Healing the Heart

On this earth most of us have felt the deep ache of loss, the numbing burden of sorrow, and the pain of our heart breaking. Nobody wants to experience loss, but it is inevitable. As the Buddha taught, we are each given ten thousand joys and ten thousand sorrows. The challenge lies in not getting mired in either the joy or the emotional pain, keeping our hearts open and soft instead of closed and constricted.

We invite you to feel your own sweet heart and glimpse the pure consciousness and wholeness within. You can begin right now by listening to a powerful heart meditation guided by our lead meditation instructor, davidji.

You will need a free mp3 player like Quicktime or Windows Media Player to listen to this. )

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Open Your Heart Chakra

We have seven chakras, or energy centers, located along the axis of our spines. Each of the seven chakras is associated with a sound vibration and a color. In this exercise, we will focus on opening our heart or Anahata chakra, located in the center of the chest. This is the chakra of love, compassion, peace, and acceptance. The sound vibration associated with the heart chakra is "yum" and the color is a vibrant emerald green.

Begin by closing your eyes and focusing on your heart. Visualize a beautiful green light that nurtures and bathes your heart in pure love. Take a deep breath, and on the exhalation, say "yuummmmm" aloud in one long syllable.

Feel the sound vibration in your body and notice the energy flowing effortlessly from the base of your spine through your heart chakra. Continue breathing deeply and repeat the sound yum on each exhalation until you feel infused with a feeling of peace and safety.

Free Hugs!

Have you met your minimum daily hug requirement? Loving touch is as important as nutritious food, evoking profound emotional healing. So if you haven’t hugged at least 12 people today, share the love!

The Chopra Center Healing Resources

Learn to feel whole again. Read more about Healing the Heart, the three-day emotional healing workshop led by Dr. David Simon.

The Chopra Center On-Line Library. Read about Ayurveda, mind-body healing, and more at our on-line library.

Free Intro to Meditation Class. Learn about our free introduction to meditation class, offered each week in the beautiful setting of The Chopra Center in Carlsbad, California.

Spend a week at The Chopra Center, where you will be immersed in the timeless healing treatments of Ayurveda as you learn daily practices to restore health and wellbeing.

Speak with a program consultant at 888.736.6895 or ask your question here.

~ Deepak Chopra

Experience Emotional Release

As the ancient seers observed, while pain is unavoidable, suffering, which is the pain that we hold onto, is optional. The following process will help you release every kind of emotion by connecting directly to the sensations in your body:

Take a few deep breaths, sit quietly, and feel the sensations in your body. You might feel tightness in your chest, stiffness in your neck, or some other manifestation of the upsetting emotion.

Feel the sensation without judging it. Just sit with the sensation.

Allow any feelings, thoughts or energies that arise. You may hear the voices of anxiety, anger, fear, or regret. Let the voices say what they want to say, and listen with compassion.

Feel the energy of the emotion dispersing, without demanding a total release. Your body will let go of as much stored energy as it can at this time.

In a few hours or the next day, repeat the process. You will begin to feel a sense of lightness and wellbeing as you release and free your heart.

Matsyasana: Fish Pose

Matsyasana, or Fish Pose, opens the chest area and nourishes the heart chakra. Begin by lying on your back with hands under your buttocks, palms facing down. Gently arch your back and place the crown of your head on the floor. Close your eyes and breathe deeply in the pose as you feel your chest opening up. Release after five deep breaths.

Illuminate Your Heart

Bring light into your heart with Joyta dosha balancing candles. Order a set of three candles today and save $10! $71 for a set of three candles. Special offer for a limited time. Order yours here