Chakra Four - Anahata

Air, Social identity, oriented to self-acceptance

This chakra is called the heart chakra and is the middle chakra in a system of seven.  It is related to love and is the integrator of opposites in the psyche: mind and body, male and female, persona and shadow, ego and unity.  A healthy fourth chakra allows us to love deeply, feel compassion, and have a deep sense of peace and centeredness.  The heart chakra is related to the element of air and is therefore ruled by the breath.  Working with the breath is a powerful way to cleanse the body, purify the mind, and dissolve the blocks that keep our heart from opening.  This invites the heart to soften, to become spacious, and to receive the life-giving properties of prana.

Focus: The heart, lungs, the upper chest and the upper back, arms and hands

Set up in Level 2 pranayama – two blankets with a block in between used as a pillow.  Belly breath for two minutes – then bring the breath upwards to rib cage – begin inhale in lower ribs – imagine a big rubber band wrapped around the entire rib cage and you will breathe into the entire circumference of rubber band.  Move the rubber band up over your chest and breath into it, opening the chest, front, back, and sides – two minutes.

Roll onto belly – Locust pose w/airplane arms, Cobra pose – opening the chest and then dropping the sternum to soften the heart – Dolphin Pose to Dolphin push-ups

Press up to Down Dog – breathing into the back of the heart – drop down into plank, flip toes over, Up Dog – repeat several times.

Open a blanket up -- roll from the long edge – sit in front of roll and lie back letting shoulder blades open between the roll, arms and hands lie to each side, butt drops to floor – five minutes

Come to wall with a blanket and two blocks – open up quads by placing hands on blocks, sliding right knee back, front of toes to the wall, lift front body, open chest, let the sternum drop.  Repeat other side.

Sit in Virasana (sitting between your heals) – practice Camel pose and then Supta Virasana (supported with blankets).  End in Savasana – 5 Minutes