How to Open Your Heart Chakra — 8 Tips for Success (2024)

Experiencing grief, sorrow, and traumatic events can take a toll on your energy, with your heart chakra often bearing the brunt. Since the heart chakra regulates your self-affection, compassion, and emotional well-being, it’s important to keep it balanced. However, maintaining this balance isn’t easy, which can leave you feeling frustrated.

On the brighter side, healing and opening your heart chakra becomes much easier with the proper knowledge. For your convenience, I’ve discovered 8 practices to help you activate your heart chakra, ultimately guiding you towards a more fulfilling journey. You can make them into a daily routine or practice them when you need to heal.

But if you’re after personalized guidance on balancing and opening your heart chakra, Mindvalley’s Chakra Healing Quest is worth exploring. This 5-week course is designed to give structure to your healing journey, offering unique expert advice to balance all your chakras. I find it takes the guessing work out of the picture, allowing you to heal confidently.

What Is the Heart Chakra?

The heart chakra is the fourth major chakra that nestles comfortably in the center of our chest. It’s often considered the center of emotional balance and a portal to unconditional love because it’s connected to the other upper and lower chakras. When this chakra opens up and is harmonized, it can promote a sense of inner peace, abundance, and trust while making us feel more connected to those around us.

This chakra is connected to the heart, lungs, breasts, arms, and circulatory system so when unbalanced, illness can manifest through these organs and body parts. In Astrology, the heart chakra is ruled by the planet Venus, as well as the corresponding signs of Taurus and Libra.  In Numerology, it’s associated with numbers 4 and 7.

What’s the Heart Chakra Symbol?

The heart chakra, also known as “Anahata” in Sanskrit, consists of a pair of intertwined triangles, forming a hexagram that’s encased within a circle. The hexagram represents the concept of “as above, so below”, which is about the connection between the material and spiritual realms, as well as masculine and feminine energy. The two triangles represent the divine trinity and the heart chakra’s role as the center of divine connection.

Heart chakra symbol made up of intertwined triangles to form a hexagram

Surrounding the circle, there’s a green lotus flower with 12 petals which represent the 12 virtues of the heart chakra. The petals are said to act as energy channels where which each breath you can transmit. They also correspond to 12 sounds that are made when the petal rotates which go as follows: Kam, Kham, Gam, Gham, Ngam, Cham, Chham, Jam, Jham, Nyam, Tam, and Tham.

You’ll also find a deity, a deer, and the heart chakra seed syllable within the symbol. The depicted deity is Rudra or Ishana Rudra Shiva, who’s associated with transformation and is said to work with the goddess Kakini, the gatekeeper of the heart chakra. The spirit of the deer is believed to be the carrier of the seed sound or “YAM” mantra.

8 Ways to Open Your Heart Chakra

Many of the practices below have been used for thousands of years and are still being practiced today. If you find a few that resonate with you and practice them consistently, you’ll begin to notice positive changes in your heart space. Just stay patient and not overload your plate with too much at once.

1. Be Conscious of Food

It’s often said that our eating habits mirror our inner selves, which is true because food can profoundly affect your chakras. As food is fundamentally energy, it’s not outlandish to say that its energy can affect your energetic frequency. So, eating foods that resonate with the heart chakra’s frequency can help you heal this energy center.

Cultivating greater awareness around your food choices becomes crucial when trying to open your heart chakra. Striving to include more greens in your diet will yield positive changes in your heart chakra’s health. I recommend incorporating raw green foods such as kale, broccoli, spinach, parsley, matcha, avocado, and limes, among other unprocessed greens.

2. Recite Daily Affirmations

Affirmation work is a meditation that activates Delta and Alpha brainwaves to access and reprogram your subconscious mind effectively. The heart chakra can often remain blocked due to our negative perceptions about ourselves and the world at large. In these instances, affirmations have the power to pave new neural pathways and transform your mind.

I recommend reciting a handful of affirmations that connect with your spirit every morning. Make sure you focus on the areas you find challenging for the best results. Some good examples are, “ I am open to giving and receiving love”, “I forgive myself and others with grace and ease”, and “I choose to live life with compassion and understanding”.

3. Work with Appropriate Crystals

Engaging with compatible crystals is a powerful way to rejuvenate and activate your heart chakra. A few excellent choices encompass Rose Quartz, Rhodochrosite, Emerald, Rhodonite, Green Aventurine, Amazonite, Jade, and Malachite. Pink and green crystals resonate at the same frequency as the heart chakra, paving the way for healing as you use them.

Just ensure you’re correctly cleansing, programming, and storing your crystals to preserve their healing energy and optimize your outcomes. While some believe that simply having your crystals nearby will work, I suggest setting a specific intention for improved results. This is similar to assigning a job to each crystal and helps focus its energy.

4. Listen to Healing Frequencies

Healing frequencies can permeate your being, which helps clean and attune your energy centers. Combining this practice with affirmations or mantras can cultivate a powerful practice that encourages major breakthroughs in less time. However, try to avoid going into practice with lofty expectations, as they will turn this harmonious practice into a source of stress.

The vibrations that resonate with the heart chakra are 341.3, 528, and 639 Hz. These specific frequencies invigorate the energy within your heart chakra, releasing any stagnant energy from your body. You can listen to these frequencies while walking, tidying up, or drifting off to sleep. Tibetan singing bowls have been used as healing instruments for centuries and can be a great tool for opening the heart chakra.

5. Anoint Yourself with Essential Oils

Like crystals, essential oils help balance, clear, and open up your heart chakra. This is because herbs carry a special frequency, and many are often used in herbal practices to enhance feelings of self-love, forgiveness, and peace. To use your oils, set an intention to clear negativity from your heart chakra before massaging the oils into the center of your chest.

