The Awakening of the Heart

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they

must be felt with the heart.” ~ Helen Keller

Often in life, we embrace our deepest emotions with our hearts to experience a

profound connection to others and our world, allowing us to recognize and cherish our

true blessings. In yoga, we access the heart through the anahata chakra, the energy

center for love, compassion and gratitude.

Interestingly, the Sanskrit word anahata does not translate to “heart”. Rather, it means

“unstuck”. This invites several questions: How might we be stuck? Are we mired in

emotional stagnation? And how does becoming unstuck translate to feelings of love,

compassion and gratitude?

Often, we become stuck in reflexive, automatic negative thoughts, frequently the result

of cognitive distortions. As a defense against the stress of confronting emotionally

uncomfortable truths, we distort reality. Although these distortions may feel protective,

they often guard us against dangers that are unfounded.

Self-criticisms often arise from comparison to others. When I first began attending yoga

classes, I assumed that everyone else knew what they were doing and I would never be

able to do yoga. By focusing on others’ experiences, I missed out on your own.

Polarized, or black and white, thinking can cause us to interpret a small setback as a

major failure. I noticed that I could be enjoying my yoga practice until wobbling and

falling out of a balance pose triggered thoughts that I might never be able to do yoga at

all.

Believing that others see only your perceived failures from assuming you know what

someone else is thinking is the definition of the cognitive distortion mind-reading. As a

novice in yoga, my self-consciousness turned into the false belief that everyone else

saw me as inept.

Filtering out all the positive aspects of a situation leaves only the negative. When I

initially struggled to sit comfortably in sukhasana due to inflexibility, I dismissed all the

parts of yoga that actually felt good.

Catastrophizing, or assuming the worst possible outcome, prevents us from seeing what

might instead unfold positively. Before I even walked through the studio door, I assumed

I would not be able to “do” yoga.

With such a negative initiation, one might wonder how I eventually dedicated my life to

yoga and became a yoga instructor. I soon discovered that yoga was not about

performing every posture perfectly, but rather a personal experience of honoring both

my body and mind. What I didn’t realize at first was that by practicing self-kindness, I

could “do” yoga from my very first class.

I also began dispelling the myths of these distortions of reality and substituting positive affirmations in their place. I had unrealistic expectations about practicing yoga, such as

everything is supposed to feel good. I discovered that others in my classes were kind

and supportive. Eventually, I stopped being focused on others in order to completely

embrace my own experience.

Consider the proverbial caveman. If he stood ready all the time for the attack of a saber-

toothed tiger, he would be assured of avoiding injury, but his life would be filled with the

stress and fear of expectant danger and its consequent detriment to his physical health

and wellbeing. Once he dispels the myth and accepts the reality that saber-toothed tiger

attacks happen only in certain isolated instances, he can free himself from stress and

dread and focus more of his energies on his family and loved ones.

Eliminating automatic negative thoughts and substituting positive affirmations is

certainly easier said than done, but it begins by connecting to the energy of the heart.

The brain listens to everything it hears. At first you may not believe that you are worthy,

capable or deserving of love, but by awakening the heart, you can begin to affirm your

self-worth. Over time, you may start to believe it, even if only a little. That tiny, new belief

can become a seed. Noticing that a positive outlook simply feels good may make you

desire it more.

It is a process of developing self-love. Once you love yourself, you can then have love

and compassion for others.

In yoga, certain asanas are often referred to as “heart openers. Physically, these poses

stretch the chest and shoulders and include ustrasana (camel pose), setu bandhasana

(bridge pose), bhujangasana (cobra pose), and natarajasana (the dancer’s pose).

The two asanas, I believe, that have the greatest power to energize the heart chakra

are viparita virabhadrasana (the reversed warrior) and virasana (the hero’s pose).

In the reversed warrior, the spine is twisted to open up the chest to the sky, as if

becoming receptive to the vast energy of the universe and the marvels of life itself.

Although the gaze is upward, we also ground into the earth and welcome all that life has

to offer, including the love of those in our lives. Here, the energy of liberation becomes

balanced with the energy of manifestation.

In the hero’s pose, the hands rest in anjali mudra at heart center. Many believe that the

energy of the anahata chakra exits the body through the palms. By bringing the palms

together, one can imagine creating an infinite loop of love flowing from the heart.

While in hero’s pose, you might visualize in your mind someone you love and for whom

you feel deep gratitude. As you close the eyes, imagine a warming, calm and peaceful

green glow at heart center, the energy of love, compassion and gratitude. Green, thecolor of the heart chakra, symbolizes growth, rejuvenation, and rebirth. With each

breath, envision this glow intensifying, spreading from the chest down the arms and into

the hands. The energy flows out and back in through the palms, forming a radiant, ever-

expanding circle of love, compassion and gratitude.

The power of yoga to transform exists in each and everyone of us. We simply need to

know how to access it. Like a huge boulder blocking the entrance to a cave, habitual

negative thoughts are obstacles that must be moved aside so we can realize that

power, rather than remaining mired in emotional stagnation.

Yoga cultivates the mental clarity necessary for effective self-analysis. Negative

thoughts are charged with emotions that can cloud the mind. By becoming the objective

witness of these thoughts, we can lessen their impact through observation and

understanding.

Yoga creates a sanctuary. You might imagine stepping into a beautiful space of your

own design, possibly with bright sunshine streaming through sparkling stained glass,

projecting colorful patterns on the floor, or a fountain from which emanates the peaceful

sounds of bubbling water. However you envision it, your sanctuary is a safe place where

nothing “bad” is happening at the present moment. Your inner critic isn’t allowed to

enter. In your safe space, there is no need and no pressure for criticisms and self-

deprecation. Its peace is your peace. Its inner beauty is your inner beauty. It is through

a dedication to yoga to awaken the heart that you will receive the key to unlock the door

that opens into your place of peace, love and beauty.

May love, compassion and gratitude fuel the light within you. And may that light burn so

brightly for everyone to see.