You’ve probably heard about chakras, the seven energy centers within the body, starting base of the spine and reaching up to the crown of the head. When these chakras begin to spin harmoniously and properly, Qi energy is able to flow throughout, providing a physical, emotional and spiritual balance to the entire  body inside and out. At the core of all the chakras, exists a very special, yet often misunderstood disc of energy: The Heart Chakra. Sometimes, however, the heart chakra, like the rest of the chakras, can become blocked. Blockages are created by a variety of things, including day-to-day stressors, anxiety and emotional deregulation, which cause havoc upon the mind and body. If your Heart Chakra becomes blocked, developing and maintaining healthy relationships are much more difficult, as well as expressing raw emotions. So, what are some more signs of a blocked heart chakra, and how can we go about unblocking it, and avoiding a total eclipse of the heart? With the proper care and maintenance of the Heart chakra, we can facilitate the balance of our lives and over-all spiritual growth.

Another name for The Heart Chakra is Anahata, a Sanskrit term that translates to “unhurt, unstuck, and unbeaten”. It is the epicenter of love towards yourself and others, compassion, and forgiveness. When operating in a healthy alignment, often you will experience a joyous connection to all of the living things around you and within yourself. Being able to notice and take in all of the beauty and love that surrounds us everyday is possible only when the heart chakra is open and healthy, allowing love to flow freely. Now, when the Heart Chakra is not healthy, the blocked energy can manifest in ways such as physical disease and emotional sickness.

Here are some signs your Heart Chakra may be misaligned:

• Excessive isolation and feelings of loneliness
• Self-detachment
• Holding onto grudges longer than need be
• Frequent or strong feelings of jealousy, even towards those you love
• Fear of Rejection
• Overly defensive stances 
• Fear of intimacy and pushing loved ones away
• Difficulty trusting yourself or others
• Constantly operating in a victim mindset
• Physical ailments related to the heart, lungs and circulation, such as asthma, heart disease and high blood pressure. 
  

On the other hand, it’s good to know and recognize the signs when you have a balanced heart:

• Healthier, consistent boundaries
• Joyful outlook on life and with those in your circle
• Bursts of creativity
• Trusting your decisions and perceptions in relationships
• Approaching conflict with a calm mind and heart
• Able to make deep connections and relate to others
• Feelings of unconditional love and respect for yourself and others

If some of the symptoms of a misaligned heart chakra stood out to you in your own life, don’t worry too much, most people deal with a sort of imbalance at one point in their lives, and it often becomes one of those things you just have to keep working at consistently. If you believe your Heart Chakra could use some much-needed TLC – there are a couple of ways to bring it back to center and balance. Start by analyzing any stressful or damaged relationship with people you care deeply about, it can be friends, family or lovers. Are these relationships caused by a lack of openness, do they cause you grief? You can also analyze other areas in your life where you may not be allowing love to flow in that you do not realize. If you are not sure about the state of your hear, at this moment you can also look within and ask yourself some questions:

“Am I practicing selflessness and unconditional love?”

“Am I allowing myself to receive love and care from others?”

“Have I been open to the love from the world and accepting my purpose?”

If the answers to these questions are more often “No” than “Yes”, there are some ways to invite happiness back into the Anahata and promote balance. Start with small acts of kindness towards people you see throughout the day, helping those you feel compelled to, as well as other forms of volunteering. Journaling consistently is also a wonderful practice to do that does not take much effort and allows you to get rid of all the mental clutter that might exist in your mind and heart on a day to day. Additionally, taking the time to meditate with intention towards your heart can be very beneficial, as Heartfulness has been discovered to be directly linked to mindfulness and over-all well being. Combining this heart healing meditation with with heart opening yoga might be another option for you if you like to do physical work. This is a great way to allow clearness and self-love into your chakra, as these movements are designed to be a healing practice for your inner self and as discipline for your physical self.  Most important of all, do not be afraid to search for your own self-love and love towards others, unconditionally. 

Here are Self Empowered Minds we want to help you feel the best you have ever felt – with a healed and balanced Heart Chakra that provides an open, loving and energizing state of mind that will allow you to breathe much easier, forgive quicker, and love honestly and abundantly.  If you feel stuck with the blockages in your Heart chakra, or any other Chakra, or need help identifying them in the first place, visit us for a Reiki Session with one of our skilled practitioners during a private session, who will help you identify, and receive healing energy to any areas that are suffering from traumas or blockages. We also invite you to our weekly Reiki Energy Healing Circle, where we collectively fuel the power of manifestation, love and possibility together, in order to create space for helping, and empowering the brain to create healthier habits and patterns. With the help of our services, we hope to support you in the best way possible to fill your life to the brim with love, happiness, family, friends, health, wealth, gratitude, and joy.