Simple Guide to the Fourth / Heart Chakra and the best Gemstones & Crystals to balance it

The Fourth/ Heart Chakra (Anahata Chakra in Sanskrit) is the loving center of our being. Positioned at the very middle of all the chakras, it naturally balances the physical energy of our body and the intellectual energy of our mind. It is sometimes referred to as the 'hidden city' or the 'cave of the heart'. It is the doorway to our deepest self. With its qualities of Love, Compassion, Gratitude, and Courage its the connection between our personal desires and our higher wisdom, between our emotions and thoughts. 

For a brief overview of the 7 chakras, their qualities, and relevant gemstones and crystals read our Introduction to the seven chakras and their gemstones.

A Simple Guide to the Root Chakra.
A Simple Guide to the Sacral Chakra
A Simple Guide to the Solar Plexus Chakra.

To find meaningful handmade jewelry designed for the Fourth/Heart Chakra view our
Love & Courage Collection. 

What is The Fourth/ Heart Chakra and how does it affect us?

The Fourth/ Heart Chakra is located behind the breast bone, in front of the spine, and between the shoulder blades. Relevant organs include the heart, lungs, circulatory system, shoulders, and upper back. It is the center of love, compassion, and spirituality. It is associated with the Air Element and its primary color is Green.  Since the heart chakra is connecting both body and mind with Spirit (consciousness).

The heart chakra is the center of Love which governs our ability to relate to the world, outwardly and inwardly, from an objective place. While it's often described as our ability to give and receive love, In essence, it's a bit wider than that. Seeing the world, and ourselves, objectively allows us to step outside of our personality/individuality. This is a necessary step in our development which allows us to experience love, care, acceptance, compassion, etc.

The three lower chakras deal with our individual self, its primal needs, emotions, and even personal growth. The three highest chakras, on the other hand, are less personal as they deal with our spiritual essence and our connection to Spirit. The Heart Chakra is right in the middle. It acts as the bridge between our lower and higher energies. It recognizes both as important and when in balance it harmonizes them into a greater whole. This alchemy between our Earthy and Spiritual essence happens through the Heart Chakra and its qualities of Love, Insight, Courage, and Compassion.

How does it feel when the Heart is in Balance? 

When the Heart Chakra is in balance, we feel at peace with the world. There is a balance between our primal and spiritual energies. When we allow both energies fully, we are in touch with our bodies, emotions, and ambitions. At the same time, we connect to the world around us in a meaningful and spiritual way.

When we accept the whole spectrum of our being we are able to experience compassion to others. We find that accepting our own being is promoting Self-Love. Because of this,  we recognize that others around us are not that different from us as they struggle with the same challenges, thoughts, and emotions. We begin to relate compassionately to others and feel their emotions. From here, we realize our ability to love and at the same time accept love.

True acceptance of others (or ourselves) allows real empathy. The heart instinctively guides us in finding a healthy equilibrium between giving and receiving. There is less conflict between caring for others and caring for ourselves. We feel that in reality, all is one without losing our personal sense of self. We desire to nurture others and see the good in everyone. The all-encompassing power of the heart allows us to have a full experience of life.

How do we feel when our Heart is closed off?

Life is sometimes hard on us. Suffering is an inevitable part. People may leave us, our bodies may get ill, dear ones may die and the list goes on. Sooner or later, we experience pain. It's only normal that when we are hurt, we try to defend ourselves by feeling less. Since we can't influence the world, we sometimes shut off our hearts. We build a fence around it so it is fortified.

The problem with that is that when we close our hearts off we are not living life to the fullest. Life is a constant repertoire of change and we need to accept that in order to flow with change. When we do not allow life to deeply touch us, we become brittle and stiff. Like an old tree that does not move with the wind, we will break sooner or later. The energy of our Heart stagnates and the Chakra is out of balance.

In such a state, our primal and spiritual sides feel as separate beings. We may feel a sense of conflict between our thoughts and emotions. We begin to live exclusively in our 'heads' and tend to 'bottle up' emotions. Rather than to feel at peace with all the part of our being, we feel fragmented and disconnected from our core. We may feel sorry for ourselves, paranoid, indecisive, afraid of letting go, afraid of getting hurt, or unworthy of love. Physical illnesses linked to the Fourth Chakra include heart attacks, high blood pressure, insomnia, and difficulty in breathing.

How to balance our Fourth/ Heart Chakra? 

There is a reason why happy people often have a touch of lightness over them. They seem to be not too serious about life and don't wallow in their personal issues too much. It has to do with allowing the Air Element of the Heart to touch their lives.

When our hearts are closed off, it feels as if there is a lack of fresh air. To start a healing process we need to allow our hearts to feel, to be touched, to be vulnerable again. This takes courage but at the same time, the process of vulnerability is the only real source of courage. This is the real reason Love and Courage are so closely related to the Heart Chakra.

We learn to accept that pain is a natural part of life. Its a price we begin to feel comfortable with when it comes to living a full life. We allow our hearts to be touched as well as broken once in a while. While the closing of our heart breeds fear, vulnerability breeds courage and love.

Can Gemstones & Crystals support our Heart Chakra? 

Gemstones and crystals are beautiful pieces of our planet. They form within intense fire and pressure within the Earth. These fluent energies spent years in constant flux before they cool down and crystallize. The element of Air governs this transformation from a liquid into a solid form.  The necessary cooling process is an integral part of their process of becoming what they are.

Some gemstones and Crystals, in particular, carry within them the light energy of Air. Such crystals and gemstones embody a natural balance which contains the light and fluent qualities of air. As mentioned before, The Heart Chakra is closely related to the element of Air.

As humans, we live from the same air. The energy of Gemstones and Crystals can help us by touching and nourishing our hearts. They can empower us on many levels and support our process. Carrying or wearing the right gemstone/crystal can awaken our hearts' natural qualities of love, compassion, and courage. It can enhance our natural tendencies to embrace and love life within and without.

What Gemstones & Crystals are best for the Fourth/ Heart Chakra? 

Just like our body has different energies, so does the Earth makes different gemstones and crystals. Because we are all part of the same Earth, there is a deep connection between certain crystals and certain chakras.

Gemstones like Rose Quartz,  Tourmaline, Jade, Rhodonite, Peach Moonstone, and Green Calcite support the Heart Chakra and help balance it.

These gemstones and crystals help to support, contain, and balance the Air energy in our Heart Chakra. They can be used freely or within items like Gemstone Malas, RIngs, and other jewelry types as long as natural gemstones and crystals are used.

Here at Manipura, we recognize that each of our chakras is in need of an Earthly friend. Therefore, we carefully design meaningful jewelry from natural Gemstones & Crystals to help balance our energies and to empower and inspire us along our unique path.

To find meaningful handmade jewelry designed for the Fourth/Heart Chakra view our Love & Courage Collection. 

Which Gemstones Support the Heart Chakra?

The Heart Chakra is traditionally associated with the color Green as it supports being in touch with one's feelings - as well as living and speaking from the heart. Pink stones also have many heart properties. Therefore, the Green Jade and Rose Quartz (the stone of love) activate the heart's power to heal emotional wounds and reawaken trust.  Rhodonite, with its intense shade of pink, also nourishes the heart with the grounding qualities of Earth.

Loving Heart Gemstone Mala.
Self Love Gemstone Mala.
Balancing Love Gemstone Mala.
Unlimited Love Gemstone Mala.