Heart Chakra - Letting the Heart Lead
This week in class we arrived at the heart chakra, the fourth chakra in our journey. Each week in this series has built on the one before it.
We began with the root chakra, where we focused on safety and stability. That week, the invitation was to choose what felt safe.
Then we moved into the sacral chakra, where we explored creativity, sensuality, and the awakening of our senses. That week, the invitation was to choose what felt good.
From there, we stepped into the solar plexus chakra, the center of personal power, confidence, and identity. That week, the invitation was to choose what made us feel strong.
And this week, we arrived at the heart. The heart chakra is associated with the color green and the element of air. It lives at the center of the chest, and it relates to what you might expect:
Love · Kindness · Compassion · Connection
But also something equally important:
Forgiveness
Heart Chakra QUICK REFERENCE
** Listen to the playlist from our Heart Chakra class on Spotify **
Location:
Heart area at front and back of body, mid thoracic spine
Element:
Air
Themes:
Love • Kindness • Compassion • Forgiveness
Affirmation we practiced in class:
I am loving awareness
Animal:
The Antelope - Represents qualities of alertness, grace, and a gentle nature (a Springbok would also have a similar energy)
Physical Areas:
Circulatory system - heart. lungs, blood, vascular system, vessels, arteries, breasts, diaphragm, rib cage
Nerve Plexus:
Cardian Plexus
Frequency:
1,024 Hz
Overactive:
Depressed, moody, conditional love, clinging to people or things
Underactive:
Paranoia, resentment, fear of rejection, judemental, shy, withdrawn
Yoga Practices:
Metta meditation, heart-opening poses
Essential Oils:
Rose, Geranium, Ylang ylang, Lavender
African Tree Essence:
Tree of Loving-Kindness (The Spike Thorn)
Crystals:
Rose Quartz, Green Jade, Green Flourite, Pink Flourite, Green Aventurine, Serpentine, Emerald
The Theme of the Week - Openness
This week, the invitation shifted once again. Students were encouraged to choose the option that felt open and expansive.
Not the deepest version of a pose.
Not the most impressive version.
But the version that allowed the heart to feel spacious.
Open does not mean forcing flexibility. Open means allowing the breath to move freely.
Allowing the chest to soften. Allowing ourselves to remain available to experience.
Letting the Heart Lead
Throughout the class, I offered one simple cue: Let the heart lead.
We practiced familiar shapes, but with a different intention.
In cow pose, instead of simply arching the back, we let the heart lead forward.
In forward fold, instead of collapsing, we let the heart guide us down.
A Different Kind of Strength
The heart chakra sits at the center of the chakra system. 💚
Below it are the chakras of:
• safety ❤️
• sensation 🧡
• identity 💛
Above it are the chakras of:
• expression 💙
• intuition 💜
• awareness 🤍
The heart is the bridge. And because of that, it asks something different of us.
Not just strength.
Not just movement.
But balance.
The ability to be both:
Strong and Soft• Grounded and Open• Steady and Receptive
The Practice
We began the class lying on our backs with support behind the heart. Before we moved, we paused.
We asked ourselves:
How does my heart feel today?
Does it feel open and full?
Or is there something present:
An ache
A longing
A sense of distance
We reflected on our relationship to:
Kindness
Compassion
Forgiveness
Especially forgiveness of ourselves.
From there, we moved into a simple breath practice and a traditional loving-kindness meditation (metta).
Loving-Kindness Meditation (Metta)
During class, we practiced a form of meditation known as loving-kindness meditation, or metta. Metta is a traditional practice rooted in Buddhist teachings and is centered around cultivating compassion, kindness, and openness, beginning with ourselves.
We used simple phrases:
May I be happy
May I be healthy
May I be safe
May I be loved
Rather than affirmations, these are intentions.
We are not trying to force a feeling.
We are practicing the act of offering kindness.
In this practice, we begin with ourselves because our ability to extend compassion outward is deeply connected to how we relate inward. Over time, this practice can expand beyond ourselves to include others, and eventually, all beings.
It becomes a way of softening the heart and staying connected, even when things feel difficult. If you’ve ever found it easier to be kind to others than to yourself, this practice gently begins to shift that relationship.
If you’d like to explore this practice more deeply, I’ve written a full guide on loving-kindness meditation and how to work with it in your daily life
Movement as Expression
As we moved through the practice, we carried that awareness with us.
The shapes themselves were familiar. But the expression was different.
We opened the chest.
We broadened the shoulders.
We explored cactus arms, backbends, and heart-opening postures.
We practiced lifting the heart not just physically, but energetically.
Loving Awareness
At the beginning of class, I shared a quote from Ram Dass:
“I would like my life to be a statement of kindness and compassion, and where it isn’t, that’s where my work lies.”
At the end of class, during rest, we listened to his voice repeating the mantra:
I am loving awareness.
This idea connects deeply to the heart chakra.
To be loving awareness is not to force ourselves to feel a certain way.
It is to remain present.
To witness.
To soften.
To stay open, even when it is not easy.
If you’d like to learn more about Ram Dass and his teachings, I’ve written more about him here: Ram Dass - A Teacher of Loving Awareness
The Energy of the Heart
When the heart chakra is balanced, we often feel:
• connected
• compassionate
• open
• able to give and receive
When it is out of balance, we may feel:
• guarded
• disconnected
• overly self-protective
• or unable to receive
Heart-centered practices remind us that openness is not weakness. It is a form of strength.
Looking Ahead
Next week we move into the throat chakra.
If the heart teaches us to feel and connect, the throat teaches us to express.
We will begin exploring the voice, communication, and the relationship between truth and expression.