Vishuddha-Throat Chakra Exercises

Opening the Chakras—The linked website will give you instruction on opening all of your chakras including the Throat. 

Yoga Neck Exercises

Head Raise—Lie flat on your back.  Relax.  Lift your head slowly leaving the shoulders on the floor and look at your toes.  Hold the position until you feel the energy move into your throat.

The following yoga poses are described on the linked websites better than I can, so go there for proper performance.  These are designed for all age groups and physical conditions.

Neck Roll

Advanced Yoga Postures for Throat Chakra

The next set of exercises is designed for the more experienced practitioner who is in decent shape.  If you are not in good physical condition do not attempt these poses.  Be sure to observe all of the precautions described on the website.  As with any exercise program you should check with your physician prior to starting the program.  No one should perform exercises that will hurt or injure them. Please see contraindications on the linked site before performing a pose.

Dandasana (Staff Pose)

Sphinx Pose

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)

Non-physical Exercises

Play charades with a friend.  Try to communicate for one hour without making any sounds, only hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements.  What was the most difficult thing, and did it get any easier after a while?

Vow of Silence—Don’t use your voice for an hour.  By avoiding verbal communication one can open up other means of communication, namely with higher self.  Try extending the time to a couple hours, then by another hour, and shoot for a day.

Voice Recording—Record you voice during a normal conversation.  See how much you say and how much you listen.  Do you interrupt, or falter in speech?  What is your tone of voice?  If you didn’t know this person what would you think about them?

Aromatherapy Oils

Benzoin (Styax benzoin, S. tonkinensis)

Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Earl Gray Tea has begamot in it and tastes marvelous

Blue Chamomile (German) (Matricaria chamomilla or M. recutia)

Frankincense (Boswellia thurifera or B. carteri)

Oil diffuser, on a low wattage lamp bulb itself.  In simmering (not boiling) water.

Activities for the Throat

Sing (even off key if you must), in the shower, in the car, when you’re alone, karaoke.   Record your affirmations and play them back to yourself while you sleep.  Chant.  Read Poems.  Just Five minutes of these activities helps.  Start a journal to express your feelings safely.  Quit using addictive drugs, including cigarettes, sugar and coffee.

Light Meditation

Get comfortable.  Take three minutes and study the picture of the Himalayan Blue Poppy.   Absorb the color.  Now lie down or recline in chair or bed, and relax.  Feel that vibrant blue color moving through you eyes to your throat… Feel is mix with the energy of your throat chakra…  Feel that blue color mingle with the motion of the chakra… How does the swirling of this chakra feel…  Is it moving fast enough?  Or is it whirling out of control?...  Ask the higher power to adjust any imbalance of this chakra…  Feel it fall into a natural, comfortable vortex that draws in energy for your use… End of meditation.

The Wisdom Tidbit

When you feel that you are not being heard by someone, imagine that wonderful blue energy filling your throat chakra.  Now speak your carefully chosen words, which may help the other person hear you.  You may also try flooding the other person’s throat chakra with that vibrant blue energy and that may help them hear you better.On the other side of the communication is how we perceive others communication.

This Chakra is about how we communicate, and this is how we interact with other human beings and many animals. It is always a good, helpful activity to learn the power of good communication. It will hold you in good stead regardless of you chosen path. May favorite book on this subject is "The Dance of Connection" by Harriet Lerner Ph. D., but is directed mostly for women. There are many books on communication, and it is one of the best skills you can learn to advance your career, and your connection with your family.  It will help you understand what others are "Really" saying to you, and, in turn, help you convey information to them in a way that helps them understand what you wish to communicate. You will avoid misunderstandings that lead to anger, hurt or other negative emotions.

I hope you enjoy this.

Namaste

I AM Communication
I AM the Listener
I AM that I AM

Vishuddha-Throat Chakra Correspondences

Colors—Blue

Element—Ether (Akasha)

Function—Communication, Creativity

Basic Rights—To speak and to be heard

Demon—Lies

Power—Choice

Strength—Faith, self-knowledge

Shadow—An obsessive need to control relationships and events

Life lessons—Personal expression, active listening, power of choice

Main Issues—Communication and self-expression

Area of body governed—Throat, mouth, nose, neck, teeth

Associated Spinal Area—Superior cervical sympathetic ganglion, 1 cervical spinal ganglion

Nerve Ganglion of the Throat Chakra

Life Issues—To harness your will, express your highest truth & to live creatively

Gland—Thyroid, parathyroid

Physical Ailments—Obesity, difficulty putting on weight, sore throat, trouble hearing, hearing loss, tinnitus

Crystals—Lapis lazuli, turquoise, clelstitie, sodalite, aquamarine, blue lace agate, sapphire

Shape—Inverted pyramid

Plant—Gardenia, HImalayan Blue Poppy

Musical Note—G

Seed Sound—Ham

Ruling Planet—Mercury

Incense/Aromatherapy—Benzoin (styax benzoin. S. tonkinensis), Bergamot (Citris bergamia), German (blue) Chamomile (Matricaria chamomile or M. recutia) Frankincense (Boswellia thrurifera or B. carteri)

Tarot Card—Wheel of Fortune, Judgment, Hierophant

Tree of Life Sephiroth—Binah (understanding)

Hindu Deities—Ganga(river goddess related to purification), Sarasvati

The Goddess Ganga

Other Deities—Hermes, the Muses, Apollo, Grigit, Seshat, Nabu

Astrological—Gemini or some believe Taurus.  I lean towards Gemini as it is ruled by Mercury who is the communicator, and this is what this chakra is all about.

