Today’s message is devoted to heart chakra teachings & remembering that we can always use our breath to stay open, loving and accepting on our difficult, yet fulfilling life journeys.
The anahata chakra is the center of your energetic system and it serves as the bridge between the lower, physical, primitive chakras and the upper, spiritual, transcendent ones.
It’s also your relationship center, social identity, and your right to love & be loved.
Because of its central position, it’s vital that the heart chakra stays open…and yet, many of us experience the opposite! Why? Because at some point in our life, we experienced the pain of unmet expectations, loss, feeling unloved or unwanted, or heartache.
Related: Deepen your connection to anahata with a 5 min heart chakra affirmation meditation!
I definitely experienced this with our sailing trip abruptly ending, and during my birth & breastfeeding journeys. The latter two have definitely hardened me, and I will absolutely need to soften before conceiving our next baby.
But how do we soften? How do we, as yoga students, regulate our thoughts & emotions so we can stay open, maintain fulfilling relationships, and experience connection?
THE ANSWER: OUR BREATH!
Related: Press play to cleanse your heart chakra with a 30 min yoga flow!
We leverage pranayama, a practice that ancient yogis developed thousands of years ago, to alter and influence our state of being. We become skilled at knowing what it is we need (focus, energy, calm, relaxation, comfort), and then we use our breath to foster our *desired* state of being.
This superpower is honestly one of my favorite yoga practices & teachings.
The other two important heart chakra elements are self-care and community. The overused phrase “you can’t pour from an empty cup” is a lesson to learn here. When we don’t care for ourselves, the heart hardens.
It’s that simple (and yet, it’s not lol!).
And finally, as Brené Brown teaches, we’re hardwired to need love, connection and belonging, which is why I fervently believe that as yoga students & seekers we’re meant to sit in and be supported by a community.
If you’re tired of feeling closed off, please know that these new classes and all of my anahata chakra classes are here to support you.
I’ll meet ya on the mat,
Allie, xx
I wanna learn it all!
The Yoga Reset Guide is my FREE 7-step journey to deepen your practice and recenter your body, mind and soul. Self-paced, no equipment necessary, perfect for beginners AND veteran yogis.
Hey! I’m Allie.
I’m a self-growth student, freedom-seeker, yoga teacher and the founder of a tight-knit online yoga community: the Body Mind Soul Studio. I’m here to teach you how to transform your life on-and-off-the-mat with a holistic yoga practice.
I wanna learn it all!
The Yoga Reset Guide is my FREE 7-step journey to deepen your practice and recenter your body, mind and soul. Self-paced, no equipment necessary, perfect for beginners AND veteran yogis.