Anahata & Compassion: Unhurt, Unstruck and Unbroken
For MoreMind, MoreYoga
When we talk about matters of the heart, many of us think about various concepts of love. Yes Valentines is the February buzzword, the shops are laden with pink and red commercial crock, and those that single are readily othered, to feel unloved and alone. But beyond the hype, the word Valentine is derived from the Latin word ‘valen’, to mean ‘strong and healthy’. So let’s consider how, if we are to feel loved and loving, we first need to feel healthy and strong in heart and mind. And these are the matters of ‘Anahata’, the heart chakra.
Anahata is the 4th chakra in the most widely used 7 chakra system and translated from Sanskrit means ‘unhurt, unstruck and unbeaten’. With the chakras starting from the root travelling up, Anahata is the central chakra where the yin and yang energy meet and represents not only love, but also kindness, compassion and warmth. Such qualities may develop more fully once the earlier chakras are first established to feel grounded and safe (Muladhara, root chakra), creative and free (Svadhisthana, sacral chakra) and independent, determined and willful (Manipura, solar plexus chakra). Inevitably Anahata is linked to the psychological development of our social identity; when our energy or charge is out of sync, excessive energy may lead to codependency and attention-seeking yet deficit energy may lead to judgement and isolation. In a balanced charge, Anahata radiates joyfulness, gratitude and compassion.
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