Archangel—Gabriel

Affirmations

• I AM Truth. My integrity is my word, and my word is my truth.
• I AM Clear Expression. My integrity is my word, and my word is my truth.
• I AM Creativity
• I AM Heard
• I AM the Listener
• I AM Compassion; my thoughts and speech are considered before they are spoken.

Aids to Focus on Opening the Throat Chakra

Create a focal point display to help balance this chakra.  Use items that fit with the with the correspondences listed above.  Use blue pieces, and crystals if you have them handy, otherwise pieces of clothing, towels, scarves, pictures, candles all have a place in the display. Whatever reminds you of the areas that we are working on deserve a place in this display.  You may want to use just a little TV tray, night stand or patio table for this.  Make the display in a place that is easily seen while moving through the living space; this will also allow you to stop on the way by, and do a quick visualization exercise.

Now that you have put together the display, it is time to do a quick 5 minute visualization to ask for balance of the chakra.  One of the things I enjoy is using my visualization of the chakra in motion.  Visualize pleasure and joy stemming from this area.  Feel that blue energy and pleasure rise up the sushumna to the crown.  Feel the shiver of pleasure and energy as it passes through the crown and flows over your body in an aura of blue to match the color of the chakra

Vishuddha-Throat Chakra Introduction

What & Where

Vishuddha—means purification.  The laryngeal chakra is the 5th, and covers the area of the neck and shoulders and includes the external and internal throat, teeth and jaw.  The glandular association is the thyroid and parathyroid.

Main Function

After coming to terms with ourselves and how we relate to others, which is the purview of the lower chakras, we come to the realm of Vishuddha.  This is where we are ready to give something back to the world in terms of creativity.  It is important to support our children’s creativity and practice effective means of communication in order to help the child achieve good self-esteem and communication skills. 

The chakra relates to verbal expression of oneself through careful, responsible selection of the words we use.  This isn't about idle chit-chat although this does have a place in communication.  Balancing this chakra requires a deep commitment to the truth, as well as living from integrity.  When balanced you are filled with strength and the energy path is cleared to the upper spiritual chakras.  Developing the Throat Chakra leads to the expression of oneself by choosing words that are value added to communications.  

This chakra is also directly related to hearing/listening.  It is the active listening that one associates with a good communicator.  The person with a balanced throat chakra will listen to what is being said with their full attention.  They will not be trying to formulate their response while others are talking.  The response will be based on thoughtful, responsible selection of word, and the response will be pertinent to the issue at hand.

This chakra, when balanced, allows us to communicate our truth to other people, and in turn allowing others to communicate their truth to us and know that we heard their words.  Other qualities of this chakra are creativity, willpower, truth and communication.  When the chakra is open and balance the life force moves toward creativity and self-expression.

The archetypes associated of this chakra are the Communicator and the Masked Self or Silent Child.  The Communicator has worked on the lower chakras and balanced them.  They are effective listeners and “hear” what others say.  They know that if others do not “hear” them it is because the other person has not effectively opened their throat chakra, and the failure is not a reflection of their ability to communicate.  The Masked Self is the class clown, always working on getting the laughs, and taking an unrealistically positive view of things.  In reality they are attempting to hide the tragedy of the feeling that no one loves them or will listen to them.  The Silent Child is also an archetype of this chakra.  The silent child has not been allowed to communicate their feelings effectively, and therefore suppress emotions and communication.

The balanced Throat Chakra nurtures a belief in the sanctity of personal expression.  This chakra becomes functional when we commit to expressing our truth to the best of our ability.  An essential practice is that we make what we say matter; we need not suppress needed communication even if it is hurtful.  Conversely there is no need to speak words that are shallow and hurtful, when they serve no useful purpose.  It is balanced communication that heals this chakra. 

If we grew up or are growing up in a family that put down what we said, then speaking up for ourselves is important to us.  Communicating from the depth of our integrity gives us credibility and constancy and defines mature adults who can be trusted and mean what they say.

Mantras and the Chakras

The fifth chakra is about sound and its impact on humans, whether we are making or hearing these sounds. 

