key takeaways
- The heart is considered the center of feelings and love, with recent research showing it has more electrical impulses than previously thought
- Yoga poses that open the heart can help heal emotional pain, strengthen the heart, and promote self-love and compassion.
- Practicing heart-opening poses requires courage, as it involves exposing the vulnerable front of the body.
Why we love Yoga for Heart opening ?
The heart has always been considered the center of feelings and love. Recent research has shown that there are even more electrical impulses in the heart than in the brain, as previously thought. This emphasizes the importance not only of the “physical” heart but also of the mystical, inner heart in the subtle body.
Body posture always reveals our feelings. When we observe the people around us more carefully and when we try to be aware of our own posture, we will easily notice when the body is in a defensive position. Raised shoulders, torso tilted forward, arms crossed in front of the body are a sign that we are protecting ourselves and at the same time closing the heart. When we are sad, disappointed, scared or worried, we unconsciously protect our hearts by holding our bodies, but at the same time, involuntarily. In this way, we support the feelings of narrowness, anxiety, and hopelessness.
When the body is in such a position, the heart simply has no room-neither to experience sadness nor to feel joy again. Just as the body, with its posture, energy, and health, reflects the state of our feelings, so everything we do on a physical level, with the body, affects our feelings. By practicing yoga poses that open the heart, we can heal the aching heart, strengthen it, comfort and encourage it, and remind ourselves that beneath everything that burdens it, grieves it, and scares it, there is boundless love.
Yoga for Heart opening – Benefits
Even those who are not practice yoga can benefit from any exercise that opens the chest. Try and push your shoulders and shoulder blades back—if you do this regularly, the heaviness, discomfort, and pain due to a situation can be reduced very quickly. You won’t find these types of exercises only in yoga but also in other types of exercise, such as Pilates.
If you are suffering, yoga for heart opening will remind you that you can comfort your whole being with self-compassion and gentleness. From this compassion, the next step will be the reawakening of faith in love and the strengthening of self-love. Self-love is the basic form of love from which comes the feeling of self-respect and self-confidence. From that stable starting point, we can love others.
Heart opening yoga flow will bring you love
And that love will slowly transform every pain into strength – because every feeling is just one type of energy, and energy can be transformed. A pearl in a shell forms where the delicate tissue of the shell has been injured, so our broken heart can heal to create beautiful pearls of love.
You don’t have to be heartbroken to be reminded of the importance of having a brave and open heart. Maybe you are one of those people who are guided through life by their head and reason. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is good to maintain a connection with the heart that will remind you of what is truly important. But if you’ve lost that connection, you can separate yourself from your body and feelings.
In the modern world of stress, haste and competition, this is not a rare occurrence. If you have neglected your heart chakra, you will lose the ability to forgive, you will not be compassionate, you may feel lonely or shy. Then it’s good to remind yourself of the infinite source of love that is available to all of us – in our heart chakra. When the heart leads, we create with ease, we enjoy every moment, with confidence in ourselves and in life. When the heart leads, we love ourselves and notice that it is easier to attract the love of others into our lives.
Yoga and Heart Opening
Yoga for heart opening require courage. It is necessary to expose the sensitive front part of the body, to expose oneself to possible dangers, to take risks. And every risk requires courage, trust, and the willingness to surrender, to surrender to the flow of life. When the body is tight and the heart is dominated by a feeling of fear, constraint, or pain, you need to make room for love. By opening the body by leaning back, we open the heart. Symbolically, we choose the love that will dispel our fears.
Be careful when performing the backbend yoga poses. If you have frequent pains or an injured lower back, you should first warm up with a few sun salutations. Before you lean back, be sure to lengthen your spine with an inhale as if someone is pulling you through the top of your head, and only then, with an exhale, open your heart and bend your body backwards.
Become aware of the sensations in your lower back and adjust the depth of the fold to what you feel in your back. Focus on Heart Opening. With each breath, feel the expansion of the chest and the opening of heart. You will feel a deep sense of peace and joys slowly wash over you. Here we can use Heart Opening Yoga Flow.
Heart Opening Yoga Flow
9 Heart Opening Sequence yoga
1. Yoga pose – Cobra pose
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We lie down on our stomachs, feet hip-width apart, heels slightly out, toes in (a version with feet together is also possible, but the heels are pushed away from each other to create space in the lower back). Place your palms on the floor behind your shoulders, near your ribs. Press the feet into the floor, lengthen the spine, bring the shoulder blades together, move the shoulders away from the ears and lift the upper part of the torso off the floor. The pubic bone remains on the floor. We send the heart forward and up. neck elongated. We breathe deeply for 5-7 inhalations and exhalations.
