“As you open your heart to wisdom, you will begin to see the unseen essential.” – Bryant McGill
Weekly Focus: Anahata Chakra (heart chakra)
In Sanskrit, “Anahata” translates to “unstruck,” “unbeaten,” or “unhurt. Anahata is our heart chakra, the fourth chakra in the yogic system. This chakra is associated with love, compassion, and emotional balance.
As the fourth Chakra in the seven Chakra system, Anahata serves as the bridge between our lower three grounded chakras and the higher three spiritual chakras. When this space is in balance, we feel a clarity and balance of our emotions and relationships, and we see ourselves capable of giving and receiving love.
Related to the Air element, there is an aspect of being able to move freely and uninhibited, just as the air moves in and around us. This relationship to air encourages us to keep our heart space open, clear, and free of energetic blocks.
When Anahata is in good alignment, you feel open to all of life’s experiences, both challenging, invigorating, and simple. Discomfort, disease flow through you, rather than feeling resistance.
How can we embrace a more loving attitude, open mind, and open heart?
Here are some simple practices in connecting with Anahata Chakra:
- Open your heart space — take 10 – 15 minutes to practice some heart opening yoga postures. Cat-cows, cobra pose, and camel pose all work well.
- Focus on a mantra — choose a mantra such as “I give and receive love freely” or “I open my heart with acceptance and grace,” or anything else related to this space. Write it down and post it in a prominent place. Repeat this to yourself when you are feeling lonely, sad, or empty.
- Meditate on this space — take 5 – 10 minutes to quietly sit in silent meditation. You might put on soft music, but dim the lights and ensure you won’t be disrupted or distracted. Close your eyes, and focus on the color green. Notice everything that crops into the mind related to this color – images, feelings, memories. It may eventually fade out, and that is OK. After 5 – 10 minutes, quietly sit and notice how you feel.
Passive Pose of the Week: Gomukasana (Cowface Pose)
Gomukasana opens the heart space and helps us connect to Anahata Chakra.
- Begin sitting on the floor with the legs straight out in front of you.
- Slide the right foot in towards your body and cross the right foot over the left leg.
- Roll onto your left hip, bend the left knee and slide the foot towards the right hip. If you are able stack one knee atop the other.
- Reach your left arm up to the ceiling, bend the able and tap your upper back.
- Bring your right arm behind you, bend the elbow and reach for the left hand. You can grab your shirt or hold a towel or strap between the hands if they do not meet.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths before slowly coming out and switching sides.
Gomukasana is a posture that is greatly enhanced with props! By adding props in, we can sit more comfortably in the pose, remove distractions of the body, and allow ourselves to focus on the internal, or the breath. If reaching behind you and grabbing your hands isn’t acessible or comfortable, trying holding a strap or towel between the hands. Still feel too much happening? Reach one arm overhead and tap behind you towards the upper back. Take the opposite hand and place it on the lifted arm’s elbow, pulling the arm towards center (see the images above). Press your head into the arms and sit up tall.
Active Pose of the Week: Parvritta Trikonasana (revolved pyramid)
Revolved Triangle (or pyramid) finds the back and the front of our heart space broad and open. We symbolically reach out in a giving and receiving of love. The open arms bridge ourselves between earth and universe, our grounding and our spiritual connection, as Anahata is the bridge of the chakras.
- Begin in a standing Mountain pose (tadasana).
- Step your left foot back about 2 – 3 feet like Pyramid Pose. The left toes will turn out about 45 degrees.
- With your hands at your hips, start to lengthen the spine and fold over the front leg.
- Place your left hand to the floor beneath your shoulder and bring your right hand to your hip.
- Begin to twist your torso to the right looking straight ahead over the right leg.
- If it feels comfortable, you can reach the right arm up to the ceiling.
- Hold for 3 – 5 breaths and switch sides.
Revolved Pyramid is a deep twist and a big tug on the hips. Here are a few tips to make this posture more accessible. First, don’t feel like the feet have to be on a balance beam. Take your feet wider on the mat left and right – think riding a bicycle. Once you fold, bring your grounded hand to a tall block to create more space in the torso for the twist. As you twist to the right, use your right hand at the hip to help pull the hip back and open up. Remember, there is not perfect alignment for any one posture. There is your body and the alignment that suits your unique structure. Seek the space that provides sensation with out escessive discomfort.
Join us in class this week to connect with Anahata Chakra. See the full schedule HERE.
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