How to Heal the Heart Chakra (Plus, Signs It’s Blocked)

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Open your heart chakra with these spiritual techniques

Co-authored by Aly Rusciano Reviewed by Stina Garbis

Last Updated: September 18, 2024 Fact Checked

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• How to Heal
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• Symptoms of Blockage
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• Symptoms of Opening
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• Heart Chakra Overview
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• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Have you been having a hard time trusting people lately? Has it been challenging to respect and love yourself and others? If so, it may be because your heart chakra is blocked. The heart chakra (Anahata) is the energetic center that controls how you make loving connections. When this chakra is blocked or imbalanced, it can make you more irritable and judgy. So, how do you unblock it and make sure it’s healthy? Keep reading to find out.

Things You Should Know

• Heal your heart chakra by saying self-love affirmations, such as "I accept myself" and "I am worthy of love."
• Do heart-opening yoga poses including bridge, camel, and cow.
• Practice gratitude and spend time in nature to open your heart chakra and make loving connections.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

How to Heal the Heart Chakra

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1. 1
   Affirmations Speaking positive words or phrases can help open and heal a blocked heart chakra. Try using one or more of these affirmations whenever you feel like your heart chakra is out of whack:

   • I accept myself as I am.
   • I love myself.
   • I forgive myself.
   • I am worthy of love.
   • I respect myself and those around me.
   • I radiate love and positivity.
   • My heart is open to love.
2. 2
   Meditation The heart chakra can easily be opened or healed by chanting a specific mantra while meditating. Chanting the mantra YAM (pronounced Yan-gm) helps spiritually and physically open your chest, allowing energy to flow in and out of your heart chakra freely. Sit in a cross-legged position, close your eyes, and meditate as you normally would. Then, imagine your heart chakra and chant YAM with every other exhale.

   • Try doing breathing techniques during your meditation to get the most out of your practice and help heal your heart chakra even more. While you inhale and exhale, visualize your heart chakra glowing or spinning.
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3. 3
   Yoga Certain yoga postures can help open and heal the heart chakra. Try implementing these poses into your daily yoga practice to bring balance and energize your heart:

   • Bridge pose
   • Camel pose
   • Cobra pose
   • Cow face pose
   • Fish pose
   • Standing bow pose
   • Wild thing
4. 4
   Crystals Use green crystals to heal your heart chakra's energy. Green crystals like Amazonite, Green Jade, Emerald, Malachite, and Green Aventurine have heart-healing properties that can help realign and balance your energy. Not to mention, their green hue reflects the heart chakra’s color.

   • Use crystals by holding them in your hands while meditating, placing them in your bag or pocket, or speaking affirmations over them.
   • Some spiritual experts also recommend using rose quartz to heal the heart chakra, as the crystal represents self-love and self-esteem.
5. 5
   Diet Because the color green represents the heart chakra, many believe that eating naturally green-colored food can help heal it. If you’re in a pinch and need a quick, easy way to heal your heart chakra, consider consuming more of these items:

   • Spinach
   • Kale
   • Broccoli
   • Cucumbers
   • Green apples
   • Green grapes
   • Matcha
   • Green tea
6. 6
   Journaling Keeping a gratitude journal can help you heal your heart chakra. Journaling is a great way to reflect on your day and remain thankful for all you have. Try writing down 3 things you're thankful for every day to open your heart chakra and feel more at peace.

   • These things don’t have to be big—they can be as simple or small as you’d like!
   • For instance, perhaps you’re grateful for your morning cup of joe or long walks with your dog. Maybe you’re even thankful for phone calls with your best friend or late-night dinners.
7. 7
   Go outside A long or short nature walk can do wonders for your energy. If you feel like your heart chakra is blocked, take a moment out of your day to step outside and enjoy the fresh air. Many believe that being in nature or the great outdoors can heal your spiritual energy and help you feel more at peace.
8. 8
   Set boundaries You can take steps to healing your heart chakra all on your own by just saying “no.” More often than not, your heart chakra may be overactivated or out of balance because you’ve overextended yourself. Remember, you don’t need to please everyone. Set personal boundaries to help respect yourself and others.

   • Heathy boundaries can look like communicating your wants and needs with your partner or friends.
   • Use “I” statements when setting boundaries to establish your needs. Try saying something like, “I feel overwhelmed with the among of work I have. Is it possible to extend the deadline?”
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Section 2 of 4:

Signs the Heart Chakra is Blocked

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1. 1
   When the heart chakra is blocked, it can be difficult to trust. An unhealthy heart chakra can leave you feeling lonely, isolated, and irritated. When this chakra is imbalanced or needs to be healed, you may:

   • Fear rejection and intimacy.
   • Have trouble trusting others.
   • Feel jealous often.
   • Be more judgemental of yourself and others.
   • Find it difficult to give and receive affection.
   • Be over-dependent.
   • Struggle to be vulnerable.
2. 2
   An unhealthy heart chakra may cause chest pain. Believe it or not, a blocked heart chakra can lead to physical symptoms as well as emotional ones. Because the heart chakra governs the vitality of the heart and lungs, it might cause these medical symptoms if it’s unhealthy:

   • Heart palpitations
   • Poor blood circulation
   • High blood pressure
   • Chest pain
   • Asthma
   • Tight or overly flexible shoulders
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Section 3 of 4:

Signs the Heart Chakra is Open

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1. When the heart chakra is open, you feel love and respect for others. The heart chakra is responsible for fueling your ability to love and be loved; therefore, when this chakra is balanced, activated, and healthy, you feel at peace with yourself and others. You’re emotionally balanced and have an undeniable sense of joy. Along with this, you may:

   • Have healthy relationships without attachments.
   • Experience joy without external conflicts.
   • Form deep and personal connections with others easily.
   • Trust others and be comfortable being vulnerable.
   • Be content with yourself.

Section 4 of 4:

What is the heart chakra?

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1. The heart chakra controls your love and connection to others. Also known as Anahata in Sanskrit, the heart chakra is the fourth of the 7 chakras in your body. Chakras are the spiritual wheelhouses that channel and focus your energy or prana. Located in the center of the chest near the heart, the heart chakra is responsible for channeling and receiving love and spiritual connections.

   • Color: Green
   • Element: Air or Vayu
   • Physical body: Heart, lungs, arms and hands, and thymus gland
   • Responsible for: Love, compassion, acceptance, and emotional balance
   • Fun fact: Anahata translates to “unstuck” or “unbeaten.”
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Tips

• Not sure which of your chakras needs healing? Take our Chakra Test to find out what chakra you need to balance!
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