Chakra Fundamentals: Heart Chakra - H is for Heart Chakra

If the other weeks brought confusion or indecision about what topic to write for the Pagan Blog Project, this week was easy! I am working on going through all the chakras eventually, but will wait til the appropriate letter to submit something (obviously...lol). I have also worked on its western name, for ease of access more than anything else... So, here goes......

The Heart chakra, also known as Anahata (usually pronounced anna-hat), is located in the centre of the chest, vibrates green, sometimes with pink flecks, and its symbol is the 12 petalled lotus flower. On a physical level, it is responsible for the heart, ribs, chest, upper back, circulatory system, lungs, immune system, the respiratory system and thymus. Emotionally, it governs all matters concerning love, including unconditional love, forgiveness, relationships, compassion and tolerance, however, negative emotions such as anger and hate can dwell here as well. Any imbalances in the heart chakra are indicated by physical pain or illness in these areas as well as feelings of being unloved or unlovable, issues with hate, forgiveness and compassion.

As with the other chakras, there are a few very simple ways you can balance this chakra. Possibly the easiest is to wear green, such as but not limited to a t-shirt or bra as it sits directly over the chakra, with the intention of balancing Anahata. Crystals, such as rose quartz and malachite (among many others) will also help to balance this chakra. I have also had some success with Tiger’s Eye. Specifically used for the Solar Plexus, I find that whenever I wear Tiger’s Eye I laugh a lot more, and that has got to do something for my heart as well right?? Play around with a few other crystals and see what ones make you happy or more prone to laughter and use these in conjunction with other heart chakra methods, after all, isn’t happiness the key to love? Or one of them anyway...

You can also balance Anahata through the food you eat. Eating green food with the intention of it balancing your chakra will be of great use, however, what might work more is to have an appreciation and love for the food you are eating. Take a few seconds to thank the universe, or the tree or animal themselves for providing the sustenance for you. This prayer is about giving gratitude for what you have and being more aware of the good in your life. This will also lead to feelings of happiness and love which will open your chakra more!

Here is a list of a few other easy ways to balance your chakra:    

• Breathe into the heart chakra
• Hug people. You will need to be IN the hug. Some people just put their arms around others and hope for the best. The next time you hug someone, be in the moment and feel the love inherent in the hug! Open yourself up and allow yourself to feel and be love!! 
• Write letters of appreciation to those who have helped you
• Apologise to those you have hurt
• Offer to help people
• Tell loved ones that you love them
• Own a pet and play and pat them
• Own plants and water them with love
• Be willing to forgive

Another interesting issue with the heart chakra is receiving love. It is all well and good to give it to others, but in order to have a properly balanced chakra you need to be ready to receive love. This has been an issue for me my whole life it seems, especially self-love in a culture that frowns upon people who ‘love themselves’ as ‘stuck up’. Love of self does not mean you think you are any better than anyone else, it just means (among other things) you have self-respect and understand your own worth. I have recently discovered that love of self gives you a deeper understanding and appreciation of love when you experience it for yourself from yourself. It helps you to better understand what it means to love and what your own expectations are concerning receiving love from others. Through the self-acceptance that comes from self-love, you can more easily accept others for who they are (tolerance and acceptance) which increases your capacity for unconditional love on a much larger scale.

But how to rectify these issues? There are a few easy ways, some may seem weird, difficult or unnatural but start small and work your way from there. 

