The Heart center is related to complex emotion, compassion, love, equilibrium and well-being.In Sanskrit the word anahata - means unhurt, un-struck and unbeaten. Anahata Nad refers to the Vedic concept of unstruck sound, the sound of the celestial realm. Anahata is associated with the ability to make decisions outside of the realm of karma. In Manipura and below, man is bound by the laws of karma, and the fate he has in store for him. In Anahata, one is making decisions, 'following your heart', based upon one's higher self, and not from the unfulfilled emotions and desires of lower nature. The wish-fulfilling tree, kalpa taru, resides here, symbolising the ability to manifest whatever you wish to happen in the world. It is also associated with love and compassion, charity to others, and forms of psychic healing. It is also known as the heart-mind and is responsible for heart-based decisions. The color in the heart center expresses the energy in the heart chakra, the center of unconditional love, empathy and compassion. If a bright ball of color appears here you are indeed a humanitarian, and would save the world if you could. You may be a gifted spiritual energy worker, counselor, or teacher. From the heart center we are able to see the good in everyone, and can let love energy flow from our hearts to nurture other beings. Located near the center of the breastbone or sternum, this chakra represents higher consciousness and love. The heart chakra acts as the balance point for all the chakras and is very important for the feeling of existential fullfilment. It governs our relationships and how we interact with other people. A balanced heart chakra is expressed in acceptance of self and others, personal values and ethics, following one's unique direction in life.Symbolised by a lotus with twelve petals.
Physical function: The Heart chakra is associated with the heart, thymus gland, lower lung and circulatory system
Psychological function: Relationships, Love, Acceptance, Self-Control, Compassion, Guilt, Forgiveness, Harmony, Peace, Renewal, Growth
Lesson: Relationships–The right to love. Love, forgiveness, compassion. Ability to have self-control. Acceptance of oneself.
Imbalances Heart and breathing disorders. Heart and breast cancer. Chest pain. High blood pressure. Passivity. Immune system problems. Muscular tension.
Some signs that the Heart Chakra is out of balance are:
- Lack of self discipline
- Difficulty in relationships
- An attempt to live vicariously through another
- Love, happiness, desire for happiness, sadness, anger, hatred, prejudism, loneliness, forgiveness, compassion, hopes, desires, wants, grief, resentments, commitment, trust in your close interpersonal relationships. Choices in love.
- Heart and circulatory system, lungs, breathing problems, chest area, breasts, asthma and associated allergies, pneumonia, bronchitis, upper back, shoulder and arm problems.
- Dependence on someone else for your happiness lust, fraud, indecision, repentance, hope, anxiety, longing, impartiality, arrogance, incompetence, discrimination and defiance.
A balanced Heart Chakra means expansion, freedom and growth. As result of energetic imbalance between chakras arises an almost continuous feeling of dissatisfaction. When the heart chakra is agitated, people lose touch with feelings and sensations, and that breeds the sense of dissatisfaction. That leads to looking outside for fullfilment. When people live in their heads, feelings are secondary, they are interpretations of mental images that are fed back to the individual. When awareness is focused on memories of past experiences and mental verbalizations, the energy flow to the head chakra increases and the energy flow to the heart chakra lessens. Without nurturing feelings of the heart a subtle form of anxiety arises which results in the self reaching out for experience. When the throat chakra settles and energy is distributed evenly between the head and the heart chakras, one is able to truly contact one's senses and touch real feelings.