Anahata - The Heart Chakra

Self-Worth, Perception, Compassion.....

It is the first of the spiritual chakras and, in Sanskrit, Anahata means 'unstruck sound'. It is located in the chest and is linked to the thymus which forms part of our immune system.

It governs self-worth, unconditional love and compassion. Learning to love yourself is key to nurturing the heart chakra.

A balanced fourth chakra helps you to see the positive side in yourself and others. You are perceptive, kind, co-operative and compassionate.

When this chakra is aligned it promotes optimism, hope and motivation. It is where your physical and spiritual side meet......so this is where you can make it possible to transform your creative ideas into a physical reality.

When it is out of balance you may have feelings of inadequacy and think negative thoughts about yourself.....maybe feel unfulfilled emotionally. You may find yourself being selfish, indecisive and possessive.

Below you can see the specific associations with the heart chakra:

Colour	Green
Element	Air
Animal	Antelope
Sound	YAM

Physical health problems may include:

Heart and circulatory problems, breathing disorders and upper back pain.

Emotional health problems may include:

Loneliness, lack of self-worth, fear and paranoia.

The best essential oils to use with the heart chakra are balancing, calming and those that help with the respiratory system.

Here are some good oils to help balance the anahata:

• Rose, neroli, geranium, chamomile, ylang-ylang and jasmine - balancing oils which help with self-love and loving others.
• Eucalyptus, peppermint, chamomile, frankincense, rose, sandalwood and rosemary - help support the respiratory system when feeling breathless or tight chested.

Air is the element associated with this chakra, so spraying some drops of essential oils, diluted with water, into your surrounding space works well! Also breathing exercises help nurture this energy 'love' centre.