Chakras are the energy centers located throughout our bodies. We have more than 100 chakras that transmit energy to the different areas of our bodies, minds, and spirits. If our chakras become blocked, our physical, emotional, and spiritual health is adversely affected, and our lives feel unbalanced.
We traditionally work with seven main chakras. Unsurprisingly, the heart chakra represents love. You can become blocked against love when you hold grudges, feel unsatisfied, lack trust, are jealous or judgmental, and form co-dependent relationships. The lower-frequency energy vibrations of blame, shame, and regret are markedly different from the higher-frequency energy vibrations of genuine love.
When it comes to the romantic matters of the heart, many people unfortunately use words like “beaten down,” “hurt,” and “stuck.” Conversely, the Sanskrit word for the heart chakra, “Anahata,” means unbeaten, unhurt, and unstuck. If your heart chakra is blocked, here are ten things you can do to open it.
Count your blessings. Instead of keeping a tally of the ways you’ve been wronged or listing all the reasons why dating is so stressful, count your blessings. Be grateful for the love in your life, rather than resenting what you think you lack.
The things we focus on will expand. If you focus on inadequacy, it will only increase and intensify. So, focus instead on the love you receive from and give to your family, friends, pets, and so on. Writing in a “gratitude journal” may help you develop and maintain this focus. Simply record expressions of love you notice in your daily life.
Or, for a more tangible reminder, award yourself a crystal or polished heart of rose quartz—the crystal of unconditional love—each time you experience unconditional love.
Intentionally let it go. So, your heart is broken, and you feel like you can’t heal the past and move forward. The only way to move forward is to let go. You must stop letting negative past relationships steal your future. To help, begin therapy, adopt a personal ritual, engage in intentional sharing, and have compassion for yourself. Movement, voice, and tears are the perfect ideal to let go of trapped feelings. You could also symbolically lay your past relationship to rest in an ocean or the earth.
Aromatherapy. Incense, candles, and essential oils with jasmine, lavender, orange, rose, and sandalwood scents embody the healing properties and energy frequencies of the plants of origin. These properties and frequencies work on the physical, emotional, and spiritual levels of your being to awaken kindness, compassion, and love toward yourself and others.
Positive affirmations. Break old habits and direct your behaviors in a new direction by setting your intentions on healing. To open your heart chakra, use positive affirmations such as, “I’m ready to love,” “I forgive myself,” “I love myself,” and “My heart is open.” Repeating these affirmations over time will draw more compassion and love into your life.
Receive. The way we do little things is the way we do everything. You can’t receive love if you can’t let yourself be loved first. You must receive positive things without feeling compelled to reciprocate. Many people are expert givers but have shortcomings when it comes to receiving.
You can’t be the giver and the receiver in a relationship at all times. Practice receiving positive little things, like compliments. Instead of chasing after love, be pursued. Welcome pursuit and receive the love that comes your way.
Harness the power of vision. If you only let yourself, see what has already actualized, you’re missing out. Life is an endeavor in co-creating. Embrace the power of vision and let your third eye chakra awaken your love chakra.
Use your creative ingenuity and imagination to conceptualize the love you want to manifest into your life. Create a physical area for the love you’re craving. Use a love vision board to create a tangible representation of what your ideal love looks like.
Enjoy the love around you. Whether you’re single and content, single and unfulfilled, or coupled and discordant, you have the capacity for more love. Begin enjoying it by noticing all of the positive expressions of love all around you.
Don’t shoot jealous daggers of judgment when you see a happy couple. Spend a moment basking in their love. Instead of engaging in gossip about who broke up with whom, express admiration for happy couples.
Dance. Dancing boosts our ability to be fully present in the moment, a crucial component of love. Group, pairs, and solo dances are all great ways to revel in your beauty, own your sexuality, and open you up to pleasurable feelings.
Pleasure is generally associated with the sacral chakra, but it’s essential to open up your heart chakra. Fun, sensual partner dances include salsa and tango. Sexy solo dancing includes pole fitness and belly dancing.
Flirt. Flirting is a divine energy practice that expresses enjoyment of yourself in someone else’s presence. It’s a fun and beautiful practice that opens up your heart. Flirt when the cute supermarket checkout person smiles at you, or the person in the office across the hall strikes up a conversation. Enjoy feeling desirable and attractive as you flirtatiously dance with those lucky enough to cross your path.
Practice heart-opening yoga poses. Yoga poses that expose us and drive our chests toward the sky, such as the camel, bridge, and upward-facing dog, open the heart chakra. In these poses, there’s nothing between your heart and the energy of the universe—not crossed arms, books, or smartphones.
The stances are arms-wide-open, allowing our beating hearts to be vulnerable and unguarded for an enchanted moment. You deserve to be unconditionally loved just for who you are right now. Open your heart chakra and you’ll be able to fully embrace love’s energy.