Some of the best oils that correspond with the heart chakra are Lavender, Bergamot, Rose, Neroli, Lemon Balm, Eucalyptus, Melissa, Jasmine, and Ylang Ylang. Make sure you do a patch test before working with these oils, especially if you’ve never used them. Doing so will minimize the risk of an allergic reaction or skin irritation.

6. Practice Heart Opening Yoga Poses

Yoga offers a great way to open up your chest space while getting your energy flowing. Since yoga combines deep breathing and movement, it’s a unique kind of meditation that both opens and stimulates healing energy. The Mindvalley Chakra Quest walks you through the best yoga poses for your heart chakra and lends the support of expert guidance.

To start, you can try some yoga poses linked with opening the heart chakra, such as Warrior 1 and The Bridge. You can find the complete list below, but always ensure you approach each pose carefully and warm up beforehand. It’s best to listen to your body and avoid pushing yourself far beyond your physical capabilities.

7. Chant Mantras & Meditate

Chanting mantras is an age-old practice of echoing a hallowed word or phrase, commonly in the ancient language of Sanskrit. It helps tranquilize your mind, concentrate your thoughts, and establish a connection with the divine or your inner self. The vibrations produced from repeating the mantra are believed to soothe and heal your mind, body, and spirit.

The mantra for the heart chakra is “Yam”, a Sanskrit term that embodies the energy of this chakra. Try using it during meditation or yoga sessions, which helps heal your physical and spiritual heart and opens you up to unconditional love. As you recite “Yam”, gently rest your right hand over your heart space and focus on the sensations.

8. Take a Chakra Course

While the techniques above can support your daily life, partaking in a chakra healing course can provide a more definitive way to open your heart chakra. Mindvalley hosts a comprehensive yet accessible Quest led by Anodea Judith, which focuses on a unique chakra each week and enables you to gain mastery over your energetic body.

Anodea Judith is an author, speaker, and teacher who has devoted her life to exploring the crossroads of psychology, spirituality, and the human body. With a Ph.D. in Psychology and Health, she’s a leading authority on the chakra system and has written several bestselling books on the topic, including “Wheels of Life” and “Eastern Body, Western Mind”.

What sets this Quest apart from other chakra courses is that it helps you understand the intertwined relationship between your daily actions and chakras. You can expect to receive actionable advice on navigating your emotions and thoughts better, enabling the healing of your energies and empowering you to gain more control over your life.

It’s also possible to try this course risk-free since Mindvalley subscriptions come with a 15-day free trial. The subscription also lets you experience other Mindvalley courses on spirituality and personal development, adding a tonne of value. You won’t have to talk to anyone to get your money back since you can press the self-refund button on your profile.

FAQs on the Heart Chakra

What are the signs my heart chakra is opening up?

Common signs that can signal an effective opening of your heart chakra are feelings of unconditional love, a sense of peace, and improved relationships. Since these are the primary energies associated with the heart chakra, it only makes sense that you’ll begin to see improvements in these departments.

As your heart chakra begins to open, you may experience sensations like tingling or warmth in your chest or back. These are positive signs that your practices are working and activating any dormant energies in your heart space. It’s also common to go through unexplainable bursts of purging since you’re removing dense energies.

How does my heart chakra get blocked?

Dealing with a great deal of grief and sadness in your life can block your heart chakra and lead to further issues. Common causes of grief and sadness include emotional trauma, a lack of self-love, unhealthy relationships, physical illness, and suppressed emotions.

As a result, I recommend you incorporate some healing practices into your routine so you can clear blockages and begin to open your heart chakra. Otherwise, issues such as difficulty forming meaningful relationships, persistent emotional and physical pain, inability to forgive, difficulty experiencing joy, and a lack of empathy for others may manifest.

Can my heart chakra be too open?

Yes, your heart chakra can become overactive and lead to it being “too open”. When this happens, you’ll usually experience symptoms completely the opposite of it being closed off. These can include difficulty setting boundaries, emotional volatility, and concentration issues. It’s also common to feel emotionally depleted and resentful.

If your heart chakra is overactive, you must ground the energy with physical movements like yoga. Doing so will neutralize the over-active energy and give it a healthy outlet through the physical body. Additionally, setting healthy boundaries with others and prioritizing your self-care can help restore the balance in this energy center.

Why does my heart chakra hurt?

Feeling pain or discomfort in your heart chakra can come from accumulating dense energy, causing it to be blocked. Serious blockages that cause physical pain are usually a result of extreme emotional trauma and can lead to developing physical health issues in rare instances.

Consider taking a chakra healing course if you suspect your blockage is serious, so you can receive professional guidance on clearing it. Tying to clear serious energetic blocks can be challenging sometimes, and you don’t want to wait too long to heal it. Otherwise, it can take longer to heal and have lasting effects on your personal life.

Remember that if the pain is persistent or severe, you should seek medical attention to rule out any underlying health issues. While alternative or holistic healing methods can be very effective, they should never replace medical insights from a doctor. So, always consult credible professionals when dealing with persistent or painful physical symptoms.

Bottom Line

Dealing with emotional trauma can be challenging, especially when you don’t have the right tools to heal your heart chakra effectively. But with a good grasp of how the heart chakra works, you can embark on a healing journey that stimulates personal growth and inspires others.

Remember, you can always deepen your knowledge and get faster results with an expert’s guidance. The Chakra Healing Quest on Mindvalley allows you to learn from the comfort of your own home while positively transforming your life. You’ll come out of the Quest with invaluable insights and a lifelong healing practice tailored for you.