It is central to our well-being. It feels fear, love, joy and pain. It may lead us astray, but it is our core, our strength and our connection to others. Sometimes it thinks for us, sometimes it solely feels. Sometimes it leads us astray, but we must learn to trust it in order to truly live.
How is your heart today? An interesting question, but how many of us have a clear answer? I was having a discussion with an acquaintance about letting go of her ex -boyfriend when she asked me this. I was taken aback because I had no idea. I mean, it is beating. But how is it really?
We go through life conditioned to ask the easy questions. How are you? What is new? What are your plans this weekend? Most of these questions require little thought and a quick response. But how often do we ask ourselves or others how they are really doing? What makes them feel a certain way? How their soul is doing? It seems these topics only come up when someone has shown vulnerability, through tears or an obvious emotional breakdown.
When this woman asked me this question, I wasn’t crying. I appeared happy and stable, so it caught me off guard. Was my cover blown? Was I showing a side that seemed more “human?” What would make her ask that? To be honest, I had no idea how my heart was doing. I hadn’t really taken the time to think about it.
The heart chakra is the balancing point for all of the chakras. It relates to the relationships we create in our life, our self-esteem and our goals. When it is out of balance we may look to others to feel happiness or struggle in our relationships.
I was working with a client this week on some of the stumbling blocks in her life. She was working through family issues and a career redirection and I had asked her to create a vision board on Pinterest for her future goals. As we were reviewing, I noticed several common themes. There was a consistent color throughout the page, green with hints of red, and several photos of the same yoga pose, standing bow-pulling. The whole page felt strong, grounded and expansive. She had beautiful pictures of interesting recipes, images of sunsets and something about it just felt balanced.
We had just talked about how she feels a particular family issue in her chest and in her diaphragm. Yet, when I looked at the particular yoga pose she chose I realized it was all about opening the heart chakra and the lungs. That pose creates more space in the body to breathe and fosters strength in the balancing posture. It also creates awareness around an area of the body that is regularly squashed with turmoil. That pose makes her more present in her body. In addition, her use of the color green throughout her board represents the heart chakra.
She subconsciously created a board that would open up and nourish her heart. When we analyzed this and talked about it we were able to connect the dots to her core and really uncover the feeling she needs to create in her life—daily.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Put your hand over your chest. Now ask yourself: How is my heart doing? What is it feeling right now? Is it anxious? It is scared? Is it heard? Is it allowed to be vulnerable? It is allowed to be in love? Can you feel its subtle cues?
Your heart defines you. Deny it a voice and you are just like the Tin Man, stiff and rigid and longing.
5 Tips to Nourish Your Heart Today
1. Take a bubble bath with rose essential oil or rose-water. Rose is healing for the heart and the heart chakra.
2. Surround yourself with the color green. This color regenerates the chakra and it also symbolizes harmony, nature and balance.
3. Create a vision board or page of your own that represents all of the things in life that make you feel passionate. How many of these things are in your life now?
4. Affirm: I let go of all negative energy in my life and I bring in love, healing and growth.
5. Surround yourself with people who nurture your spirit and support you in all ways!
Happy Lifting!