2. Yoga Pose- Upward dog pose
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Unlike a cobra, a dog’s hips and pubic bone are in the air. The legs are strong and we resist the floor. The abdominal s are active and we lengthen towards the ceiling more than we lean back (focusing hard on not breaking in the lower back but targeting the chest). We bring the shoulder blades together and send the shoulders away from the ears and back.
We also do not break the neck, but lengthen it upwards. This yoga pose is more often a transition than an yoga pose that is held, but if it is performed correctly, it has many benefits in holding 5 inhales and exhales. If you have problems with your back, it is better to replace it with a cobra and gradually strengthen it.
3. Yoga Pose – Melting Heart
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The name itself mentions Anahata.
Opens the shoulders and muscles of the chest and thoracic spine; strengthens the muscles of the lower back; improves pelvic posture; brings flow to the heart and lungs. This yoga pose is like espresso for the body; it awakens and revitalizes.
On the floor: – Place yourself on your knees and hands: place your hips exactly above your knees; extend your arms and place your palms as far away from you as possible, shoulder width apart (hips remain in place) – Let’s throw the buttocks back; gently press the lower part of the back into the floor; Let’s lower our forehead, nose or chin to the floor, depending on how open our chest is; The most important thing: don’t break your neck, but feel the elongation. That’s why it’s best to start with your forehead on the floor.
This yoga pose is calm but not passive: with microbent elbows, we gently push our hands into the floor, and thus the chest, turning the armpit to the armpit (we push the outer part of the shoulder down, the inner part up). We direct the sit bones towards the ceiling. Let’s feel the opening of the body and listen to the deep breath.
4. Yoga Pose – Bow pose
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We lie down on our stomachs. Feet hip-width apart, hands close to the body. First, raise your arms and legs in the air, squeeze your stomach, activate your back, then bend your knees and try to reach your ankles from the outside. Here, it is extremely important to keep the abs strong so as not to break in the lower back, to feel the spine lengthening. Do not spread the knees in an arc wider than the hips. At the same time, we “kick” the feet backwards and pull the legs with our hands, creating resistance that deepens the position. We can tighten or extend the feet. Neck extended, gaze fixed on a single point, deep strong breath (5-7 inhalations and exhalations).
5. Yoga Pose – Bridge pose
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It is very healthy to do the small bridge at the beginning with a yoga brick or a very thick book between the thighs. In this way, we teach the body to use the power of the legs in extension more than to press the pelvis upwards with the glutes. Alignment: feet hip-width apart, we “tick” the heels with our hands and then move them a few cm away from the buttocks. We raise our hips up, intertwine our hands behind our backs, and try to walk with our shoulder blades next to each other. We push our feet into the floor and from the torso so that the heart comes closer to the head. Let’s relax the buttock a little so the weight goes to the legs. The neck is flowing. We hold 5-7 deep breaths and breaths.
6. Yoga Pose – Wheel pose
Perform this exercise if you do not have any back problems and if you have not done your best before or for a long time with professional guidance. It is very important not to force the body into this yoga pose in any way. If we can’t breathe in it, we shouldn’t be there.
That being said, settlement says: The preparation is the same as for a small bridge. When we raise our hips, we pass our hands behind our shoulders and first we raise ourselves to the top of our heads. Close the elbows inward (palms and elbows shoulder width apart) and pull the shoulder blades back. Relax the buttocks a little and the power goes to the legs. Only when we set everything up do we go up and focus on pushing under our hands and feet. The abdomen is very active and protects the lower back. We lengthen the entire spine and aim to open the chest. If we feel any pain in the lower back or shoulders, we lower our back and make a small bridge.
This yoga pose is usually repeated 2-3 times (in some practices, even more) because the body is just adjusting to this kind of deep opening for the first time. Only the second or third time can we give a little more strength to the extremities to open up even more. We stay for 5-7 deep breaths.
Lowering: chin on the chest and slowly bend the elbows and lower the back.
7. Yoga pose – Camel pose
This yoga pose also needs to be performed very carefully because of the lower back. It is preferable to place a yoga brick or a thick book between the thighs at the start (as well as in the small bridge) so that the legs are activated more than the buttocks push the hips forward.Alignment: -feet hip-width apart, hands placed behind the back on the sacrum (fingers up, palm down), shoulder blades together, shoulders away from the ears. -we squeeze our legs towards each other.
