WHAT ARE CHAKRAS, WHAT AILS HEART CHAKRA, THE EFFECTS OF IMBALANCED HEART CHAKRA AND HOW TO KEEP IT HEALTHY

Chakras are those points running all along the spine in the core of our body which house the most essential organs/glands. And since it is the blood circulation that decides the health of any organ (and that’s why chakra), if we keep this fact in mind we can learn to keep our chakras in balance. There are several simple methods that need to be holistically used to keep our chakras healthy which include right food, Yogasana, Pranayama, respecting the Suncycle, focusing on chakras and Beej mantra. This blog will focus on Beej mantras. Beej mantras are sound syllables which when recited create vibration in a specific chakra thereby increasing blood flow in a particular fashion and removing toxins from there. So before you proceed, please gently recite these mantras one by one to feel their subtle effect on the respective chakra. Before we proceed we must remember that chakra balancing involves focus on different parts/chakras of the body to know if they are blocked or working fine. This comes with practice and meditation and in Yogasutra, it is also called as Yoganidra (where nidra means sleep), during which a person instead of sleeping is supposed to focus on different parts of the body.  While a specific chakra can be opened by using its beej mantra, the inter chakra harmony can be achieved only by consuming right food and performing right Asanas and Pranayama.

Here is an example of Heart chakra which will give you enough food for thought to how to keep respective chakras working optimally. In today’s world when stress and competition levels are going higher and higher due to the collective conscience, it is the heart chakra which gets impacted the most. This is because high stress and associated issues like peer pressure/rat race/excessive competition/showdown business/inflated ego/jealousy, result in ever increasing expectations/chronic diseases/greed/failed relationships/untimely deaths etc. And once this happens, the reduced laughter and cheerfulness of the person leads to closure of this chakra literally like a closed fist.

This closure leads to sluggish pumping of the heart leading to weaker blood circulation reaching the peripherals. So when less blood reaches the brain, it pushes the person into brain diseases like anxiety, depression, OCD, over eating, insomnia and when less of it reaches lower body it may lead to poor digestion/assimilation/elimination etc.

This is the reason that recitation of SOHUM (SO while inhaling and HUM while exhaling) works very well to activate a poorly working heart by contracting and expanding it. SOHUM works like a BEEJ mantra for throat and heart chakra (though heart chakras Beej mantra is YAM and HUM or HAM is for throat, this syllable works to activate both the chakras). And that’s why it is an essential part of ART OF LIVING course and many people who practice it initially find all their stuck up emotions flowing out and vanishing. So while from biology perspective, it improves radial blood circulation like an opening fist and removes long stuck toxins, on emotional/physical front, it unwinds wiring of the brain thereby undoing depression, anxiety, insomnia, sinusitis, indigestion etc. And therefore it should be practiced on regular basis especially in today’s times.

Please remember that since HUM activates throat chakra too being the Beej mantra of throat, it is good for those having sluggish thyroid but should be performed lightly by those having hyperthyroid. Since thyroid’s activity is governed by pituitary, one may need to activate crown chakra with AUM as Beej mantra to remove sluggishness. Also, remember that even indiscreet use of medicines like beta blockers used for controlling blood pressure, close one’s heart chakra and their widespread use is becoming the reason for increased health issues associated with closed heart chakra (please check out this blog to understand that how allopathic blood pressure control medicines create serious imbalances in our body in the long run including suppression of heart chakra>>HOW DO ALLOPATHIC HIGH BP CONTROLLING MEDICINES WORK AND THEIR SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDING FIBROMYALGIA, HEART FAILURE, NEUROPAHTY -MUST READ FOR All). In fact even indiscreet use of Arjuna bark used in Ayurveda has a similar effect. Yes they work as medicines for widening blood vessels of the heart if only heart is weak but they should not be used as generic drugs for controlling blood pressure and should not be used for long.

Last but not the least, every chakra is equally important and should be working not only optimally (neither overactive nor less active) but should also be in sync with other chakras of the body. So an overactive heart chakra may create palpitations and hyperactivity due to excessively fast circulation or even uncontrolled energy.

Overall, there is a cause and effect relationship between working of chakras, emotions (psychology) of people around and self, what we eat (not just gross food and medicines but also subtle foods in form of words/smell/touch etc).

*** Kumbhak Pranayama and Bhastrika are also excellent techniques to open heart chakra as they push the lymph outwards away from heart.