You already know about the heart chakra if you’ve taken our chakra quiz to find out why you’re feeling blocked, but the heart's powerful energy center is worth a special mention in February, the month associated with Cupid and Valentine’s Day.
An Overview of the Heart Chakra
The heart chakra, also called Anahata, is the fourth chakra and lies in the center of the chest. The word “chakra” is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel or circle, and this energy vortex helps you access love, compassion, forgiveness, and respect.
“Anahata” is a Sanskrit word meaning “unstruck” and signifies the infinite patterns of interconnectedness between all living things. When your heart chakra is balanced, you feel a deep connection to the world. This chakra is associated with the color green and the healing powers of rose quartz crystal.
When Out of Balance...
The heart chakra in balance is a beautiful thing, but too often this energy center becomes blocked or over-stimulated.
When the heart chakra is blocked, you may experience excessive shyness and feelings of disconnection, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. It may be hard to forgive others, and you might replay old experiences over and over in your mind. People with a blocked heart chakra can become hard-hearted and may have difficulty accessing empathy and showing genuine concern for others.
Conversely, if the heart chakra is overactive, you might experience connection too intensely, manifesting as jealousy, overdependence on others, insecurity, and unrealistic expectations from those close to you.
Not sure if your heart chakra is in balance? Take this introspective 15-question quiz.
Heart Chakra Quiz
- Are you still holding on to past relationships and do you find it difficult to move on?
- Do you experience a lot of negative self-talk and do you have a harsh inner voice?
- Do you feel deep loneliness on a regular basis (weekly or more frequently)?
- Is it difficult to express your emotions fully, even with people you are close to?
- Do you struggle with commitment issues, either in relationships or other aspects of your life?
- Do you feel defensive around other people or have others told you that you sound defensive?
- Is it hard for you to access and express empathy for others?
- Do you focus relentlessly on the needs of others and find it difficult to put yourself first?
- Is it difficult for you to trust others, and do you often assume bad intentions from other people?
- Are you excessively shy?
- Do you have difficulty cultivating friendships and other personal relationships?
- Is it difficult for you to accept yourself, faults and all?
- Do you need a practical reason to engage with other people and do you sometimes feel your relationships are transactional?
- Do you feel anxious and/or depressed on an ongoing basis?
- Do you feel like you are engaged in a struggle of “us versus them?”
Score 1 for every yes.
0-5 = your heart chakra is likely in balance. You may have an issue or two to reflect on, but this is part of the human experience, and it is likely that you can both give and receive love.
6-10 = your heart chakra may be out of balance, either blocked or overactive. It’s worth some dedicated self-reflection and developing a concrete plan for the next steps you can take to help get this chakra’s energy moving in a fuller way. You’ll feel happier if you do.
11-15 = your heart chakra is out of balance, and you are likely suffering the consequences. Take some committed steps to come back into the center and get your heart’s energy moving in a healthy way. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others.
How to Rebalance the Heart Chakra
If you believe your heart chakra is out of balance, there are some practical steps you can take.
- Practice gratitude. A gratitude practice is a powerful, simple way to begin to activate your heart energy. Use this guide to learn four simple ways to cultivate gratitude.
- Engage in self-care. Massage, long walks in nature, eating an abundance of healthy, unprocessed food, and drinking lots of clean water are all aspects of self-care. Add self-care to your daily routine.
- Do yoga. Yoga is designed to open the various chakras in the body, so look for yoga practices that focus on the heart center. Not sure where to start? For a single exercise, try camel pose, or for a full practice, try this 20-minute class to drop tension and open the heart. Breathwork is another powerful practice that can release stuck heart energy.
- Consider outside help. Often the heart center becomes blocked from past emotional wounding. A trained coach or therapist can help identify the root cause of your wounding and accelerate the healing process. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
In Summary
The heart chakra acts as the bridge between the body and the spirit, and a balanced heart chakra leads to more love and fulfillment in your life. If you wonder if your heart chakra is blocked, take the steps above to activate this powerful energy in 2022 and let this be the year you feel a greater connection to the world.
