The fourth chakra in the chakra system is the heart chakra, also known as Anahata.
The Sanskrit word anahata means ‘unbeaten’ or ‘unstruck’ relating to the heart which beats constantly in unbroken rhythm.
Anahata represents love, compassion and emotional balance, it is said that this chakra have the power to write one’s own destiny as per the tantric texts at its root lies a wish fulfilling tree known as ‘kalpa vriksha’, once it starts to flourish, it have the power to make your wishes come true.
Once awakened anahata brings in the qualities of love, kindness and patience. People with awakened anahata emanate warmth and kindness, they naturally uplift others and are free from anger, jealousy and resentment.
Anahata represents a turning point in spiritual growth. Unlike the lower chakras, which focus on survival, desire, and personal power, the heart chakra moves beyond ego-driven needs into unconditional love and higher awareness.
Overview
Names: Anahata, Heart, Hridaya
Meaning: unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten
Location: The heart region of the vertebral column, the cardiac plexus
Ruling Planet: Venus (lunar, feminine)
Symbol: A green twelve-petaled lotus enclosing a star-like symbol, representing balance and love.
Element/Tattva: Air
Element Color: Colorless, gray or smoky green
Element Shape (Yantra): Hexagram or six-pointed star
Number of Petals: Twelve-petalled blue lotus
Beeja Mantra/Seed sound: Yam
Frequency: 639 Hz
Seed Sound Carrier: Black antelope or musk deer
Seed sounds of the petals: kam, kham, gam, gham, ngam, cham, chham, jam, jham, nyam, tam, tham
Aspects: Balance
Associated Gland: Thymus gland
Associated Body Parts: Heart, lungs, chest, and circulatory system
Sense Organ: Skin
Predominant sense: Touch
Associated auric layer: The fourth layer the Astral body
Kosha: Manomaya Kosha
Air/Vayu prana: Prana
Plane: The plane of balance
Clair: Clairempathy, energy healing
Location
It is located directly behind the center of the chest, along the spine. To feel it using fingers, place one finger at the center of the chest and the other at the same horizontal level on the backside, apply some pressure in the chest region, don’t be too harsh, just press it gently, release your fingers and focus on the sensation, feel the pulse.
Symbol
Anahata chakra is traditionally represented by a lotus flower with twelve petals. On each petal is a letter: kam, kham, gam, gham, ngam, cham, chham, jam, jham, nyam, tam and tham inscribed in vermillion color.
The twelve petals represent twelve important mental modifications:
Kam: Hope
Kham: Anxiety
Gam: Endeavor
Gham: Possessiveness
Ngam: Arrogance
Cham: Incompetence
Chham: Incompetence
Jam: Egoism
Jham: Lustfulness
Nyam: Fraudulence
Tam: Indecision
Tham: Repentance
Inside the circle lies a hexagonal shaped yantra representing the air element. It is made up of two triangles upright and inverted. The inverted triangle represents the creative force shakti and upright represents shiva the consciousness.
Black antelope or musk deer is the sound carrier of anahata which lies in the yantra, it is known for its playfulness and gentleness. The eyes of the deer are symbolic of purity and innocence.
Above deer lies the seed mantra YAM, in its bindu reside deva Ishana Rudra Shiva and devi Kakini.
In the middle of the yantra lies an inverted triangle which burns like an eternal flame representing soul and in it resides the Bana Lingam radiating golden light.
Behavioral Characteristics
OVERACTIVE
- Overly giving and self-sacrificing, neglecting your own needs for others.
- Lack of personal boundaries, letting people take advantage of you.
- Codependency and attachment issues, fear of being alone, clinginess.
- Jealousy and possessiveness in relationships.
- Overly emotional and easily hurt, extreme sensitivity.
- People-pleasing tendencies, seeking validation through approval.
- Lack of discernment in relationships, trusting too easily, ignoring red flags.
- Heart palpitations or circulatory issues, physical manifestations of imbalance.
UNDERACTIVE
- Difficulty trusting others and fear of vulnerability.
- Feeling emotionally numb or disconnected.
- Lack of compassion, coldness, indifference, difficulty empathizing.
- Holding onto grudges and resentment, difficulty forgiving.
- Fear of intimacy and avoiding deep connections.
- Low self-love and self-worth, feeling unworthy of love.
- Tendency to isolate yourself and avoid relationships.
- Depression, loneliness, and deep sadness.
- Poor circulation and respiratory issues, shortness of breath, lung problems.