“The essence of all beings is earth, the essence of earth is water, the essence of water is plants, the essence of plants is man, the essence of man is speech, the essence of speech is the Holy Knowledge, the essence of Holy Knowledge is Sama-Veda (word, tome, sound), the essence of Sama-Veda is OM” –Changogya Upanishad

This verse from the Upanishad gives a good reason why sounds are so important to people.  Have you ever noticed how different music can affect your mood?  This is because the basic rhythms are uplifting, mournful, relaxing, or aggravating spinning off many different emotions.  They affect the very core of your being, and can change your mood; it also has similar effect on our spiritual being.  This is why mantras and affirmations have such positive affects on us.  The following linked websites have some information on mantras and affirmations.

Did you wonder why music affects my mood?  We live in a vibrational universe.  Matter is made up of various groupings and combinations of atoms with their orbiting electrons and protons, all of which oscillate about each other in a positive-negative vibratory movement, maintaining a fixed magnetic spacing from each other.  When music plays, it will impact our current bodily vibrations.  If the music is happy and energetic so are we; if it is slow and relaxed we are also; if it is hectic, sad, morose these moods transfer also. That is why dirges at funerals processions to the cemetery are played, and why it is followed by the upbeat jazz celebration music. On is the morose music suitable for interment of the body, but this is not a good place to leave a person, thus, the jazz celebration leaving the cemetery which is a much better spot to leave ones vibrations.

Another school of thought says that our bodies contain lots of water, and vibration travels better through water than through air.  The music is not only heard, but it sets up a vibration in the body that can affect the mood. 

In either event music does affect breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and many other autonomic processes of the body.  The vibrations impact our mood regardless of the mechanism.  I think that both of these schools of thought have legitimate stances, and I expect they are both in operation when we listen to the music.

This sound vibration is what also makes the mantras mind altering.  We set up a vibration that affects the aspects of body, mind and spirit.  I think that vibration is what melds all of our aspects together, and why they affect each other. See the article here.

Bodily Functions

The related body parts are throat, ears, nose, teeth, mouth, larynx and neck.  The glandular association is the thyroid and parathyroid.  Related health issues are soar throat, laryngitis, TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome), cervical spine problems, bruxism-teeth grinding, slow or too fast metabolism, over-weight.

Over Active Throat Chakra

Talk too much, dogmatic, arrogant, loud speaking voice, obnoxious communication patterns.

Under active

Unable to communicate effectively, difficulty speaking, fear of speaking ones mind, wishy-washy on their view, unreliable.

Balanced

Effective communication, good listener, reliable, can meditate easily, artistically inspired as related to art forms with the voice, able to express oneself.

Activities to Balance the Throat Chakra

Answer these questions:

• How willingly do you share your truth with others? 
• How willing are you to listen to other people's truths? 
• Do you say what you feel? 
• Do you know that it is important to have personal integrity? 
• Do you do what you say you will do? 
• Do you honor “your” truth? 
• Do you listen to yourself and “know” what your truth is? 
• Where do you channel your creativity?
• What creative activity do you enjoy?

Create your own Litany of I AM.

Symbol

The symbol is a Lotus with 16 petals, containing a downward pointing triangle, with the full-moon circle with in the triangle.  The petals have the Sanskrit letters that represent the vowel sounds.  The elephant is the animal symbol used here.

Thoughts on Affirmations

Affirmations are short verbal expressions or thoughts that generally are a positive statement about a characteristic that we wish to manifest in ourselves; such as, I bring only good energy into my life. It is a borderline statement that currently I'm not bringing good energy, but will from now on.  In Neville Goddard's book, "The Power of Awareness" He posits that we must Assume the State of the wish fulfilled, which opens the door to allow these blessings into our lives.  This is not a universal concept in religions, but is in all the spiritual teachings that I have studied.

What does assume the state mean? It meas that we act and talk like we already have what what we desire. Affirmations of the sort that "I will bring happiness into my life" assumes that state that we don't already have it, but are working on getting it. In other words, it assumes the state of lack, which is counter-productive to manifesting our desire. So you might ask, "How does one assume the state, and still use affirmation?"

I hold that by using the creative spirit of "I am" is the appropriate way to use affirmations and create/manifest our desires. As Joel Osteen says, "The words that follow the words of creation "I Am" will surely come looking for you." Use those words wisely. Using statements such as, I am ugly, tired, mad or stupid is like praying for what you don't want or need. You invoke the power of creation for things that are doing you no good.

To affect your life positively with affirmations we must use the words of creation in a positive way. I use the words "I am" in what I call the Litany of I AM and goes something like this:

I AM Beauty

I AM Intelligence

I AM Happiness

I AM Wholesome

I AM Pure Energy

I AM that I AM

This is a litany that I use in the morning, and evening to "Assume the State".  The I AM statements vary over time.  I also have eliminated, well almost totally, using the words of creation in expressing negative statements.This is a very effective this, as it is coming naturally to me now, without really consciously thinking about it as I did when I was first starting this process.  

I hope this has helped.