1.  Look in the mirror and find one thing that you like (at first, later turn it to love) about yourself and focus on that aspect for a few minutes. If you can find more than one, then by all means honour them all! If not, after a week, make it two things, then three etc etc.
2. Wear clothes that make you feel good about yourself, that you feel are flattering for your figure or emphasises your assets. Include any make-up or particularly flattering hair styles.
3. Stand naked in front of a mirror and admire your body for what it is, lumps, bumps and all. Remember, you are the God or Goddess manifest! Loving yourself and accepting yourself for who and as you are allows you to accept them on such terms and gives you a closer relationship with them. 
4. Number 3 also works in a bath or shower situation, and may be a better first step for you if you particularly loathe mirrors. As you wash yourself, note your body shape and tone, any blemishes you have, honour any scars you have and just feel the love and acceptance wash over you as the water falls over your skin. You must, however, graduate to the mirror scenario eventually!!
5. Write down a list of your characteristics, flaws and all. Do not categorise or judge them, just write the list down. When you are done, read over them and send love to each of them. They all make up who you are and you must honour them. The one/s you do not like, you can work on (or may be at this very moment!), but in the meantime they are who you are, they make up a part of you, so honour them all and accept them. 
6. Put on your favourite music and dance around the house. Do not judge yourself, just feel the movement of your body and let the love flow!
7. Record your voice and play it back to you. This will need to serve a purpose though... it would seem silly just to record a random conversation and play that back!! I remember reading in one of her books that Doreen Virtue learnt to love her voice, and herself more, by recording and listening to a list of affirmations every day! This may work, but if affirmations are not your thing, then why would you start now? So, the next time you find a meditation in written form, instead of memorising it and doing it this way, record yourself saying it over nice music. Do the meditation to your own voice and remember to give your voice and yourself love as you hear it! If there is a ritual or anything else that you could record and complete in this same way, then do so! I am sure the added love you feel will serve to empower your ritual.
8. I recently read a book called Unleashing the Sex Goddess in Every Woman by Olivia St Claire. It was very confronting to me, whose own views on sex and masturbation have been in conflict throughout my life. The one thing I learned from this book is that love of the physical self is important for loving and accepting yourself and who you are (it will also help you to understand how your body works so you can tell your partner and make your love making all the more exciting! Anyway, back to the issue at hand... ) So, the next time you take some time out to pleasure yourself, instead of seeing your favourite movie star in your mind’s eye (although this can be very fun!), just be with yourself and feel what you are doing to yourself. Be in the moment and feel the love as you bring yourself to climax. This brings your spiritual and physical self closer together, giving you a better understanding of how the two are actually one, inseparable. A lot of people honour their spiritual selves and neglect their physical body (or vice versa), which to me now is an example of gross misconduct! OK, so I over exaggerate... again... But there is still truth in what I say. You can’t have one without the other in this life, so acknowledge, honour and love both!!
9. Do #8 in front of a mirror... Send yourself love and acceptance as you watch your body and facial expressions. This is not for the faint-hearted, so be sure that you are comfortable looking at yourself in the mirror before doing this. Remember, the goal is to increase your feelings of self-love. Do not do this if you feel it will shatter everything you have worked for... It can wait until you are ready!
10. This may be the most important one… Sit in a quiet place, where you will not be interrupted and put yourself into a meditative state. Play your favourite meditation music, burn incense (possibly rose for love!), light a candle (again, rose or a red one!) and wear or have on your person one of the aforementioned crystals. When you are ready, send the love out of your heart chakra into the universe or to a person, animal, place or situation that inspires love for you. Just send it out there for a few minutes. Then, draw it back into yourself. You can do this by seeing Anahata's green and pink flecked colour circling to the object or situation and back into yourself (through your back may help if you are particularly visual). Also, breathing out the love and then back in can help if you are not particularly visual. The how does not really matter, what is important is that you send it out and also RECEIVE IT BACK free of judgement or category, just allow it to come back. Sit in this energy of love for as long as you feel the need then bring yourself back. Thank the universe and deity for the experience and whenever you are feeling a bit down or overly negative about yourself, remember this moment and allow the familiar feelings to wash back over you. For a particularly fun twist, combine this with #7 and do the meditation this way! 

This one was longer than I thought it would be, but in writing it I realise the heart chakra is about more than just giving love, but also receiving it. The two aspects work hand in hand to promote love on a daily basis. It has definitely opened my eyes to the true nature of Anahata and love in general, as I hope it does for you. So a big THANK YOU to the PBP for allowing this to happen! 

If you have any other ways of balancing Anahata, please feel free to include them in the comments below.

Blessed be and Love to all!! 

(Most information is gathered from personal experience and discussions with teachers and like minded people, however, a good book to read to get an overall idea of the chakras is Janet Boyer’s ‘The Chakras’. Also, the following website is also of great use - Chakra Balancing - Heart Chakra Anahata) 

Chakra Fundamentals: The Base Chakra

I know at first glance, chakras may not appear to be a part of Paganism, however, it is a part of our emotional and physical well-being, thus for me it fits perfectly! In this way I feel it is important to have a working knowledge of them, if not a close affiliation with them. It is part of knowing the self and should be incorporated into any self discovery journey. There are a lot of people in the world who are walking around, unbalanced and have no idea why or how to fix it if they are aware. I was one such person not so long ago. 

