you will also find a lovingkindness meditation to support your practice.
Lovingkindness Meditation
1. Sit comfortably on the floor with your legs crossed or in a chair that supports your spine.
2. Close your eyes and take a minute to focus on your breath. Imagine a soft pink light permeating your heart and radiating throughout the entire body. When you feel ready, repeat the following phrases to yourself or out loud:
May I be filled with lovingkindness.
May I be safe.
May I be peaceful and at ease.
May I be happy.
3. After repeating the above phrases to yourself, pause. Now think of someone you love and conjure an image of that person. Then repeat the phrases above, focusing on that person. Instead of “May I be filled…” change the pronoun appropriately or use their name.
4. Come back to the breath and now think of someone you have current difficulties with or a closed heart to. Conjure an image of this person. Then repeat the phrases above, focusing on that person. Instead of “May I be filled…” change the pronoun appropriately or use their name.
5. Finally, imagine this soft, pink light expanding outward to your closest loved ones, neighbors, community, and extending throughout this state, country, and the entire world. The idea is to send lovingkindness to all beings, including various life-forms such as plants, animals, and even those souls who have left their bodies.
If you want to bring more attention to your heart chakra, incorporate green foods into your diet, such as leafy greens, green apples and avocados, green tea and green smoothies/juices, The crystals, amethyst or rose quartz, will also assist in healing this space. Contemplate upon the difficult concepts of forgiveness, acceptance, and self-compassion. Pay particular attention when your feel an open versus closed heart toward yourself and others. What wounds, thought patterns, or emotions interfere?
“The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of.” -Pascal