Namaste 

Anhata-Dysfunctional Archetype-The Actor/Actress

This archetype plays at love without ever engaging its true feelings.  This is generally caused by a wound that was suffered at an earlier stage of life.  They fear to love and show deep feeling for fear of being taken advantage of, or hurt.  When someone gets too close to their vulnerable core, they often do something to sabotage this relationship rather than “exposing” themselves for hurt and betrayal.

This archetype will go through life isolating itself from intimacy.  They live on the surface, appearing as though everything is fine.  They avoid bonding by acting out its conflicts in tension and drama and distancing.  They only feel safe at a distance from those they profess to love.  The old deep wounds are expressed by holding back feelings and using argument and a variety of other tactics to keep love away.  When someone gets too close to the wound it terrifies them, and are afraid they will lose control.  They fortify themselves against the humbling and purifying experience of love.  They desperately want it, and need it, but are terrified by it.  It would mean letting down their defenses, and possibly being exposed to the hurt and pain of the old wound.

The archetype being vulnerable, finds protection from hurt to be its main goal in an intimate relationship.  It hopes to find someone who will heal them of this hurt, but are unwilling and/or incapable of returning love.  This situation of drawing close, and then all of a sudden pushing away, may be a repeated pattern in their relationship.  This becomes very frustrating for all parties concerned.

The way to begin to change this archetype is to allow oneself to be open to love.  This is difficult when this archetype often finds itself in co-dependent relationships, where there is little chance of getting its wounds healed.  The individual will continuously blame the other partner, without ever looking at their own responsibility for the struggling relationship.  This archetype can find release from the pain by seeing their own patterns and end the struggle and conflict that was set up against being loved and being able to love.  Open yourself to love, and heal your wounds. 

If you think that you may have this archetype at work in your life try these exercises.  Take responsibility for healing yourself.  Get past the shallow relationships that develop due to the defenses that you have set up to protect yourself.  Here are some questions to answer to help:

• Are you able to be open and honest about your feelings with another person?
• How much love do you feel for yourself?
• Can you experience love for yourself when you are unhappy or lonely?
• Are you able to sustain a commitment through difficult times?
• Do you know how to stay with someone through the unpleasant and hard times when communication is blocked because of blame or resentment?
• Can you be detached enough to allow your loved ones to be themselves?
• Does your love help you to honor your commitment to work things through when you feel unsure and vulnerable?
• Can you be true to your feelings in a relationship without sacrificing or losing your sense of self?
• Can you love someone as they are and not expect them to change for you?
• Can you love yourself enough to be the way you are in a relationship?

These questions are not a test.  They are simply used to help you understand your capacity to love others, and yourself.  I shows your capacity to allow others to get close enough to really love them as they are, with out pushing them to change to suit your view.

Short Contemplation 

Get comfortable, and relax.  Take several deep relaxing breaths….feel it expand your chest.  Feel it center in your heart.  Do this several times.  Feel you chest expanding and filling with each breath.  Say; “I am love” repeat several times.  Feel the love flow into your heart.  Allow you gentle nature to surface as you allow love into your heart.  Be the most loving and tender person you can imagine being. Repeat the litany of love. “I am love, I am love, I am love......  This engages the creative power that is part of our spiritual inheritance. We are created by and from the highest energy of existence, and that creative energy is I am that I am.  When you engage that eternal I am, by using the word I am...whatever follows these two words will come looking for you. When you say I am love, you have created yourself in the image of love. You are love, at its very universal core. You pour love out in rivers. Love flows from your being, and passes over everyone who is near you. I am love...I am love...I am love. It encompasses the world.

Anahata-Functional Archetype-The Lover

The world loves a lover, including the lover.  You know when you are in the presents of a lover because you have a warm fuzzy feeling of love when you are near them.  They are happy, and their love flows out to everyone around them.  This love is not binding, and will flow to you regardless of who you are.  There are no conditions placed on this love, and no expectation of love in return.  The lover loves you as you are, right now and right here. 

Do you remember falling in love, and how it made everything in the world seem wonderful and right?  This is how this person flows through life.  Even hard times do not diminish their capacity for love of self and others.

Young children, old people and possibly animals seem to be drawn to the lover, as they sense the lover’s aura.  The lover is generous in all things such as love, time and money.  This is a wonderful archetype, and one that you will want to develop in your life if it isn't already there.

Bring out the Lover in You

The following questions will possibly dredge up some hurtful emotions.  Do not plow into this exercise before you are sure that you are prepared for the emotions.

1)  Forgiving and releasing the past takes courage.  Are you willing to forgive those who hurt you and release the pain of separation, hurt and loss?  Forgiving usually starts with forgiving our parents.  They are the core relationship from which we form our character, and from which we create the delusions which separate use from love.  Look carefully at your parents or primary caretakers and be willing to forgive them for their limitations to loving you.  Release your feelings about not feeling that you had enough of what you wanted or deserved.  Try to realize that they were doing the best they could with their own limitations.  This may help you to forgive them more easily.  You can start with a simple sentence like: “I forgive you and let go of the past.”

