Start in Savasana:
Start our practice by taking 3-5 cleansing breaths – in through the nose, out through the mouth. On inhale, breathe in love in the form of bright white light. On exhale, release anything that is not serving you. Release stress, anxiety, and fear.
How do I breathe in Love?
Imagine someone or something that fills your heart with so much love. Hold that feeling in your chest and feel the sensation. This is pure love light and energy. Use this feeling throughout your practice.
During these opening breaths, release the day. This time is for you. Release any thoughts about what you need to do later on, tomorrow, or what happened before you arrived. If you notice your thoughts drifting, gently acknowledge but don’t hold them. Let them pass. Come back to your breath. Notice how the breath moves through your body.
Slowly bring your breath back to a normal and steady pattern. Scan your body and notice where you have any discomfort…maybe a pinch or pressure. On your next inhale, breathe in a light of healing and love, and on your exhale, send this healing and loving breath to this area. Be kind to your body during your practice and be aware of any other sensitivities that might come up.
This is your practice and do what makes you feel good. If at any time you feel like you need a break, listen to your body. Child pose is always an option.
Today’s session will focus on gently opening our 4th energy center, the heart chakra or Anahata Chakra. The heart Chakra is an essential component of our overall well-being, as it helps us to balance our emotions, cultivate a deeper sense of self-awareness, and build meaningful relationships with others…and most importantly, ourselves. A balanced fourth Chakra fosters forgiveness, acceptance, and unconditional love in our relationship with the world and within ourselves.
Take a few seconds to forgive yourself for something you’ve been holding onto. You are not perfect, no one is. Let it go.
Blocked Anahata Chakra Symptoms include…
- Feeling closed down
- Jealousy
- Fear of intimacy
- Co-dependency
- Insecurity
- Withdrawing
- Holding grudges
- Being overly defensive
Yama: Ahisma
When applying the eight limbs of yoga to our heart-opening practice, we will notate the first Yama, Ahimsa, or non-violence. If we move through life with the foundation of non-harming, softness and openness in the heart will naturally occur.
The Sanskrit word “ahimsa” can best be defined by the root word which is Himsa which translates to violence, harming, or causing pain or “pushing against”. The opposite is Ahimsa. Ahimsa isn’t just about external actions & words. It’s also about your thoughts, negative or hurtful thoughts about others and yourself. A self-practice I use is to think of one person in my life that I tend to “push against,” someone that I love the most.
Exercise: Make an agreement with yourself, with this one person I will not do one thing to harm this person – be it through body language, thoughts, words, or looks. If I catch myself, I acknowledge my action. Maybe I caught myself giving them a dirty look or saying something snarky. I take the time to recognize the behavior and verbally acknowledge it to my loved one. This practice is not intended for you to beat up on yourself, we are human. It is more about being aware of our own habit of sometimes pushing against other people.
Anahata Opening Affirmations
“I give and receive love unconditionally.”
“I am deserving of love.”
“I accept myself for exactly who I am right now.”
“I choose joy and compassion over judgment.”
Today, we will be doing a series of breathing practices (pranayama), hand positions (mudras), mantras (affirmations), and asanas to open the heart Chakra.
Let’s begin…
When you’re ready, pull your right knee to your chest and take a deep & cleansing breath in your nose, and out of your mouth. Lower your right knee and do the same on the opposite side.
Now, pull your right knee in again and gently roll to your left side. Peel your right arm open and rest it on the ground. If you can, turn your gaze to meet your right fingertips. Take a slow inhale, and then let it go. Do the same on the other side.
Pull both knees to your chest and wrap your arms around your legs. Give yourself a big hug and thank your body for everything it does for you.
Slowly, come to a seated position with your legs crossed.
Hridaya Mudra
Hridaya Mudra helps activate the heart and renew energy flow to & from the heart.
Place the tips of your index fingers at the base of your thumbs. Next, press the tips of the middle and ring fingers to the tips of the thumbs. The little finger should remain straight.
Place your hands lightly on your knees. You can choose to repeat the affirmation that resonated with you as you take 3 slow breaths in and out. We will do a slow 4 count in, hold for 4 at the top of the breath, and slowly release the breath through your mouth (almost like you are trying to fog up a mirror) for 6-8 seconds. On your inhale – fill your belly with absolute and complete love, try to imagine something or someone that makes you feel and fill with love. Hold your breath for 4 seconds and really feel it. On your exhale, give this love and light back to the universe.
You can also visualize the color “green” which is the color of the heart Chakra. Breathing in and out of this color.
Finally, we will chant OM three times and one YAM. Feel the vibrations through your throat and chest as you connect with your heart center and rebalance holistically.
Pranayama – Ujjayi
“Or ocean breath.”
Place the tip of your tongue on the space right behind your teeth. Seal your lips. Breathe in through your nose & exhale through your nose. Feel the heat swirling around the back of your throat. Carry this breath throughout your practice.
Start practice on hands and knees. Check alignment.
- 3 rounds of Marjarasana – Cat / Cow.
- a.Lift the left side body and left arm to open the heart. Gaze can be on hand or on its way to that point.
b. Lift the right side body and right arm to open the heart. - Balasana (child’s pose) for 5 full breaths. This is a pose you can visit if you feel you need to rest.
- In the child’s pose, walk your fingertips to the left – 3 breaths – walk to the right – 3 breaths. Return to the center.
- Move into Adho Mukha Shvanasana (down-dog). Peddle out legs. 5 breaths.
- Walk feet to hands into Padahastasana – standing hand-to-feet pose.
- Ardha Uttanasana – Upward forward fold.
- Padahastasana.
- Bend knees to relax chest on upper thighs.
- Slowly rise to Urdhva Hastasana – upward salute.
- 3 Surya Namaskar – Sun Salutes
- Rest in Child Pose or Adho mukha svanasana (Downward dog)
- x3 Move into Uttatah Shishosana – Puppy Pose. Transition to Saral Hasta Bhujangasana – Extended Cobra.
- Bridge Pose x 3
- Ananda Balasana – Happy baby
- Savasana
- Meditation