The Heart Chakra: Foods for Passion
The Anahata Chakra is situated in the center of your chest, close to the heart. Its mantra is YAM. The color that represents this chakra is green. You feed this chakra by finding your passion and following your heart: have faith, find ways to express yourself and practice appreciation, balance giving and receiving and (most importantly) give yourself permission to forgive others and yourself.
When your heart chakra is in balance you will feel a great compassion for all living creatures. You will be kind, caring, joyous and outgoing. You will feel completely at ease with yourself and the people in your life. You’ll no longer mind spending time alone, and will feel completely satisfied with “me” time.
When your heart chakra is unbalanced you will probably be very negative in your thinking, and may find it very difficult to keep a positive outlook in life. You may feel unloved, unworthy and unappreciated. This will manifest in the world around you, and will only confirm these “beliefs” about yourself. You may even have a hard time accepting love from others and feel like you just have to settle.
How to Balance Your Heart Chakra
Learn the art of mindfulness and loving kindness — the foundations for living with an open heart — in The Yogi’s Heart, a guide for opening and connecting. For it is only when you approach life from a place of openness can you embody connectedness with all things.
Recipe: Green Juice or Smoothie for Your Heart
To keep the heart chakra spinning and love emanating, here is a quick recipe you can blend or juice:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coconut water
- 1 bunch kale (de-stemmed)
- 1 green apple (I like Granny Smith)
- A small piece of ginger
- 1 half cucumber
Directions:
Blend or juice all of the ingredients together. If you juice, use the whole cucumber. You’ll end up with a beautiful green juice or smoothie to enjoy!
Read the Other Articles in This Series:
The Root Chakra: Foods to Ground and Strengthen
About the Author
Spiritual Cleansing Baths for Healing Your Aura
Regularly cleansing your aura and personal energy is an essential act. Whether or not you know it, you come into contact with various people and environments, all of which have their own energy vibrations. Not all of these frequencies are high and positive.
Thus, your energy field is constantly taking in and putting out vibrations. Some energy vibrations within your thoughts and external influences are low and will bring you down if left unchecked. While our energy body is constantly readjusting itself to bring our energy back into harmony, the negative energies can linger and build up over time. A monthly salt water bath is an easy and very relaxing way to cleanse your aura of negative energy.
We’ve mentioned other methods before, so why a bath? It’s because it’s a great ritual that combines to tie in body and spirit. When you immerse yourself in a ritual bath, you are participating in an initiation to open yourself up spiritually.
Ritual bathing cleanses you from physical and spiritual grime, thus purifying both your body and your aura. It signifies that you are willing to listen to your Higher Self and begin to trust something outside of your rational mind. It indicates that you are open to asking the universe to transform what you believe needs to be changed within yourself.
What is a Spiritual Bath?
We’ve mentioned other methods before, so why a bath? It’s because it’s a great ritual that combines body and spirit. When you immerse yourself in a ritual bath, you are participating in an initiation to open yourself up spiritually.
Ritual bathing cleanses you from physical grime and negative spiritual grime, thus purifying both your body and your aura. It is a signal that you are willing to listen to your Higher Self and begin to trust something outside of your rational mind. It indicates that you are open to asking the universe to transform what you believe needs to be changed within yourself.
How to Take a Spiritual Bath
Taking a spiritual bath is a sacred and rejuvenating practice that can help cleanse your aura and release negative energy while promoting inner peace and well-being. To begin, start by selecting a time when you can have uninterrupted solitude. This first bath is to be used only once a month, as it is very strong. It’s recommended to try it on a Friday close to a full moon for the best results. Energy therapist Lidia Frederico also advises, “DO NOT prepare or have the bath around 6 am, 12 noon, 6 pm, or 12 midnight, including half an hour before and afterward (so NOT between 5:30-6:30 or 11:30-12:30 for both am & pm)!”
Draw a warm bath. Then, add bath ingredients like unrefined salts, optional essential oils (such as lavender or sage), and optional herbs like rosemary or chamomile, which are known for their purifying properties. As you fill the tub, set your intention for the bath, focusing on what you wish to release or manifest. Before getting in, light some candles and play soothing music to create a serene atmosphere.
Step into the water mindfully, immersing yourself completely while envisioning the negative energy dissolving and being replaced by positive vibrations. Take deep breaths, meditate, or recite affirmations to enhance the bath experience. After your bath, allow yourself to air-dry (preferably) or use a robe and towel (just for your head), and dispose of any bathwater down the drain. Feel the newfound sense of clarity and renewal that a spiritual bath can provide, embracing the positive energy that surrounds you.
Benefits of Spiritual Bathing
Though they are different, spiritual bathing or ritual bathing can have great effects on your physical well-being, as well. Here are just a few benefits:
- The skin is an organ of elimination, and a saltwater soak will draw toxins and heavy metals from the tissues.
- The essential trace minerals your body needs are absorbed through the skin to improve health.
- Skin conditions can be aided as bacteria and other debris are also drawn from the skin, leaving the skin feeling fresh and rejuvenated.
- Saltwater baths can help relieve muscular aches and pains as well as sore joints
- Circulation is increased, which your body can always use