2) Now move on to forgive anyone you feel didn't love you in the way you wanted to be loved.  This can include former friends, lovers, partners, colleagues, teachers, and so on.  These can be people from your past or from the present.  Again, saying a simple sentence like the above will do.

This one is a tough one.  I had to think deeply about this.  The questions flew in my head: Do I need to seek these folks out to prove I let go?  How do I know that I really let go if I never seek them out?  I have no reason to want to see them again, does that mean I didn't let go?  I think you have the idea now.  The answer is “Whatever will be, will be.”  I don’t think we have to prove this to anyone but ourselves.  If we don’t seek them out, is it enough?  Let your inner self be your guide.

Repeat the sentence and consciously try to let go of your resentment.

Your Higher Self, which is so closely linked to your heart, will protect you from being overwhelmed by negative feelings that you are unable to handle.  Trust yourself to find the love in your heart that you need for this exercise.

3) Forgive yourself for being hard on yourself, for your self criticism and self-punishment. The voice in your head that tells you these things is the true devil, who is the father of lies.  You may have felt it was your fault for not receiving the love you needed in the past.  Love yourself now.  Be responsible for the love you want in your life. Love given not only sheds rays of love on the person receiving it, but it shines equally brightly on the giver of the love.  As a line in the Prayer of St. Francis, “for it is in giving that we receive”.

Acknowledge that are lovable  and give love fully. Love is the way to peace. The bible put it this way, “Love thy neighbor as they self.”  Accept yourself and the situation you are in.  This acceptance will heal your heart and let love flow. 

Anahata Heart Chakra Meditation

Location of Anahata

As with any type of meditation, try to perform this meditation when you won’t be disturbed. Turn the phone off or down, make sure the children are occupied or in bed. Find a comfortable position either sitting in lotus position, lying on the floor or bed, or in a reclining chair. Play soft soothing music. Use the aroma therapy recommendations from the correspondences or burn incense of the appropriate variety to match the aroma therapy recommendations. I like to record these visualizations. The multiple dots after words ……mean a pause for a while so you can contemplate and give substance to the visualization. The dots after a number mean to count slowly.

Now to begin

The Rainbow Road Meditation

Begin by placing your tongue on the spot where your teeth and gums come together. Take a deep breath through your nose for a count of 4—1…2…3…4…, hold that breath for a count of 7—1…2...3...4...5...6...7 exhale through your mouth for a count of 8 1….2…3…4…5…6…7…8 repeat this process 3 more times. Now begin to breathe normally. Relax your feet. Feel that nice relaxing feeling moving up your calves, through your knees and into the thighs. Feel your legs grow heavy and sink into their point of contact…… Feel that nice warm feeling moving through the muscles of your buttocks and into your stomach…..feel the muscles relax and the tightness leave…….Feel that relaxation moving up your chest and into your back, feel your shoulder blades press into the point of contact….Feel that nice relaxing feeling moving into your shoulders and down your arm…. feel it moving into your hands. A nice tingling feeling in your hands as you let yourself go……Feel the relaxation move up your neck, into your scalp…..down the front of your brow. Feel the forehead smooth out and lose its creases……feel the relaxation move into your jaw…unclench your teeth…..feel your chin drop……Relax…..Relax

You find yourself in a nice, safe, comfortable place. The sun is shinning, there is a warm breeze blowing across your skin. You look down at your feet and notice a road of brick. You take a step forward onto the road, as you walk down the road you notice the bricks change colors..... red.... orange... yellow..... green.... Now, look up and in the distance you see a lush green glen.

Birds of all sorts make their home here. Sitting in the middle of the glen is a green fortress. The fortress gives off a sense of peace, joy and love. As you approach the fortress the large double doors slowly open inviting you in. The interior of the fortress is pink. You walk inside and find yourself in a large room. Sitting in the middle of the room illuminated by a warm golden light from the heavens is a pedestal.

As you approach you can see there is a heart on the pedestal.  It is beating with the rhythm of your own.

Notice how the heart looks, how it feels. Leave judgment behind, it has no place here. Is the heart frozen in ice? Bound by chains? Is it sad, or lonely, happy, sad, content? Is it broken? Is its energy wild and unpredictable, dim and weak?

Place your hands upon the heart allow the universe to guide you, ask the divine to help you heal for the highest and greatest good. Watch as the ice melts or the chains fall away; watch as the pieces are made whole again.

Know that what sits upon the pedestal, illuminated by the divine light is that which beats inside you. You can feel the rhythm feel the healing, feel the warmth of the divine. Know that you are safe in this place.  Know that peace, joy and love exist. You may return anytime you feel the need or desire. The more love you give yourself the more love is available to others. Bask in the glow of the universal love that you are giving to yourself. You deserve it.  Rest and bide a while....................................................................

