Our center of unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness, and connection can be rebalanced and rejuvenated through using yoga for the heart chakra. Enjoy these asanas and the bija mantra for the heart chakra.
Yoga Is More Than A Workout
If you have gone to many yoga classes you may have already found out that yoga offers a deeper depth than just working out your body. Different teachers have their own style and some may transmit the message of classical yoga and teach you how to work with the subtle energy bodies.
Yoga is a holistic healing method which means it treats the person as a whole. It deeply cleanses the body, the mind, and the spirit. Working with the chakra system is a big part of getting the most out of your yoga practice.
The Heart Chakra
The heart chakra is the fourth chakra in the seven chakra system. It is located in the heart region and extends down both arms ruling the heart, circulatory system, lungs, shoulders and upper back, blood, immune system, and thymus gland.
It is represented by the element air and the colors pink and green. You can understand this chakra as our center of connection involving our understanding, the emotional body, and inner truth that transcends words.
Just as any chakra the heart chakra can become blocked by suppressed, unhealthy patterns, trauma, and any stagnation within its territory these practices will help you to clear blockages from your heart chakra.
Yoga Asanas For The Heart Chakra
If you are ready to move your body with a 30 min yoga practice then go ahead and follow along with the video below. Otherwise, you can use the listed asanas throughout the day to promote joy, release bitterness, and find deep compassion.
Asanas are the physical poses within yoga practice, this is where our movement practice comes in to heal and recalibrate the physical body. Here are some that work for the heart chakra:
- Salamba Bhujangasana (Sphinx) – laying on your stomach place your forearms shoulder-width apart with the elbows under the shoulders, press pelvic bone into matt and squeeze glutes to protect the lower back, press forearms into matt and pull heart forward, keep gaze slightly further out than fingertips
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge) – lay down on your back, bring heels to just under your glutes about to where your fingertips reach, press lower back into the matt to straighten the spine, inhale press arms and heels into matt to lift the chest and keep the head down, option to clasp the hands under the back and roll shoulder heads under the back while pressing clasped arms down into the matt to lift chest higher
- Uttana Shishosana (Puppy) – come into all fours, hips stacked on top of knees that are hip-width apart, walk fingertips forwards and sink heart down, option to rest the forehead or chin on the floor
Bija Seed Mantra For Heart Chakra
Mantras originated in Vedic Sanskrit within India. Mantra translated and broken down from Sanskrit is “man” meaning mind and “tra” which can be understood as to transfer or transport. Connecting these two translations, we can understand a mantra works as a conduit for higher wisdom and profound healing.
At Cleveland University, research shows that the melodic and rhythmic tones created when chanting form a soothing effect in the body called the Neuro-linguistic effect [NLE]. The release of healing chemicals in the brain is increased when we are intentionally attaching a meaning or understanding to the mantra.
Which is called the Psycholinguistic effect [PLE]. Each of the seven chakras has its own bija mantra that can link you directly to the energy of the chakra at its peak state. Meaning repeating these mantras can directly open, purify, nourish, and balance your chakras.
The heart chakra’s bija mantra is Yam, pronounced am as you would the o in the word mom. You can chant this throughout your certain points within your yoga asana practice, during seated meditation, or when you want to bring more support to the heart chakra.
