Is Your Heart Chakra Balanced?

What even is a chakra and how do I know if my Heart Chakra is imbalanced?
Written by guest blogger & Healing Arts staff, Jaci Pearse.

The literal translation of the word “chakra” is wheel, or disc. On an energetic level, these wheels are swirling centers of energy, tied to massive nerve centers in the body. Each chakras contains bundles of nerves and major organs as well as our psychological, emotional, and spiritual states of being.

The Heart Charka is tied to the lungs and the cardiovascular system, including the heart. You heart is one of the hardest working organs in your body, constantly at service to pump vital blood through your whole body. The lungs are both voluntary and involuntary, which is actually really cool if you think about it, in that we can control their movement, but we can also allow them to function outside of our conscious thought.

On an emotional level, the Heart Chakra is tied to feelings of love, connectedness, and sanction between the earths and the heavens. Its the bridge between the three upper chakras and the three lower chakras, symbolizing the union between the physical and the a-physical.

We could spend days, maybe even weeks, learning about and exploring the chakra system and the implications if has on our physical, spiritual, and emotional health. But for the sake of an introduction, let’s focus on the key points of the Heart Chakra, and what practical things we can do on a daily basis to bring it back into balance.



Ask yourself these questions:

Do I trust others?
Can I make good of any situation?
Do I have close, loving relationships in my life?
Is my cardiovascular system healthy and strong?
Am I prone towards upper respiratory infections or chest colds?

If you answered “no” to any of the above questions, or yes to the last question, chances are your Heart Chakra is imbalanced. Let’s break down four simple practices you can create in your daily life to rebalance the fourth chakra:

1)Take 5 deep breaths: Really deep breaths. And exhale just as completely and fully as you inhale. Count to six as you breath in, pause for one second, then count to six as you exhale on the same tempo. If you’re not able to make it to six, start where you are able. As you breathe, notice your heart beat. Notice the self love you are generating by considering the lungs and their need for and relationship to air.

2) Practice Love: If you are usually the receiver, practice being the giver - of love, of affection, of compassion. And on the reverse, if you are usually the giver, allow yourself to receive. Acknowledge that both giving and receiving can take effort, and that you are worthy of both. Even self-love counts, and it covers both giving and receiving!

3) Open your chest: If you practice yoga, spend a little more time in the heart opening poses like Camel Pose or Fish Pose. Practice you breathe in theses poses for a double hit. If you’re not familiar with yoga, lie down on your back and prop a pillow under the upper back. If its comfortable for your neck, let your head tilt back slightly and your arms splay out to the side. You can even do it in bed!

4) Oils: Rose, Ylang Ylang and Helichrysum are three very powerful oils for the heart chakra. Apply a few drops in your bath water, dilute and spritz in your living space, or even apply directly to your sternum. Slightly to the right of your sternum, just below the collar bone is an acupuncture point called “Spirit Retrieval.” Applying oils to this point has been known to help draw back the severely detached and reclusive spiritual feelings of those effected by an imbalanced Heart Chakra.

Chose one or all four of these exercise and take a few moments throughout your day to practice bringing back balance and harmony to your Heart Chakra. Most importantly, keep going. Keep taking steps daily to balance and enrich the heart chakra, and create a life of connectedness to others and love for self.

Want to learn more about the chakra system? At Healing Arts NYC, chakra therapy as well as applied essential oils are just two of the many services we provide to help spread the Joy of Health. Talk with your practitioner next time you’re in!