Now I’m going to count backwards form 5 to 1.  5…your are beginning to rouse from the meditation….4 you feel love washing through you…3 your heart beats with the rhythm of love…2 you feel refreshed and loved….1 you are fully aware of your surroundings, your eyes are open and you feel relaxed and rested. 

The end

I hope this does as much for you as it has done for me.  If you have any recommendations on improvements to this visualization meditation please feel to share them in the comments.

Namaste

Anahata-The Heart Chakra Yoga & Pranayama

Disclaimer: I do not expect anyone to do these exercises if they are physically incapable of performing the moves.  Never begin an exercise routine without consulting your physician. 

The yoga for this chakra all open up your chest cavity and stimulate your heart.  These are designed for any type physical condition.  They should be done with a slow smooth motion.  Hold the poses as long as possible without great strain.

Open your chest (This is easy to do at the office)

Sit near the edge of a chair and interlace your fingers behind you, with your palms facing your back. Leaning slightly forward, lift your arms and rest them on the back of the chair. Inhale and lift your chest. Exhale and relax your shoulders away from your ears. If your hands do not reach the top of the chair, clasp the sides of the chair back and pull your chest forward, relaxing your shoulders and opening your upper chest. Hold for 10 to 15 breaths, feeling lightness in your heart. With an exhalation, slowly release your hands and bring them down by your sides.

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)

Salabhasana (Locust Pose)

Urdvha MukhaSvanasana (Upward-facing Dog)

I will not give instructions for these poses here, as it is given much better on the sight(s).

One of my favorite methods of opening my chest is to stand up, lean slightly back and drop my hands down to the side.  Let them fall back as far as they can.  You will feel your chest open up, and just breathe deeply into the chest.  This helps relax and refresh you when stress might be mounting up.

Breathing Exercises

This link is to be read prior to doing the breathing exercises.  It is some precautionary considerations before commencing any type of breathing exercises.

Here the site discusses the importance of breathing.  Please take the time to read this whole article before performing any of the exercises that they list on the site.    For the purposes of this chakra pay special attention to:

Complete Breath

Bhastrika—Bellows Breath

Nadi Sodhana—Alternate nostril breathing

Practice any or all of the breathing techniques listed here.  You will be surprised at how they make you feel.  The can relax or energize and are good tools for everyday life.

Activity for the Heart

Any aerobic activity is good for the heart.  If you are an athlete just keep it up.  If you have not done aerobic activity in a long time start out with walking.  It is cheap, just the cost of a decent pair of athletic shoes, and your time.  This will help with lung capacity, strengthen the heart, lower cholesterol, and improve digestions.  If you are just starting, start slow.  Just 10 minutes the first few days, then increase to 15 for a few days, and continue increasing until you reach 30 minutes.  This should be down at least 4 days a week for good benefit, but more won’t hurt and it will help.  Give this at least a month to really show you how good your heart will feel.   The idea isn't how far you walk but how long.  As you gain strength, you will want to start pushing a little to increase your heart rate.  However, don’t push so hard that you become significantly out of breath.  Sweat and breathing a little hard is of benefit, once you have built up your strength.

Aroma Therapy

• Marjoram (Origanum Marjorana, Majorana hortensis,(Sweet)
• Thymus mastichina (Spanish)
• Orange (Citrus Sinensis)
• Rose Otto (Rosa damascena)
• Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium)

Methods for dispersing are:

• hot melted candle wax; don’t get oil in flame, just drop on top of melted wax
• oil diffuser ring on low wattage lamp
• drop oil on low wattage lamp bulb itself
• simmer (not boil) in water

Light Meditation

Get comfortable.  Either lay on the floor with hands at a 45° angle to your body, in a recliner or in bed.  Playing soft music, and use one of the aroma therapy methods defined above.  Begin the meditation by placing the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth right where the teeth and gums come together.  Take  a deep breath in through the nose for a count of 4, hold the breath for a count of 7, and exhale through your mouth with a whooshing sound for the count of 8.  (Remember the breathing advice given earlier.)  The counts should be evenly spaced, and not strained.  Adjust the rhythms to accommodate you ability, but maintain an even counting cadence of the three cycles of this breath. This is a relaxing process, not a strained process. Adjust the speed of the cycle to suit your ability. Repeat this breathing cycle 4 times.  While inhaling, visualize that you are drawing in nice clean, relaxing air.  While holding the breath visualize the nice clean relaxation circulating through your body.  While exhaling, visualize that the nice clean air is pushing all of the negativity and tension from your body.  After the 4 cycles, return your breathing to normal.  Totally relax your body.  Pay close attention to the jaw line, brow, and shoulders.  Notice any areas that are painful and tight and breathe into them while you feel them relax and release.  Tune into the beat of your heart.  Keep trying; you will feel it more than hear it.  Now as you feel the beat of your heart, visualize a lotus coming up out of your spine, and blossom just in front of your chest (I’m not good at images without something fresh in my mind.  So here are some pictures you can look at.)  Now visualize a pink lotus.  Watch as it begins to spin clockwise.  Visualize it open to its first flush of full bloom, (we don’t want it past its prime, as in too open).  It is open and strong.  Visualize a green light forming around the pink lotus, protecting it from outside negativity.  Now watch it spin, and feel the strength of your heart grow as the spinning continues.  It spins at a steady pace about the speed of your heartbeat.  Relax and feel it spin and the strength flow……….  When you are finished breathe deeply and feel the energy of the breath revive you and energize you.

