Flavie Fournial Causse
Coach and yoga teacher, for over 10 years.
In search of inspiring methods and approaches from coaching, personal growth, yoga philosophy, Reiki, neuroscience, NLP, EFT… with one goal in mind, to bring more consciousness and balance into everyone’s daily life, making it exceptional. “Well, in one’s body, in one’s mind, and with others is my motto”.
The literature around the chakras has been a revelation for me, the common thread, and the crossroads between all my learnings.
Today, I share a bit of this fascinating world of chakras through my classes and retreats, making it tangible through simple exercises and experiments that bridge the gap between a world of matter and the world of subtler and more spiritual energies. Often overlooked, delving into the chakras means delving into self-discovery and self-awareness, into something greater than oneself, into the connection between the body, mind, and universe to live in harmony in the world.
Welcome to Anahata, the Heart Chakra
a name that washes over me like a wave of love, comforting and paired with a profound sense of grace and fulfillment.
Anahata, which means “point of life” in Sanskrit, is located in the center of the chest, along the spine. It is a crucial chakra where physical and spiritual energies converge: those of the three lower chakras, linked to the physical and emotional spheres, and those of the three upper chakras, connected to the spiritual realm.
Anahata helps us become aware of others and move toward wisdom and spiritual growth. It is considered the gateway to the soul.
Its element, Air, symbolizes expansion and freedom.
The Center of Our Energy System, Ensuring Its Balance
The heart is the most vital organ for humans and forms the center of the human body. It is also the center of our energy system, diffusing love into our lives. Do we let love be the center of our lives?
The goal is to transform self-love (ego) into unconditional, universal love, beginning with loving and accepting ourselves.
Our body acts as a transformer of raw, dense, physical energy, refining it from center to center so it can ascend and nourish the higher chakras with fine, subtle, and spiritual energy.
The Heart Chakra transforms and refines the energies from the lower centers, making them integrable into the higher, more spiritual chakras.
The heart sets the rhythm of our existence with every beat and emits 1,000 times more electricity and magnetism than the brain.
The Intelligence of the Heart: Common Sense That Comes from the Heart
The Heart Chakra grants us the unconditional right to love and be loved. It allows us to appreciate beauty in all things—nature, poetry, music, and the arts in general. Each heartbeat aligns with the rhythm of the universe, enabling us to radiate respect and trust toward others while loving ourselves.
However, our modern society, which often prioritizes the intellect, neglects this intelligence of the heart which is unfortunate, as recognizing and properly using the heart’s positive energy can truly change how we see life, think, and act.
The Heart Chakra is associated with qualities such as generosity, compassion, joy, truth, and awareness of energy.
The Chakra of Healing and Compassion
The Heart Chakra is nourished by all our emotional connections and the feelings we experience, including negative ones. It represents our ability to love and be loved, to give and receive, and to connect with others. It gives us a sense of unity and belonging, preparing us to give without expecting anything in return.
From Anahata emanate both joy and sadness. When sadness is not expressed, the heart suffers, feeling trapped. Its positive energy can no longer radiate outward.
When unbalanced, it often leads to relational difficulties and struggles with self-love and acceptance.
Be attentive to the following signs:
- – Do you feel disconnected from those around you?
– Do you struggle to be in others’ company or, conversely, fear being alone?
– Do you become overly emotionally or affectionately dependent? - Do you constantly seek to please others (the “savior” syndrome)?
- Are you jealous?
- Do you find it hard to give and/or receive love?
- Do you often feel a weight on your chest?
In reality, achieving harmony in the Heart Chakra is not about action but about acceptance. It involves removing negative criticism and judgement from our daily lives—whether directed at ourselves or others.
It’s not about censorship but about putting our thoughts and words into perspective. We must embrace our right to make mistakes and find a balance between leniency and self-discipline, without complacency or guilt.
The primary function of the Heart Chakra is to unite through love in all its forms, including sadness, pain, and melancholy brought about by the loss of love.
Flexibility Opens the Path to the Heart
Whether it’s about softening the body or the breath—or even our inner judgments and attitude toward others or situations—flexibility is key. Take the time to observe your posture: Are you rigid or relaxed when facing certain people or situations? What does your body tell you about your inner state?
Yoga can help break down the barriers we have built around the heart. By opening the chest and upper back and working on the breath, we can bring more space and flexibility to the heart region.
Try the following yoga poses: Cat/Cow, Puppy Pose, Cobra, Camel, Bridge
These can help you cultivate openness and balance in your Heart Chakra.
Try Nadi Shodhana Breathing: Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Sit comfortably and make sure your back, head, and neck form a straight line throughout the practice. If you find it difficult to keep your back straight, feel free to lean against a wall.
- Gently close your eyes.
- With your right hand, join your index and middle fingers and fold them toward the palm at the base of your thumb. Bring this hand to your nose.
- Use your right thumb to close your right nostril. Calmly exhale as much as possible through your left nostril, then gently but fully inhale through the same nostril.
- Use your ring finger to close your left nostril, exhale through the right nostril, and then inhale through the same nostril.
- Complete one full cycle of breathing (right and left nostrils) five times in a row.
Now you’re ready to practice this pranayama!
Hug Someone: a simple yet powerful act to strengthen your heart chakra
Giving or receiving a hug is a profound gesture of connection and love. Take a moment to embrace someone—it’s a way to nurture your Heart Chakra and build emotional bonds.
Meditate on Compassion and Love to heal your heart chakra
- Sit in a quiet place and breathe deeply.
Relax your chest and visualize all the accumulated tension in this area dissolving with each breath. - Next, send yourself love, imagining a wave of softness filling your heart, in sync with your breathing.
- Next, send yourself love, imagining a wave of softness filling your heart, in sync with your breathing.
- Continue the meditation by sending your love to someone you encounter regularly but don’t know personally.
- Finally, conclude by sending a wave of love and compassion to the entire world, to all the people on Earth—friends and foes alike.
- Visualize the planet submerged in a wave of love.
Notice the sensations in your heart and imprint them in your memory. Let this love remain nestled in your chest, ready to be accessed at any time.
Namaste