I was told recently that I had a heart chakra imbalance. My first reaction of course was, “What does that mean?! Is it terminal!?”
I immediately became curious about what a chakra imbalance is, and what it means for our health and happiness. While learning about the Ayurvedic concept of doshas, I explored the idea that our bodies are like flowers. We exist harmoniously with nature, and can therefore be brought back into balance by adjusting our unique growth environments, nutrients, and by seeking out the nourishment we need in order to flourish. Through research on chakras, I quickly found that a heart chakra imbalance is far from terminal, but it does hinder our emotional ability to bloom - to feel free, grateful, joyful, loved, and loving.
The heart chakra, the “Miracle Grow” of the self’s growth environment, becomes imbalanced under the pressure of life’s classic circumstances. Health issues, relationship woes, family matters, and stress can cause major blockages.
The “symptoms” of a heart chakra imbalance include feeling:
► Temperamental
► Withdrawn
► Defensive
► Less apt to give and receive love openly
► Overly critical
(Hey, that’s me in a nutshell lately!)
Can bringing our heart chakra back into balance help us to truly thrive? I spoke with Reiki Master Atasiea to shed light on this subject. As an intuitive healer, he provides physical, emotional, and psycho-spiritual support to individuals through bodywork, Reiki, sound healing, spiritual/practical guidance, yoga instruction and ceremonial facilitation. As it turns out, a heart chakra imbalance can be remedied through mindfulness, patience, self-love, and use of energy tools. With his intricate understanding of the body’s energy ecosystem, Atasiea also offered a list of yoga poses that can facilitate opening of the heart chakra. Hoorah, we will survive!
What is a chakra?
Atasiea: Chakras are to the human energetic anatomy what organs are to the human physical anatomy. The seven major chakras along the spine are the major gears of energy regulation. They function as vortexes of etheric and bio-magnetic energy that spin, flower open, and close to give, receive, and convert energy from one state to another. The chakras regulate and influence every aspect of our living experiences – spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. When they are clear and opened to the appropriate level (not too much and not too little), our health and wellbeing is felt and experienced on all levels.
What does it mean to have an “imbalanced” chakra?
Atasiea: When a chakra gets blocked, closed, or open too far, it creates imbalances. These imbalances result in disease and malfunctions at the level of being that the particular chakra regulates. Thus, energy hygiene practices like yoga, meditation, communing with nature, and energy healing are vital tools for us to keep our chakras spinning, and auric fields functioning healthily.
Which yoga poses would you recommend for opening the heart chakra?
Atasiea:
Namaste or (Prayer Pose)
This pose centers and balances the whole human energy field and body at the heart chakra level.
Bringing the hands into prayer position aligns all the pressure points and meridians in the hands, which connect to the major organs of the whole body as well as the nadis (energy channels that run through the human body and auric field). Prayer position in front of your heart chakra (located between the sternum and the base of the throat) activates all these channels and balances the flow of energy through the heart chakra.
To get a sense of the connection that this brings to the heart, all you need to do is focus your mind on your hands coming together with the tips of your fingers connecting to the chest area from the sternum upwards (thumb knuckles at the sternum, and other fingers pointing higher). Now, imagine that through your consciousness you are plugging your energy system into the most neutral state of balance and sensitivity possible for you in this moment. When you bring your full presence to this asana (pose) by using your breath and focusing your attention on your physical alignment with the front opening of your heart chakra, you may become very aware of how you are feeling on a full spectrum level of heart/mind/body/spirit.
Reverse Namaste
This pose does all the same things as Namaste, but with a reverse orientation that exercises and balances the back of the heart chakra, while opening the front of the chakra. With the hands in prayer position between the shoulder blades, this is facilitated by lengthening the muscles along the shoulders, while the chest is also opened simultaneously.
Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) or Cobra
This type of back bend activates, strengthens, and lengthens the entire spine, and thus creates great energy flow through all the chakras located along the spine, especially opening the front of the heart. The rooting of the flat palms of the hand and spreading of the fingers on the floor helps to ground, open, and activate the meridians running through the hands and up along the arm into the heart, as well as other organs. The front abdomen and chest is opened and oxygenated, which facilitates a natural flowering open of the heart chakra while in this asana.
Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
This asana, the predecessor to Wheel Pose, synergizes and activates the flow of energy through the whole body. As you raise yourself up onto your knees and arch your back, extending the shoulders and planting the palms of your hands on the soles of your feet, a continuous circuit of energy flows through all the nadis, pressure points, and meridians ending and beginning in the hands and feet. From this position, you can further extend the arch of your spine opening the front of all your chakras, especially the heart, as the shoulders and chest open the heart toward the sky.
*Please be mindful when practicing any of the above stretches. Listen to your body, and never push past what feels comfortable.
About Atasiea
Atasiea, “Oneness” (a.k.a. Kenneth Lawrence Ferguson), is a certified Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Instructor, Reiki Master, Minister, Dancing Freedom Facilitator, Energy & Bodyworker, Professional Actor, Dancer, and Martial Artist. He is the co-producer, and resident Yoga instructor of Ecstatic Dance Los Angeles (a freeform dance event with yoga, massage, live djs, and sound healing).
Atasiea resides in Echo Park LA, where he runs ‘Angelic Presence Healing Practice’ doing massage, energy work, and private yoga instruction. He is available to facilitate private, or group healing sessions, and instruction at workshops, festivals, studio classes, and retreats. To contact him for more information about his services, and availability please email: [email protected].