Here is some music you might like to play for your meditation.

Anahata—The Heart Chakra Correspondences

• Colors—Green & Pink
• Element—Air
• Function—Love
• Basic Rights—To love and be loved
• Demon—Grief
• Life Lessons—Love is Divine Power.  Forgiveness and compassion for oneself and others, and honoring the earthly forms of divine love
• Power—Love and Compassion
• Strengths—Forgiveness, dedication, inspiration, hope, trust, the ability to heal
• Shadow—Jealousy, anger, resentment, and the inability to forgive
• Main Issues— Belief about love and relationships
• Areas of Body Governed—Heart, chest, lungs, circulation, heart plexus
• Gland—Thymus
• Associated Spinal Area—Fourth Thoriac vertebra
• Life Issues—Passion, tenderness, inner child issues, and rejection
• Physical Ailments—High blood pressure, trouble breathing, heart disease cancer
• Crystals—Watermelon tourmaline, rose quartz, emerald, green calcite, jade aventurine quartz, malachite, moonstone, peridot , diamonds
• Shape—Crescent Moon
• Plant—Foxglove, rose, carnation, lily
• Musical Note—F
• Seed Sound—Lam
• Ruling Planet—Venus & Mercury
• Incense/Aromatherapy—Rose, carnation, lily of the valley
• Tarot Cards—Death, Justice, Hanged Man—[b]Tarot Suit[/b]—Swords
• Tree of Life Sephiroth—Tiphareth
• Hindu Deities—Vishnu, Lakshimi (as preserver), Krishna, Isvara, Kama, Vayu, Aditi, Urvasi
• Other Deities—Aphrodite, Reyja, Pan, Eros, Dian Chcht, Maat, Asclepius, Isis, Aeolus, Shu, Christ
• Astrological—Libra and Taurus
• Archangel—Raphael

Anaharta I AM Litany

• I AM Love.~
• I AM Compassion. ~
• I AM freedom.
• I am peace
• I am light.
• I am balance
• I am one with the universe

Focus for Balancing Anaharta

Using things around the house create a focal point to help balance this chakra.  Remember the correspondences.  Use green and pink items, and crystals if you have them handy, otherwise pieces of clothing, towels, scarves, pictures, candles all work nicely.  Use things that help you focus on what you are working on with this chakra.  You may want to use just a little TV tray, night stand or patio table for this, if you want to keep this up for a while.  This will also allow you to stop on the way by and just do a quick visualization exercise.

Consider this when deciding how to put your altar together: what areas of your life would an imbalance in this chakra affect?  Get things for the altar that relate to those areas and have meaning to you.

Now that you have put the altar together, it is time to do a quick 5 minute visualization to ask for balance of the chakra.  I enjoy visualizing the chakra in motion.  You may use any method you wish.  Visualize pleasure and joy coming from this area.  Feel that green and pink energy and pleasure rise up the sushumna to the crown.  Feel the shiver of pleasure and energy as it passes through the crown and flows over your body in an aura of the color of the chakra.

Here is a link that explains the energy running up the sushumna.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sushumna

Namaste

Anaharta-The Heart Chakra

What & Where?

The Sanskrit name of the 4th chakra is Anahata, which means, sound that is made without any two things striking; unstruck.  It is located in the center of your chest.  The colors are green and pink, and it is associated with the planet Venus.

The nerve plexus associated with Anaharta is the Cardiac Plexus.  The major function of this chakra is Love, not on the relationship basis, but on the global basis.  The love in a relationship wants to possess the person; on the global level it wants what is best for the person. This chakra deals with self-love and others, acceptance of everyone (including yourself), and compassion

Main Function

The Heart Chakra is the central Chakra which is the conduit from the lower Chakras of the worldly concerns of security, procreation and personal power; to the higher concerns of expression, inner voice and spirituality.  It also is the conduit that flows the spirituality of the upper three chakras to the lower chakras of worldly concerns.  Without opening and balancing the heart chakra it is difficult to balance the other Chakras, and the flow from the upper to lower and lower to upper chakras is diminished or blocked. 

