Heart Chakra Meditation: Learn How to Love Your Self and Love Others
What are the Chakras?
The Chakras are centers of energy radiating from specific points on your body. They have been considered the focal points for the reception and transmission of energies. There are seven main chakras the cover your body from the bottom of your spine to the top of your heart. Each chaka is associated with certain characteristics and colors.
The Root Chakra is red and is considered the first chakra. It is located at the base of your spine. This chakra is related to your physical body and focuses on your health and how your body connects to the material world.
The Navel Chakra is orange and is at your lower abdomen, close to your spleen. It is your pleasure center. This chakra focuses on the feelings of passion and sensuality.
The Solar Plexus Chakra is yellow and is located below the chest and above the navel. It is associated with your willpower, decisions and creative expression.
The Heart Chakra is green and is at the area of your heart. The heart chakra is considered the center of the seven chakras and is focused on the feeling of unconditional love that goes beyond the physical body. Feelings that are associated with the heart chakra also include forgiveness, self-acceptance and compassion.
The Throat Chakra is blue and is located at your throat, between your chin and the top of your sternum. It focuses on helping you with truthfulness, knowledge, honesty and kindness.
The Brow Chakra is purple and located in the forehead, right above your eyes. This is also called the region of the Third Eye. This chaka is associated with the area beyond the physical realm, clairvoyance, your soul, and peace of mind.
The Crown Chakra is violet and located at the very top of your head. This chakra focuses on dealings of the mind and spirit. It helps you to explore all things spiritual, including your consciousness and higher self.
Practice Heart Chakra Meditation
Heart chakra mediation is designed to instill love and compassion through meditation. It can be used to help you heal emotionally and physically from all losses related to matters of the heart. It also teaches you how to love yourself.
When meditating, sit in a comfortable position, either crossing your legs on the floor or sitting up straight in a chair. Close your eyes, close your palms and relax your mind. Allow your breath to become soft and slow. Focus on complete calmness and stillness throughout your entire body.
Begin to focus your energy and concentration at the chakra points along your spine and just behind your heart. The movement of your awareness to the heart chakra will connect to the rhythm and beat of your heart. Try to sense this relationship and allow all of your energy to become absorbed in the movement and activity of the heart chakra.
Next, focus your awareness on your chest area. Concentrate on bringing your energy near your heart and breastbone. Observe the sensation of your heart. Feel the rhythm of your heartbeat. Allow your awareness to become absorbed within the activity of your heart. Rub your palms softly and put your right palm on the center of your chest and the left on top of the right. Feel the energy flowing from your arms to your hands and back to your heart. Release your palms and turn them upside down. Keep your elbows bent and your shoulders and chest relaxed. Feel the light of love emerging from your palms and direct it towards your loved ones.
To complete your meditation, bring your awareness back down to the base of your spine and then return your focus to your breath. While keeping your eyes closed and your body still, bring your awareness to the external environment, noticing the sounds in your room, the feeling of the air, and any sensations within your body. Finally, begin to move your body and open your eyes. Slowly rock your head, roll your shoulders and shake out your arms and legs.
Practicing heart chakra mediation is a way to help you gain confidence and lead a disciplined and joyful life. This meditation helps to bring about healing from physical and emotional heartbreaks as well as focus on forgiving, loving unconditionally, letting go and trusting. Feelings such as happiness, respect, compassion, generosity and true love originate from the heart chakra.
Resources
About.com – Heart Chakra - Chakra Four - Exploring the Major Chakras - https://healing.about.com/cs/chakras/a/chakra4.htm
NIH-Funded Scientific Research on Transcendental Meditation - https://www.tm.org/national-institutes-of-health
Image Credits
Fickr.com - Meditate – Lisadragon - https://www.flickr.com/photos/lisadragon/3893491292/
Disclaimer
Please read this disclaimer regarding the information contained within this article.