Paramahamsa Yogananda, Master Choa Kok Sui and Mother Teresa, to name a few great saints, were personalities with an affable persona. They were always peasant, happy, and always full of love and exuded warmth and compassion. Many people automatically flocked to them, without any agenda. How do these people exude so much charisma? Through greatly expanded heart chakras, they can send love to others though the power of their mind! This is incredulous, but it is true. Pranayama and yoga meditation can open your heart chakra, too! Learn the art of heart expansion and feel the warmth of love, forgiveness, and empathy in this guide!
The Human Body is a Powerhouse of Energy Centers
First of all, we need to understand that the human body is a powerhouse of energy centers. These seven chakras, as per Indian and Buddhist philosophical texts and the voices of the Greats, are centers which are the hub of all life processes, such as the physical and mental bodily functions, all body processes, the emotional states and the thought processes. These chakras start to display anomalies, when there is discord in the mental, emotional and the physical states.
Head over here to see which of your chakras may be blocked or imbalanced and go here to see how to open each of them.
An Open and Expanded Heart Chakra is an excellent Indicator of Good Health
These are the yardsticks or the indicators of a person’s good health. The heart chakra is one of the most expansive chakras in the spiritual systems, in the human body. Another name for it is the Anahata Chakra. One can increase the expand the heart chakra thought consistent and daily meditation. Sustained feelings on love, affection, warmth, and forgiveness expand and widen the heart chakra. Additionally, consistent and continuous meditation will ensure that the heart chakra stays expanded and will even continue to grow!
The heart chakra is also connected with the skill of healthy empathy, and here’s how you can open and balance it.
On the other hand, if our heart chakra expanded we would feel universal love, compassion, kindness for people around us,
Many times, it is normal for us humans to go through distressing moments. We fall prey to our depressing emotional state, and then our heart chakra starts to take the brunt of the depressing states of mind. During these states of mind, the Anahata chakra starts to contract and become smaller and smaller. But, seriously, we wouldn’t even know about it. As people we are observant of the visible and tangible changes around us. Hence, we may not observe anything outside even if our heart chakra was contracting. On the other hand, if our heart chakra expanded we would feel universal love, compassion, kindness for people around us, whether we know them or not.
To open your heart chakra to rekindle burning passion and love, see this post
Here are some pranayama techniques to help the heart chakra to expand
It is therefore important that the moment we start to experience grief, sadness and feelings of depression, the chakra to absorb these emotions is the heart or the Anahata. Here are some pranayama techniques to help the heart chakra to expand and also a few steps to a proper meditation technique, to help us open up our heart chakra. But where exactly is the heart chakra located? It is figuratively speaking, located near the heart and lung area. It is the place where the emotions of love, kindness and compassion arise from.
Let us delve into the breathing techniques and the pranayama that will help us expand our heart chakra.
The most important pranayama practices for an open and expanded heart chakra are:
- Bhramari Pranayama
- Anulom Vilom Pranayama
- Chandra Bhedana
- Heart Chakra Meditation To Expand the Heart
1. Bhramari Pranayama
This sound is reminiscent of the sound of the bees buzzing- hence the name Bhramari
The Bhramari Pranayama is a unique breathing technique. It starts with inhalation through the nostrils and then, while exhaling, we must ensure that we close our nostrils, our ears, our eyes and even close the lips with the help of our fingers and then exhale, with a deep sound. This sound is reminiscent of the sound of the bees buzzing- hence the name Bhramari, (i.e), buzzing bees.
Surveys undertaken by leading health experts have revealed that, the Bhramari is such a different kind of breathing practice, which has no parallel in any other socio-cultural tradition. Additionally it has the power to transform a person into a healthy one. One will acquire a consistently centered and balanced mental state. With dedicated practice of the Bhramari, there is a conscious descent of a vibrant state of mind. To the person who practices consistently, a sense of happiness, love, warmth and compassion naturally envelopes the personality and the soul.
For The first step, practice Bhramari for a stretch of ten minutes. Then, follow with the other highlighted pranayama techniques.
2. Anulom Vilom Pranayama or The Alternate Nostril Breathing
First of all, to do the alternate breathing practice, one must sit in the Sukhasana or the normal floor squatting position
The alternate nostril breathing practice is the second step in the series of the practice. This leads one towards the expansion or the heart chakra, or the Anahata Chakra. When one completes the practice of the Bhramari, then the next in line for the practice can be the Anulom Vilom or the Alternate nostril breathing practice. First of all, to do the alternate breathing practice, one must sit in the Sukhasana or the normal floor squatting position. For the next step, focus on the hands. Place the left hand on the left thigh in the Chin Mudra. Place the right hand on the right thigh in the Nasika Mudra. This will ensure that the flow of the breathing practice goes on uninterruptedly.
