Chakras are energy points within the body that run down the spinal column. Each chakra corresponds with energy centers that are powerhouses to living our best life. Check out our blogs on the Root Chakra and Sacral Chakra here.
The fourth chakra or green chakra represents the heart. This energy center connects us to balance in all things. It brings harmony and self acceptance into play. The heart chakra also opens us to build awareness of Prana or our life force breath. Creating awareness and focus on the heart chakra helps to keep the energy flowing so you can begin to remove any blockages through consciousness that may be preventing us from generating, sustaining and experiencing unconditional love or love without conditions or limits.
The energy fields of the heart chakra develop between the ages of 21 and 28. This coincides with the timing for many romantic relationships and often this is what most feel keeps the heart chakra open. Radical or free flowing self love is what facilitates a free flowing energy field regarding the heart chakra. Yoga sequences offer a perfect platform to create the stage for a form of self love that opens the heart chakra through poses, breath work and intention setting.
Below are a list of the Pascha Chocolate TOP 3 Recommended Yoga Poses to support your Heart Chakra -
1. Cat/Cow - Marjariasana (Cat) & Bitilasana (Cow)
A breath coordinated movement that opens and compresses the chest in rhythmic movements. Starting from tabletop with feet hip distance and hands shoulder distance begin breathing with coordinated movements. Inhale lift tailbone up and drop belly while lifting your heart into Cow. Exhale and do the reverse, sending your tailbone down and forward. Lift middle back up engaging the belly inward toward the spine. These movements open the heart chakra bringing balance and focus to the center/core.
2. Downward Facing Dog - Adho Mukha Svanasana
This posture aligns the spine and engages the entire body. Often referred to as a resting pose in yoga, downward dog places the body into a V shaped position after starting from a table top. With hands shoulder distance and fingers spread you slowly begin by pushing into your hands and feet to fully expand into an inverted V. This pose creates a feeling of being in the present moment engaging the heart chakra.
3. Warrior II - Virabhadrasana II
This pose is a yoga classic that builds heat, strength and helps to open the hips and lower body. Starting from mountain pose, step back your left foot and place it back with your heel down and toes pointing out about 90 degrees. Have the center of the foot lined up with the right heel. Bending the right knee tracking over the 2nd and 3rd toes stabilizing the knee. Take both arms up looking forward. This pose creates a sense of connection tapping into the heart chakra.
In addition, to yoga movements breath-work plays a huge role in opening up the Heart Chakra:
Diaphragmatic Breathing is an easy and powerful tool to support your 4th chakra. Simply place one hand on your belly and the other over your heart. Inhale expanding your lower belly and exhale contracting the belly. The hand over your heart should not be moving at all.
Last, but not least pure dark chocolate also supports unblocking of the Heart Chakra:
Science continues to prove powerful properties in the cocoa bean that support heart health in many ways. In addition the sensory experience of chocolate supports an overall awareness to the body engaging the heart center. Smelling, consciously tasting and chewing pure dark chocolate activates the heart centers energy through the power of the senses.
Pascha Chocolate supports our chakras based on its purity standards. Our cocoa beans come from the foothills of the Andes mountains. We make Pascha Chocolate “Bean to Bar” and “Bean to Chip” at the source, meaning the cacao beans only travel minimally - from the field to a local village to a nearby chocolate factory. The purer the chocolate - the greater the impact to support our chakras and inner health.
Our chocolate is vegan, organic, sustainably sourced (Rainforest Alliance), Non-GMO, 1% For The Planet, 100% plant-based, gluten-free and includes keto-friendly options. You can rest assured that Pascha Chocolate offers everything you need to tap the powerful energy of your heart chakra.