©Emily Hudson, WorldLifestyle
I immediately became curious about what a chakra imbalance is, and what it means for our health and happiness. While learning about the Ayurvedic concept of doshas, I explored the idea that our bodies are like flowers. We exist harmoniously with nature, and can therefore be brought back into balance by adjusting our unique growth environments, nutrients, and by seeking out the nourishment we need in order to flourish. Through research on chakras, I quickly found that a heart chakra imbalance is far from terminal, but it does hinder our emotional ability to bloom - to feel free, grateful, joyful, loved, and loving.
The heart chakra, the “Miracle Grow” of the self’s growth environment, becomes imbalanced under the pressure of life’s classic circumstances. Health issues, relationship woes, family matters, and stress can cause major blockages.
The “symptoms” of a heart chakra imbalance include feeling:
► Temperamental
► Withdrawn
► Defensive
► Less apt to give and receive love openly
► Overly critical
(Hey, that’s me in a nutshell lately!)
Can bringing our heart chakra back into balance help us to truly thrive? I spoke with Reiki Master Atasiea to shed light on this subject. As an intuitive healer, he provides physical, emotional, and psycho-spiritual support to individuals through bodywork, Reiki, sound healing, spiritual/practical guidance, yoga instruction and ceremonial facilitation. As it turns out, a heart chakra imbalance can be remedied through mindfulness, patience, self-love, and use of energy tools. With his intricate understanding of the body’s energy ecosystem, Atasiea also offered a list of yoga poses that can facilitate opening of the heart chakra. Hoorah, we will survive!
What is a chakra?
Atasiea: Chakras are to the human energetic anatomy what organs are to the human physical anatomy. The seven major chakras along the spine are the major gears of energy regulation. They function as vortexes of etheric and bio-magnetic energy that spin, flower open, and close to give, receive, and convert energy from one state to another. The chakras regulate and influence every aspect of our living experiences – spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical. When they are clear and opened to the appropriate level (not too much and not too little), our health and wellbeing is felt and experienced on all levels.
What does it mean to have an “imbalanced” chakra?
Atasiea: When a chakra gets blocked, closed, or open too far, it creates imbalances. These imbalances result in disease and malfunctions at the level of being that the particular chakra regulates. Thus, energy hygiene practices like yoga, meditation, communing with nature, and energy healing are vital tools for us to keep our chakras spinning, and auric fields functioning healthily.
Which yoga poses would you recommend for opening the heart chakra?
Atasiea:
Namaste or (Prayer Pose)
This pose centers and balances the whole human energy field and body at the heart chakra level.
Bringing the hands into prayer position aligns all the pressure points and meridians in the hands, which connect to the major organs of the whole body as well as the nadis (energy channels that run through the human body and auric field). Prayer position in front of your heart chakra (located between the sternum and the base of the throat) activates all these channels and balances the flow of energy through the heart chakra.
To get a sense of the connection that this brings to the heart, all you need to do is focus your mind on your hands coming together with the tips of your fingers connecting to the chest area from the sternum upwards (thumb knuckles at the sternum, and other fingers pointing higher). Now, imagine that through your consciousness you are plugging your energy system into the most neutral state of balance and sensitivity possible for you in this moment. When you bring your full presence to this asana (pose) by using your breath and focusing your attention on your physical alignment with the front opening of your heart chakra, you may become very aware of how you are feeling on a full spectrum level of heart/mind/body/spirit.
Reverse Namaste
This pose does all the same things as Namaste, but with a reverse orientation that exercises and balances the back of the heart chakra, while opening the front of the chakra. With the hands in prayer position between the shoulder blades, this is facilitated by lengthening the muscles along the shoulders, while the chest is also opened simultaneously.
Upward Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) or Cobra
This type of back bend activates, strengthens, and lengthens the entire spine, and thus creates great energy flow through all the chakras located along the spine, especially opening the front of the heart. The rooting of the flat palms of the hand and spreading of the fingers on the floor helps to ground, open, and activate the meridians running through the hands and up along the arm into the heart, as well as other organs. The front abdomen and chest is opened and oxygenated, which facilitates a natural flowering open of the heart chakra while in this asana.
Camel Pose (Ustrasana)
This asana, the predecessor to Wheel Pose, synergizes and activates the flow of energy through the whole body. As you raise yourself up onto your knees and arch your back, extending the shoulders and planting the palms of your hands on the soles of your feet, a continuous circuit of energy flows through all the nadis, pressure points, and meridians ending and beginning in the hands and feet. From this position, you can further extend the arch of your spine opening the front of all your chakras, especially the heart, as the shoulders and chest open the heart toward the sky.
*Please be mindful when practicing any of the above stretches. Listen to your body, and never push past what feels comfortable.
About Atasiea
Atasiea, “Oneness” (a.k.a. Kenneth Lawrence Ferguson), is a certified Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Instructor, Reiki Master, Minister, Dancing Freedom Facilitator, Energy & Bodyworker, Professional Actor, Dancer, and Martial Artist. He is the co-producer, and resident Yoga instructor of Ecstatic Dance Los Angeles (a freeform dance event with yoga, massage, live djs, and sound healing).
Atasiea resides in Echo Park LA, where he runs ‘Angelic Presence Healing Practice’ doing massage, energy work, and private yoga instruction. He is available to facilitate private, or group healing sessions, and instruction at workshops, festivals, studio classes, and retreats. To contact him for more information about his services, and availability please email: [email protected].
©Emily Hudson, WorldLifestyle