Chakras are energy centres all over the physical body that allow for the free flow of energy from feet to crown, and everywhere in between. We have hundreds of mini chakras all over our body that facilitate this energy flow, however, there are seven main chakras that govern certain key aspects of our lives. They are the base (or root chakra), the sacral, the solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye (brow) and crown chakras.

  

The first, and possibly the most fundamental to overall health and well-being, is the base chakra, or in the sanskrit, Muladhara. Its location varies depending on which source you read, but I usually feel it at the very base of my torso. If sitting down, it is located in the area resting on the seat. Other works will describe it as being at the base of the spine or coccyx or the cervix (for women) or perineum (for men), however, if there is one thing I have learnt so far it is that all things are individual. One thing is certain, it is the first of the main energy centres and it is situated roughly at the bottom of your torso, the specifics will vary and you will have to discover this for yourself. One way to do this is to get into a meditative or contemplative state and ask to become aware of my base chakra. Sit quietly now and try it! Be aware of any buzzing, or energy pooling in a particular area. This will be the location of your base chakra! Some people also see them as swirling discs facing the front and back of your body, at vertical to the ground. Mine, however, face from my feet to my head, horizontal to the ground. Again, you will have to discover this for yourself.

Each chakra has a symbol associated with it, usually a version of the lotus flower. Muladhara is often shown as a lotus flower with four petals.

Each chakra governs both the physical and emotional body; any imbalance or issue with your chakras can manifest as a physical pain, injury or disease. Issues with your base chakra can manifest through the legs, knees, feet and ankles, bones, large intestine, hips and pelvis, kidneys, sciatic nerve or lower back. Any pain in these areas is a sign that you are experiencing emotional disturbance in one or more area concerning this chakra.

So what are these issues? The Base chakra is associated with feelings of belonging (with tribe or community), career and finances, safety and security, familial law and order, ability to stand up for oneself or any other material or physical concern. One example may be financial worries manifesting in hips locking or cramps in the legs. I have a particular issue with my coccyx bone, which I have damaged at least twice in my life. Now when I start to worry over money or the home, it will ache. It is a timely reminder for me to take a few seconds to work on this chakra and alleviate any concerns and worries.

It is easy to rebalance or activate a chakra. One of the easiest is, after identifying the issue that has caused the ailment or pain, locate and wear a crystal specifically associated with the chakra. Any red crystal will do for the base chakra, but of particular note is red jasper, garnet and smoky quartz (these will usually appear in your standard chakra crystal packs). There is no need to wear it directly on your base chakra, although doing this in a meditative state will help to enhance the crystal’s efficiency. You may also breathe in the colour red into the area of your base chakra and visualise it clearing the negativity from the area. Eating red food (such as tomatoes, cherries or apples) or drinking red infused water with intention is also another effective way. The easiest method of balancing or activating this chakra though, is to wear red underwear! It sits directly on the chakra and is far less noticeable than other methods! And who could forget those Dorothy inspired red shoes? (sparkles or sequins preferred though optional!) Another discreet way to balance your chakra is to wear red nail polish on your toes... I do this all the time with the intent that it balance my chakra; it seems simple but it works. And you feel pretty too!! All is intent though, so no matter what you choose to do, be sure to state your intention when doing it!

Here are some simple ways to maintain your base chakra’s health on a daily basis:

• Take your off shoes and walk barefoot outside connecting with Mother Earth 
• Dancing
• Massage and pedicure
• Gardening or house work with the intention of balancing or opening this chakra
• If possible, have a space within your home that is entirely yours
• Daily short, brisk walks
• Have a routine and stick to it
• Pay bills on time
• Bake bread and peel potatoes for grounding

I have found that a solid base chakra is the foundation for all psychic or energy work. If your base chakra is closed or imbalanced it is likely (though not guaranteed) that your other chakras are in the same state.

So start with the basics! Get your physical life in order first to allow the magickal to enter your life!!

(Most information is gathered from personal experience and discussions with teachers and like minded people, however, a good book to read to get an overall idea of the chakras is Janet Boyer’s The Chakras. Available on Amazon.com or via Kindle.)