BALANCED
- You give and receive love freely without fear
- Healthy emotional boundaries and self-respect
- Deep compassion and empathy for others without overextending
- Forgiveness comes naturally (letting go of grudges easily)
- You feel at peace and connected to others without attachment
- Strong relationships based on mutual trust and understanding
- Balance between self-love and love for others
- Physically healthy heart and strong immune system
Practices to balance this chakra
There are various ways to stimulate and balance a chakra, some of them are meditating on the chakra point, yoga exercises, consuming foods that affect organs related to that chakra, sound healing, aromatherapy etc.
Balancing a chakra involves working directly with the chakra point, and body parts associated with it.
Before we move on to the techniques, here are body parts, organs and glands associated with this chakra:
Associated Organs & Body Parts
- Heart
- Lungs
- Circulatory system
- Arms and hands
- Upper back
Associated Gland
- Thymus Gland: Plays a role in immune system function and T-cell production.
Yoga Exercises
These yoga exercises involve mudras, asanas, pranayama and bandhas that directly work with this chakra. With intention, focus and consistency you are bound to see good results.
Pranayama
- Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
- Bhramari (Bee Breath)
Asanas
- Marjaryasana/Bitilasan a: Cat/Cow
- Adho Muhka Svanasana: Downward Facing Dog
- Uttanasana: Standing Forward Fold
- Phalakasana: Plank
- Anahatasana: Extended Puppy Pose
- Matsyasana: Fish Pose
- Ustrasana: Camel Pose
- Bhujangasana: Cobra Pose
- Urdvha Dhanurasana: Wheel Pose
- Makarasana: Crocodile Pose
Mudra
- Anahata Mudra – Touch index and middle fingers to thumb
Crystals
Crystals are easy to use, every crystal has its own unique frequency just like our energy centers.
There are many ways to use crystals like programming them with intention and repetition, wearing them or keeping them close, meditating on them, putting them on chakra points etc.
You don’t need to have them all, just go for the ones you feel drawn to.
- Rose Quartz – Soft pink in color with translucent appearance, good for love, self-care and emotional healing.
- Green Aventurine – Is semi-opaque and green in color, good for luck, abundance and heart healing.
- Emerald – Crystal clear with deep green color, good for unconditional love, balance and harmony.
- Rhodonite – Is pink with black streaks, used for emotional healing and forgiveness.
- Malachite – Is bright green with swirls, used for transformation, deep heart healing.
Aromatherapy
Every chakra is associated with a certain part of the brain, aromatherapy influences and stimulates certain parts of the brain which affects the nervous system and body chemistry.
It’s very powerful, you surely have had experience how foul smells make you feel awful and there are fragrances that uplift mood or create a certain type of environment.
You can use them in multiple ways like using essential oil diffuser for your space, direct application on the chakra point, in baths, direct inhalation or massaging with them.
- Rose – Have a deep floral sweet and luxurious scent, good for self-love, emotional healing and heart-opening
- Lavender – Have soft herbal fresh scent, good for calming, nurturing and harmonizing relationships.
- Geranium – Have a sweet rosy citrusy scent, good for balancing emotions, self-care and inner peace.
- Melissa (Lemon Balm) – Smells fresh lemony and uplifting, good for creating feelings of joy, upliftment and healing past wounds.
- Marjoram – Warm herbaceous slightly woody scent, it soothes the heart and releases grief.
Food
Food is a really essential part of our lives, it can act as medicine or poison depending on how you use it.
Every chakra is associated with a certain element, gland, body parts and organs, the food mentioned are the ones that affect these parts of the body, not to mention every food has its own vibration, it’s all energy.
- Green Vegetables – Kale, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, zucchini
- Healthy Fats – Avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds
- Green Fruits – Apples, pears, kiwis, grapes
- Heart-Healthy Herbs – Basil, thyme, parsley, cilantro, mint
- Nutrient-Dense Superfoods – Spirulina, wheatgrass, matcha
Sound Healing
Sound healing is yet another powerful way to work with our energy centers. Sound vibrations affect our brains and body, every organ and energy center in the body has a specific frequency. Using right tuning instruments you can bring balance to any organ or energy center.
Sound healing is used for many purposes, to affect the brain, organs, healing disease, inducing different states of consciousness, you can either use instruments or chant mantra associated with the energy center.
- Bija Mantra: “YAM”
- Healing Frequency: 639 Hz enhances relationships, love and compassion.
- Instruments: Harp, violin, gentle flute, tibetan singing bowls in F-note.
Color Healing
Color healing works in a similar way, every color has its own frequency and wavelength, you can wear the color, focus on it, breathe it in during meditation, visualize it in the focused area etc.
- Color: Green
