Chair Yoga For The Heart Chakra

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Yoga And Gratitude: The Heart Chakra

When we are feeling a bit stressed, or down, or maybe a bit uninspired- sometimes we need to take a moment of reflection. Yoga is a wonderful way to help us practice being present. Being in the moment can help us deal with the stress and anxiety that sometimes comes with everyday life. Practicing gratitude can help us express love for ourselves and those around us. Practicing yoga and practicing gratitude go hand in hand. If you would like a short chair yoga sequence with a focus on the Heart Chakra, scroll to the bottom.

With that in mind, we continue our exploration of the Chakras with an introduction to the Heart Chakra. The Heart Chakra is the fourth Chakra- it is located at the center of the chest. In Sanskrit it is Anahata- meaning “unstruck” or “unhurt”. It is our center for compassion, love, empathy and forgiveness. It is associated with the element of air and the color emerald green, as well as with giving and receiving love. The Heart Chakra is also associated with peace- thus the more balanced your Heart Chakra is- the more peace and harmony you may have.

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With the Root Chakra, we focused on grounding. The Sacral Chakra had us focused on our creativity and with the Solar Plexus Chakra, we focused on our confidence. Here, with the Heart Chakra, we will focus on Gratitude. Expressing Gratitude is beneficial to our overall well being. Keep reading for some simple tips to help balance our Heart Chakra, including 3 poses for yoga and gratitude we can do right from the chair. You may be interested in taking  a look here for some more information and resources on gratitude: The Science of Gratitude

3 Simple Ways To Help Balance The Heart Chakra

1. Daily Gratitude Practice

Expressing gratitude helps us to focus on the positive things in our life and helps us appreciate the many things and people that we do have. A daily gratitude practice can come in many shapes and forms. You can make it as involved as you want by journaling and writing daily about the many things that you want to express gratitude for.

Or, you can simply make a list- jot down something (or things) everyday that you are grateful for. They can be big or small- it all counts. Or if writing isn’t your thing- simply take a brief moment each morning to say out loud or to yourself something that you are grateful for on this day.

 If you are just getting started with a gratitude practice- there are really no rules. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture or a lengthy response. It could simply be “ I am grateful for this hot cup of coffee”. Just like anything else- it all adds up if you just keep practicing . The positive energy you create will become cumulative and you will feel the difference with continued practice. 

Print out this simple 30 Day Gratitude Challenge page- simply write an entry in the square each day. Or, you may be interested in this simple Daily Gratitude Notebook that is the perfect size for taking it on the go.

2. Positive Affirmations

There is some science behind positive affirmations. Take a look at the link below if you are interested in learning more about the psychology of affirmations and some research regarding the effects of positive affirmations: Positive Daily Affirmations: Is There Science Behind It?

Positive affirmations can help us to feel more optimistic and repeating positive affirmations can certainly take up space in our minds that may have been used for negativity.  However you choose to feel about the practice of repeating daily positive affirmations, we can always just look at it as a moment to take a breath and be in a positive mindset. That is never a bad thing.

If you are interested in combining some creativity and stress relief with your positive affirmations practice, take a look at this positive affirmations coloring book. Or you may be interested in these positive affirmation cards. Here are a few positive affirmations you may want to repeat, or check out the above article for some more suggestions:

I choose joy

I am a priority in my own life

I let go of negative thoughts and experiences

I am surrounded by love

3. Chair Yoga And Gratitude- 3 Chair Yoga Poses For The Heart Chakra

For all of these poses, begin seated in Mountain Pose with your feet planted firmly on the ground. You may choose to sit back in the chair for support, or you may choose to sit forward a few inches. Feet and thighs are parallel and hip distance apart, ankles are in line with the knees. Shoulders are relaxed down and away from the ears. Repetitions are simple suggestions.

Be sure to be mindful of where you are today and take into consideration any mobility restrictions that you may have. Never force or strain and only move as much as is comfortable. As always, stop immediately if you experience pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness.

Mountain Pose

A woman seated in a chair near a window in chair yoga Mountain Pose with a long spine and both feet planted firmly on the ground.

1. Cow Pose

A woman seated in a chair with her back slightly arched in chair yoga cow pose.

  • Begin seated in Mountain Pose with a long spine and your hands resting on your thighs. 
  • Lengthen the spine.
  • Inhale as you arch the back and gently squeeze the shoulder blades toward one another- do not drop the head back. Feel the chest open and the muscles in the upper back engaged, exhale to return to neutral.
  • Repeat 3-5 times or as desired.

2. Mountain Pose With Arms Raised

A woman seated in a chair near a window with both arms raised above her head for chair yoga pose, mountain pose with arms extended.

  • Begin seated in Mountain Pose with a long spine, arms are by your sides with the palms facing toward the body. Bring awareness to your core by stabilizing through both feet. 
  • Inhale as you raise your arms up in front of the body with thumbs pointing towards the sky. Feel the shoulder muscles contract, the core engage, and the stretch in the side body. Stretch the fingers and take up some space here. Only raise the arms as high as is comfortable- never force or strain- the hands may not reach overhead as shown.
  • Exhale to gently release the arms back by the sides of the body. 
  • You may choose to hold the arms up for 1-2 breaths each time or you may choose to inhale to lift and exhale to lower as you move with the breath. 
  • Repeat 4-8 times or as desired.

3. CobraA woman seated in a chair next to a window with her dog near her practicing a chair yoga pose of modified low push up with her elbows bent near her sides and the wrists extended.

  • Begin seated in Mountain Pose with a long spine, arms are by your sides with the palms facing the body. Ground down through both feet evenly to stabilize and to bring awareness to the core.
  • Inhale as you lengthen the spine and exhale as you hinge forward at your hips (not the waist). The spine stays long. Only go as much as is comfortable, it may be 1-2 inches. 
  • Rotate the palms to the back of the room. Inhale as you bend the elbows (palms are facing down). 
  • Exhale as you extend the wrists and slightly arch the back. Keep the neck long and the head neutral. Stay here for 2-3 breaths or as desired as you feel the muscles in the mid back and the core engage. Exhale to release the hands to the thighs and hinge at the hip creases back to neutral. 
  • Repeat 2-4 times or as desired.
  • (You may choose to eliminate the wrist extension if that is not right for you)

Want More Yoga And Gratitude?

Take a look at this video for a short sequence with a focus on the Heart Chakra: Chair Yoga For Heart Chakra

Take a look at Healing With Chair Yoga or Chair Yoga and Mindfulness for simple tips to help create more connection to the present moment.

You may be interested in Yoga For Gratitude: Simple Ways To Start A Gratitude Practice.

Or, take a look at Yoga For A Positive Mindset 

You can continue this series with The Throat Chakra

You can find more chair yoga videos at The Peaceful Chair YouTube Channel.

Finally, I invite you to sign up for for the Monthly Email Newsletter to stay up to date on the latest blog posts and videos.

Namaste!

Disclaimer: The Peaceful Chair and thepeacefulchair.com strongly recommends that you consult with your physician before starting this or any exercise program.The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not to be used in place of medical advice or information from your healthcare provider. Neither The Peaceful Chair, the peacefulchair.com, nor any of its contributors shall be held liable for any improper or incorrect use of the information described and/or contained herein and assumes no responsibility for anyone’s use of the information contained in any links, videos, or any content on this website.