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Balance Your Heart Chakra
- Briana Pontius
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Part 5 of the Chakra Series
Welcome to Part 5 of our chakra series, where I explore each of the seven main chakras, their unique qualities, and how they influence your well-being. Part 4 provided an overview of the third chakra—the solar plexus chakra. If you missed it, I invite you to read it now.
My goal for this series is to help you become more aware of your energetic body. I am humbled to create a platform for self-exploration and self-reflection to help bring balance to one's overall energetic state. I am grateful for your participation!
The Heart Chakra:
Your Center of Unconditional Love
Our journey through the chakras continues upward, moving from an internal focus on our relationship with ourselves to now bringing balance to love -- for others and for ourselves. Say hello to the heart chakra, or Anahata, located at the center of the chest. Serving as the seat of unconditional love, the heart chakra represents a state of being that is enduring and constant, regardless of external circumstances.
This chakra develops between the ages of 21 and 28. It is associated with the element of air and represented by the color green or pink. Through the heart chakra, one can gain a deeper understanding of forgiveness and compassion -- unconditional love that allows us to accept others for doing their best. Understanding the qualities of the heart chakra can offer insight into how it influences your well-being.
Identifying Heart Chakra Imbalances
The condition of the heart chakra influences our ability to shake off fears of rejection, criticism, and standing apart from the group. It helps us create a unique identity founded on self-acceptance, self-respect, and the confidence to take risks, knowing we can handle whatever comes our way. This is true inner personal power, which fuels the ability to manifest personal desires.
Below are characteristics of an imbalanced heart chakra, and what balance looks like:
Excessive Energy (Spinning Too Fast):
Behaviors: Possessive, loves conditionally, withholds emotionally “to punish,” overly dramatic.
Emotional Impact: Lack of self-reflection; avoidance of suppressed, difficult emotions that can lead to stagnation, jealousy, over-sacrificing one’s time, and trouble forming healthy relationships.
Blocked Energy (Spinning Sluggishly or Not at All):
Behaviors: Fears rejection, loves too much, feels unworthy to receive love, self-pitying.
Emotional Impact: Loneliness, fear of intimacy, possessiveness, holding grudges, excessive isolation, and emotional numbness.
Balanced Energy (Equilibrium and Proper Vibrational Flow):
Behaviors: Compassionate, loves unconditionally, nurturing, desires spiritual connection.
Emotional Impact: Deep empathy and emotional stability; strong relationships built on trust; inner peace and the ability to forgive and release negative emotions.
Ways to Support and Balance Your Heart Chakra
There are various practices and tools that can help restore and maintain a balanced heart chakra. Below are some suggestions to nurture this vital energy center:
Dietary Support
Eating foods that are grounding and nourishing can help balance the heart chakra. Focus on fresh vegetables, especially leafy greens.
Essential Oils and Incense
Scents have a powerful effect on energy centers. The following are particularly helpful for the heart chakra:
Melissa: Assists in restoring clarity and resolving deep-rooted, fear-based emotions
Rose: Soothes the nerves, calms the mind, and encourages emotional recovery
Jasmine: Improves mood and energy, grounds the body, and supports restful sleep
Geranium: Promotes emotional balance, reduces stress, and lifts the spirit
Crystals
Crystals that resonate with the heart chakra can help you feel more connected and secure. These include:
Rose Quartz: Promotes self-love, the foundation for loving others unconditionally
Green Jade: Gently encourages strength and stability when you feel afraid or threatened
Emerald: Life-affirming; supports compassion, unconditional love, and emotional healing
Aventurine Quartz: Inspires lightness and enthusiasm for life
Physical Movement
Movement helps balance energy flow in the heart chakra:
Try push-ups or swimming
Practice yoga poses that open the heart, like cobra or bridge
Journaling Prompts
Reflect on your relationship with your physical and emotional well-being:
Are you hard on yourself for “failing?" This chakra is about balance, not just with others but also with yourself. Honor both your dark and light sides.
How connected do you feel with others?
Do you respond to others through the mind and intellect rather than the heart? Tune in to your Heart’s message. Focus on what you truly feel, without judgment. The Heart has answers.
Affirmations and Mantras
Positive affirmations and sound vibrations can support the heart chakra:
Affirmation: “I love myself for who I am and for the potential within me.”
Mantra: Chant YAM, the heart chakra’s seed sound, during meditation or yoga.
Meditation
Meditation calms the mind and brings awareness to the heart chakra. Visualize walking barefoot along a path of soft green grass, flanked by rows of pink roses. The sweet scent draws you in, encouraging you to pause and engage with the beauty around you.
I’ve created a four-minute guided meditation to support you in this practice.
Final Thoughts
Balancing the heart chakra is essential to reduce stress, boost self-esteem, and enhance relationships. By engaging in these practices and observing how you feel, you may discover a greater sense of security, vitality, and connection to life. Remember, healing is a journey, and awareness is the first step.
What are your favorite ways to feel connected?
I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
Blessings,
Briana
References
Book:
The Book of Chakra Healing by Liz Simpson
Websites:
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