This Chakra is the center of Love.  It is about self-acceptance, forgiveness and compassion.  It is the acceptance of everyone, including and especially oneself, by recognizing that we are all doing the best that we can at this moment in time.  Self-love, self-acceptance, forgiveness and compassion need to be applied to oneself as well as others in order for us to be able to love unconditionally.   When we lack any of the conditions it can lead to low self-esteem, self-doubt and self-pity; thus, balancing this chakra will break this cycle. Balance will improve all relationships in your life, whether of a romantic, familial or friendly nature. 

An imbalance in the lower chakras will seriously affect ones ability to balance the heart chakra.  Insecurity, emotional imbalance, lack of self-esteem or other dysfunction of the lower chakras will make it difficult, if not impossible, to balance the Heart Chakra.    Without self-esteem, a sense of security, and emotional balance it is not possible to love unconditionally.  Without those balances, self-love is difficult and, we are not capable of loving others in a way that is healthy for both parties, and we are totally incapable of global love and compassion.

Does the phrase follow your heart mean anything to you?  My heart goes out to them, I know in my heart of hearts that…, it breaks my heart to hear that…., follow your heart.  All of these are expressions of the range of emotions that deal with the heart chakra.  We tend to be rational beings and think with our heads.  However, the heart is often a better means of determining our deeper needs.  You tend to lose something when you only “use your head.”

Related Bodily Functions

The body associations are heart, chest, lungs, and circulation.  Related health issues, high blood pressure, trouble breathing, heart disease and cancer.

Over Active Heart Chakra

                                               

When you are full of doubt, cling, act needy and jealous with someone you profess to love, you can be sure that the heart chakra is overactive.  Often with over active Chakras love is conditional, and if someone does not meet these conditions you threaten to withhold your love.  Under these circumstances only, a poor imitation of love can be achieved.  You may repeat patterns of love of those who raised you.  You may be judgmental and critical of those you love, and hope that the object of your “love” will somehow change to fit your ideal.  You need to stop and look at your self.  How is your self-love?  Until you learn to love yourself, you will have difficulty loving others in a way that does not smoother them or dry up over time as you lose interest in the imitation.  The Archetype here is the Actor/Performer, as they don’t know real love, compassion or forgiveness.  They look outside themselves for love and fulfillment.

Under Active

When you avoid relationships with people, whether romantic or platonic, it is a sure sign that the chakra is under active.   Do you feel unworthy of love?  Are you constantly seeking affirmation that your romantic and personal friends love you?   You may fall in love and it will be so hard that it is difficult if not impossible to let go of that love.   You may avoid getting into relationships, or even attempting to get into a relationship because you fear the rejection.  This is the person that will go to the dance, but never ask anyone to dance for fear of the rejection.   In all of these situations self-pity may also be present.  Do you feel sorry for yourself? 

Balanced

The balanced chakra is characterized by your ability to know and love yourself called selfhood.  It allows you to love everyone unconditionally, secure in the knowledge that you are anchored in Selfhood.  This is the condition where you give and receive love freely.  People in balance with their heart chakra tend to be loving, inclusive and exude a warm fuzzy feeling when you are around them.  It is possible for them to love others without reservation.  They will not project some fantasy of love on others, as they have self-love that frees them to love others.  When this Archetype of the Lover comes into your life, it will change your life for the better. 

Self Examination

Answer these questions, you may share your answers or not as you choose.

• How do you respond to others?  Is it through your mind and intellect or with your heart?
• How much do you feel connected to others?  Try smiling at other people?  Record their response.
• Are you hard on yourself for your failings?   Forgiveness and compassion are based in this chakra.  Balance is key.  Accept and honor your light and dark sides, they are there for a reason.
• Do you “put on a good face” not associated with your feelings?
• Do you see yourself as compassionate or do you judge others? 

"The person that meditates perseveringly on this chakra may easily have out-of-body experiences and fly thus to parallel astral universes. Such a person is the perfect instrument of the divine cosmic love and obtains all other divine qualities." ~Swami Shivananda

Ponder this quote from Stephen Covey as he was advising a man who felt he no longer loved his wife, or was not loved in return:

“Love her”, said Covey.  “I told you, the feeling just isn’t there anymore”, said the man. “Lover her”, Covey said once more.  “You don’t understand.  The feeling of love just isn’t there,” repeated the man.  “Then love her.  If the feeling isn’t there, that’s a good reason to love her.”  “But how do you love when you do not love,” asked the man?

Covey replied: “My friend, love is a verb.  Love—the feeling—is a fruit of love, the verb.  So love her. Serve her. Sacrifice. Listen to her. Empathize. Appreciate. Affirm her.  Are you willing to do that?”

Love is a feeling, but it is a feeling that is created out of action. ~Anodea Judith from Eastern Body-Western Mind.

Symbol

The green in the symbol is the protective layer of the delicate pink inside.  The outside corresponds to the pericardium of the heart, and protects the pure heart from negative, outside assault.  The inner heart remains pure and unblemished, and is the seat of the Spirit that dwells in us all.  This spirit may be called anything; I just call it the Word.