With an inhale, we lengthen our waist (tight pants again) and send our heart upwards first. – with exhalation and a very firm stomach, gently lean back in the chest. If you do not practice this yoga pose often, then repeat this preparation 2-3 times and only then try to reach the heel with one hand. If you get the hang of it, try the other. If we manage to reach the heels, relax, but only then extend the torso and heart even more towards the ceiling, more than towards the back. In this way, we open the body and safely enter the yoga pose. We do not break the neck; it is elongated. Deep breath 5-7 times. The power of the stomach brings us back to the center
8. Yoga pose – Wild thing
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sugar at the end. Indeed, this asana under the Sanskrit name “Camatkarasana” translates to “ecstatic opening of the ecstatic heart,” and believe me, that’s what it feels like. This asana, as well as many extensions, shows how much strength a person needs to open up and be vulnerable. From downward dog, we raise and bend the knee, open the hip, lower the leg behind us, and prepare for the wild thing. The so-called “flip the dog” (harder variant).
Another variant is to lower the upper leg behind you closer to the trunk from the side plank and bend the knees in preparation. In preparation, we are in a light squat, one hand is behind us, and with that spatula we “grab the heart” and open the shoulder, extending the other hand in front of us. We lift our hips up, extend both legs (one leg is almost fully extended, the other leg that was on top in the plank, the knee is bent and the heel is raised in the air). Let’s extend the other hand. The legs and stomach are very strong, the buttocks are a little more relaxed, and we aim and breathe into the heart. We do not break the neck; it is elongated. We stay for 5-7 inhales and exhales.
9. Yoga Pose – Corpse pose
The essence of Corpse pose is that our body lies in a neutral position. Sit on the floor with bent knees and feet on the floor and lower yourself onto your forearms. Breathe in and with the exhalation, slightly extend the right leg. Extend the left leg in the same way, stretching it to the heel. Relax both legs by softening the groin and check that your legs are spread symmetrically in relation to the imaginary line of the spine. Also, let the feet fall equally to the sides.
Pull your head out of the neck with your hands and place it exactly in the middle (so your ears are equidistant from your shoulders). If your position is uncomfortable (your head “hangs”), place a folded blanket or pillow. Then stretch your arms straight up towards the ceiling and sway slightly left and right to spread your ribs and shoulder blades.
Then lower your hands to the floor and make sure they are equidistant from your torso. Turn your palms upwards. Spread the collarbones. In addition to relaxing the body, Corpse pose should also relax our sense organs. Therefore, soften the root of the tongue and nostrils, the canals of the inner ear as well as the skin of the forehead, especially around the root of the nose and between the eyebrows. Let your eyes fall softly into your eye sockets and “look” in the direction of your heart. Relax your brain and the back of your head. The eyes are closed. During the exercise, it is great to take occasional breaks of 3-5 minutes each in Corpse pose. To get out of the position, it is convenient to lie on the side for a few breaths and exhalations. When standing up, make sure your head comes up last.
FAQ Page about Heart Opening Yoga Flow
What is Heart Opening Yoga Flow?
Heart Opening Yoga Flow is a dynamic sequence of yoga poses specifically designed to open and expand the chest and heart area. It is a practice that focuses on stretching and strengthening the muscles in the front of the body, promoting a sense of openness, love, and compassion.
How does Heart Opening Yoga Flow differ from traditional yoga?
Heart Opening Yoga Flow is a variation of traditional yoga that emphasizes poses and movements that target the chest and heart area. While traditional yoga incorporates a variety of poses that work on different parts of the body, Heart Opening Yoga Flow places particular emphasis on creating space and opening the heart center.
What are the benefits of practicing Heart Opening Yoga Flow
Practicing Heart Opening Yoga Flow offers numerous benefits. It helps to improve posture, enhance flexibility in the chest, shoulders, and upper back, and strengthen the muscles of the upper body. It also promotes emotional well-being by releasing tension and blockages in the heart center, allowing individuals to cultivate love, compassion, and self-acceptance.
Can beginners practice Heart Opening Yoga Flow?
Yes, beginners can practice Heart Opening Yoga Flow. However, it is important for beginners to approach the practice with mindfulness and respect for their own bodies. Starting with gentle variations of the poses and gradually building strength and flexibility is recommended. It is also advisable for beginners to seek guidance from a qualified yoga instructor to ensure proper alignment and technique.
How often should I practice Heart Opening Yoga Flow?
The frequency of practicing Heart Opening Yoga Flow depends on individual preferences and schedules. Ideally, incorporating it into your routine two to three times a week can provide significant benefits. Consistency is key, so finding a regular practice schedule that works for you is important. Listening to your body and allowing for rest and recovery days is also essential to avoid overexertion.
Here is for more for read: 6 Heart-Opening Yoga Poses To Help Bring Love Into Your Life