This is backed up by Western medicine, where it’s recognised that the heart’s neural crest is comprised of the same type of cells that are found in the brain and spine. In TCM, the heart is thought of as a kind of second brain. We experience joy and a sense of gratitude and abundance. Our movements and behaviours convey liveliness, and we’re able to freely express ourselves. ![]() When heart qi is balanced, shen is nourished and we respond enthusiastically and appropriately to our environments. To extend the front side of the body is to step into trust and vulnerability. As explained by Ted J Kaptchuk in The Web That Has No Weaver, “Shen is the awareness that shines out of our eyes when we are truly awake.” TCM holds that a person’s shen can be observed in their eyes, meaning clear, bright eyes are one indication of balanced heart qi(this explains why we might notice someone’s eyes brighten once they start talking about a subject that interests them, or a person they love). A healthy shen determines our zest for life. The heart is also seen as the home of inner peace and shen, which translates to spirit. It is so important that the pericardium is assigned the job of protecting the heart, because, as Dr Daniel Keown writes in The Spark in the Machine, “If anyone could freely access the heart he would be vulnerable not only to physical but also mental and emotional attack.” The heart is known as the emperor of the body. Similar to the Vedic traditions, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) views the heart as the site of love and joy (including excessive joy, or mania). The element of anahata is air (or ether), which makes sense when we consider the close relationship and proximity between the heart and lungs (a relationship that’s especially emphasised in TCM). It affects not only our heart but also our lungs, chest, arms and hands. The heart chakra sits at the centre of our chest (not to the left side, where our physical heart is) and extends all the way through to the back. When in balance, these qualities flow freely, while an out-of-balance heart chakra is said to manifest as fear, sadness or a lack of trust. Anahata is the centre for love, joy and compassion - including self-compassion. Chakra theoryĮach of the seven chakras is important, but the heart chakra - anahata- has the essential role of uniting the upper and lower chakras, of connecting the spiritual and the physical. ![]() As the Buddhist teacher Joan Halifax says, well-adjusted humans have strong backs and soft fronts. Putting our bodies into shapes that open the front body can make us feel vulnerable, but if we can do this in an environment where we feel supported, it signals to the mind that we are safe - in much the same way that deep breathing does. ![]() From an evolutionary perspective, it means we’re protecting our vital organs (this is why child’s pose feels so nurturing). In other words, closing down the front body is what we instinctively do when we’re overcome by an unwanted emotion. We see the hunch of anger, slump of depression or the cringe of fear many times and in many forms. In his book, Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists,Myers writes: “The general truth of this statement is brought home to any observer of human behaviour every day. To Myers and Feldenkrais, contraction of the front line of the body is largely an emotional response, with Feldenkrais saying, “All negative emotion is expressed in flexion.” That is, lengthening the back of the body and shortening the front. Thomas Myers and Feldenkraisįascial expert Thomas Myers has been instrumental in mapping the Anatomy Trains that complement and corroborate the Chinese medicine concept of meridians (or energetic pathways), and often cites the late Israeli physicist Moshé Feldenkrais in his work. Yin yoga, with its gentle, passive poses, is the perfect practice to encourage the liberating experience of opening the heart while also providing grounding and support. The Vedic traditions, Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and bodywork therapies all agree that the importance of the heart reaches far beyond its physical functions and plays a profound role in our energetic, emotional and spiritual lives. The result? Short and constricted front bodies, less effective breathing patterns and a temperament that is closed rather than open and receptive to the world. To start, us modern-day Westerners spend an awful lot of time contracting the front of our bodies (think of our posture as we sit in front of a computer or in a car), and it’s rare that we balance this behaviour with opening the eastern face of the body. There’s a reason why yoga teachers love sequencing heart-opening classes - in fact, there are plenty.
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