Anahata Chakra: The “unstruck”. The heart center wheel of life emanates the sound that two things make when they do not strike each other. I’ve always loved this idea. For me, the resonance between two things not striking each other is love and peace. A vibration of unconditional love and unconditional acceptance. These are all aspects of the Spiritual Heart. This week has been a deep week of serious inquiry for me and my students in class, and I hope it will spark the beginnings of a life long healthful relationship with your own Heart!
I used to roll my eyes every time a person said, “listen to your heart”, “feel your heart”, or “go within, to your hearts center”. Yup, I was over it. I was just tired of hearing about the heart. I didn’t necessarily have heart break, though I have experienced that, but I was just like, “can we move on now?” Well, years later, I get it. After studying with various teachers and Spiritual leaders, and after having many a heart-opening experience, I believe it now when Spiritual Healers say, ‘you can never work too much with the heart’. It is known within the system of the chakras*, that the heart chakra is the only one that when it is in balance, it becomes easier to create balance in all the others.
*A chakra is a “wheel” or ‘vortex’ of energy and life force that lives within each of us. Seven main ones stack from the pelvic floor to the crown of the head. They reside at specific anatomical locations within the human body just in front of the spin, like a plum line. They correlate to physical aspects of the human body, as well as energetic aspects, developmental aspects within the life span of a person, and emotional and psychological aspects.
I dove in pretty deep with this intention. Three articles stuck out to me, and it was hard to narrow the Dharma Talk for each class. However, from a conversation with a dear friend, the intention became clear; how do you listen to your heart and how do you trust it? How do you know your truly hearing your heart? Click here for Article 1 Article 2 Article 3
Here’s where we began in class:
“Our heart deserves the best gift from us; it is asking to be heard and revered. …Your heart speaks the truth. It’s as simple and sacred as this. No one knows your heart better than you do. …Your heart holds the key to your life. Your dreams, wishes and desires are all embedded in your heart. Whom your heart chooses to love, your life’s work and your purpose all reside in your heart. …Your heart speaks to you with kindness and hope. It never speaks of fear and doubt, and it will never betray you. Your heart honors you, and when you listen to the guidance of your heart, your peace and happiness is restored.” -Mary Paleologos
Mary goes on to write, “Who you really are is not defined by the external world but by your internal sanctuary.” This supported me in creating a Heart Meditation thru out the week**. “Deep within you lies the very essence of love, strength and joy. To trust your inner self is to trust your heart. It does not mean that you will not make mistakes or make a wrong turn; this is all part of your heart’s journey. If you trust and embrace the journey, your heart will get you back on the right path.”
I have highlighted a few of those words above for the reason that I deeply believe in them. And, I will add, when you listen to your heart you are listening to your inner wisdom! Don Oscar Miro-Quesada, a Peruvian Shaman whom I retreat with, says, “Everything you need to know is already in your heart.”
“Your Heart Loves You.” -Shawna Emerick We must love our Hearts back, and that is to love One’s Self. The heart chakra is all about relationships, not only to those around us, but also to our Selves and the Divine.
However, what happens when you do not feel you have ever heard your heart? What then? What does it feel like to ‘hear’ your heart? Even though I don’t have an answer here, one thing thru reading of the articles that made sense to me was this: What does your heart pull you towards?! Have you ever, in your life, been SO drawn to something that you knew you had to say yes, or act upon it?! Or at least, start making smaller actionable steps towards it/that? Has something in your life ever affected you in that way that lights you up?! Creates a spark?! That might have been your heart speaking to you, guiding you!
I feel each person is going to experience their hearts communication in different ways. And even within one person, I feel that that person can “hear” their heart from different forms. Sometimes the heart will create tears. Sometimes we feel our hearts excitement when we experience some thing we witness outside of our self. Sometimes we are moved by a gorgeous piece of music, a memory, a hope, a dream, a poem, another human being, an event, a word, a feeling, a symbol. So many things. How has your heart communicated with you? Here’s a question; have you ever heard your heart and acted from it? No matter the outcome from listening to your heart, go back to that moment when you heard it. How did you know it was your heart? What did it feel like? What did you ‘hear’ or experience?
And, then, what if you do feel that it was your heart that misguided you? As one quote in one of the articles suggests, “your heart will guide you back on the right path”. But, how do you create the trust towards your heart when you do feel like it was your heart that betrayed you? Remember that other quote, “Your heart will never betray you”? Do you believe this? I believe it. Even thru heart break, I don’t think my heart betrayed me. I feel that someone else betrayed me, and another still was following their heart, thouhg it hurt mine. And that sometimes the journey betrayed me, that which lives outside of me, but not my heart. Not my Spiritual Heart. My physical heart has skipped beats in the past due to stress and anxiety, but my Spiritual Heart beats strong. Your Spiritual Heart is strong too. I believe this. I believe in Source, Spirit, God, Light, Life, however you name it/feel it to be. I believe it because That is You, and You are That. Just as in Yoga we say I am That, That am I.
As I was thinking further around the heart, I feel that it would be unfair to expect life to be perfect and all love and positive vibes, as they say, even when we feel we are living from a heart centered space. Why? Because inevitably, at some point, we will all experience grief. Grief is the shadow side of the heart chakra. Whether its loss of a loved one, a pet, loss of something we held as special/sacred, loss of our own abilities as we age, or anything else. And, even in grief and heart ache, there can still be a heart centered practice. Gratitude. And gratitude is another practice of the heart chakra. Right now, take a deep breath, and think of 5 things you are grateful for, and if you want, journal them. Did you feel your heart expand? Soften? Or grow? How did it feel? Where did you feel it in your body? Take another deep breath. Thank yourself for being in this journey of life. Its not easy, but it doesn’t need to be experienced as a struggle. Perhaps this is where we will feel the differences in life when we do always make the attempt to live from our Heart’s Center?! And then everything is perfect. Not in the “shiny, rainbow, clean and neat” way, but it’s perfect because it is what it is. And that, is perfect. To allow One’s Self to experience ALL emotions is heart centered.
I feel there is a lot more here, including why feeling and the second chakra are often correlate to the heart chakra. Think emotions and desires. No wonder a lot of yoga workshops are entitled ‘Heart and Hip openers’!
So, keep listening to your heart. Listen for its desires. Even if the first practice is to get silent enough so you CAN start to ‘hear’ your heart. Remember, to ‘hear’ it might mean you feel it. And, even when you feel that your hearts desires are impossible, your heart knows the way. It will never betray you. It will guide you and speak to you of hope and possibility. Unconditional love and unconditional acceptance are made of the heart stuff! Your heart loves you. Give your heart the connection it deserves. Nourish your relationship with your Heart today.
Feel free to write to me about your take on all of this, or part of this. Tell me a story of when you heard your heart. Let me know how you trust your heart, or how you learned to trust. Namaste.
**This helped me create a Hearts Meditation thru out the week. I want to start making audio recordings! If anyone wants to come over and help me figure out how to use the Rockrok ML-01 Lavalier Microphone I have, please let me know! I will figure out an exchange for a private yoga session, or Thai massage, or DoTerra essential oils for you!