The practice of this pranayama sets the tempo into motion and there is a very proper inhalation and exhalation series at work. By opting to breathe in through the left and exhale through the right by closing the left, likewise the opposite side too, the nasal paths are set well, and the respiratory passages are cleared for the flow of the air. By practicing this after the Bhramari Pranayama, a sense of calm descends on the person. The heart and the lung areas undergo an expansion, a happy state of mind and the chest expands with love, affection, kindness and compassion. There is nothing called anger, irritation or even fear- they all fly out of the window. Start by practicing this pranayama for five minutes. After you feel more comfortable, you can practice for 10 minutes or even up to 20 minutes.
3. Chandra Bhedana Pranayama or the Left Side Pranayama.
The process is constant and fixed. The left nostril takes in air and the right nostril expels air.
The technique called Chandra Bhedana Pranayama is also called Left side Pranayama, because, the inhalation happens in the left nostril and the exhalation happens in the right nostril. The process is constant and fixed. The left nostril takes in air and the right nostril expels air. This process sets off a very calm state of mind, much needed in making ourselves handle stress in peaceful ways.
The energy centers are all spread out all over the body. We call them nadis. Our left side of the spine has the Ida nadi. When we exhale, the nadis or the energy centers on the left side get energized and flow towards all the parts of the body. By practicing this, we link the left and the right sides of our body and there is a complete calmness that envelops the body. In Sanskrit, the chandra means the moon and the surya means the sun. By practicing this pranayama, there is a piercing of the Ida nadi and the result is a calm and serene state of mind. Likewise, by practicing it, it helps to cool our body.
After practicing these three pranayama techniques, we are ready to commence with the meditative process that is the last in the steps to bring about an expanded heart chakra.
Meditation for the Anahata chakra
The Anahata Chakra is a major chakra and is in the heart area. It is the fourth of the seven major chakras. The color green is associated with this chakra. This chakra is predominantly associated with the vayu (air) element, and is located in the lungs and the chest area. Now, the following is the meditation technique for the Anahata Chakra to open up.
- Slowly, lie down on your back; Stretch your legs and your arms on both ends.
- Bring your arms to your sides, and let the palms face the ceiling.
- Slowly, start inhalation and exhalation through the nostril; allow a few breaths to go by.
- Next, close your eyes.
- Visualize yourself being surrounded by white luminous light, enveloping you.
- Slowly, this white light turns pale pleasant green and gradually envelops you.
- Start with awareness in your right foot; relax your toes, your feet, your ankle, your calf muscles, your right knee, your right thigh and your right hips.
- Then take your awareness to your left side- the left foot, the toes, the ankles and the legs, the calf muscles and the knees and the thighs and the hips.
Slowly Move Your Awareness to The Upper Body
- Now, slowly take your awareness to your waist, the abdomen and the chest and the neck and the heart area.
- Let the heart be surrounded with feelings of love and warmth- forgive everyone around you and in your circle.
- Now, shift your attention to your right arm- the fingers, the wrist, the palm, the hand and the biceps and the triceps.
- Then repeat the same to the left arm- the awareness would be felt in your fingers, the palm, the hand and the left shoulder. Now, take your awareness to your neck and your head.
- Completely relax- let the green light surround your chest area. Feel a lot of love and compassion towards everyone in your ambit, all over the world.
- Close your eyes, and then continue to be in this state , visualising two rings of people around you; the first ring containing the people who are in your first circle and the second ring of people who are beyond that. Spread a lot of love to them with kindness. Observe your own Heart chakra reading wide and wide.
- After seven minutes or less, of being in this state, slowly shake the toes and the fingers and open your eyes. Turn towards your left side and then rub your hands and then sit up.
- Now rub the palms of your hands and place them on your eyes; the cheeks and the forehead.
- Open your eyes, feeling good about yourself and also ensuring that this state of pleasant happiness and love continues to be so for some time.
This meditation, if done in a group, helps as a catalyst for forgiving a lot of people and disengaging them from our thoughts and mind.
The meditation of expanding the heart chakra with love and compassion has a parallel in the Hooponopono,
The Meditation of expanding the heart chakra with love and compassion has a parallel in the Hooponopono, where the person who is a healer, needs to only look at the photo of the person who needs healing; the healer says four magic words and this is supposed to have originated in Hawaii.
The process is constant and fixed- the left is engaged in taking in air and the right is engaged in expelling the air.
There would be wonderful results of true forgiveness.
The process is constant and fixed- the left is engaged in taking in air and the right is engaged in expelling the air, tthat works like magic on people via their photograph itself; Imagine, if we were to send love and compassion through our minds and hearts but in a meditation done in person! There would be wonderful results of true forgiveness. Let us get into the action mode now, and send as much love as possible, to the people around us. It will work like a miracle.
Shall we try to visualize sending love and hugs to someone we care about? Watch the magic unified, as they start to call you.
Shanti Arunkumar, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active
Learn more about Shanti by reading her bio below.
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