Creating Space for the Heart 💚

Last week, we had a Full Moon in Cancer.  I was thinking about what the themes of the Full Moon in Cancer were and how it is tied into the heart center through the lens of yoga.

The Heart Center is the most tender part of the energetic systems. When the Heart Center is open you find compassion and love, because it is the center point where all the energetic channels flow through. If this becomes out of balance, we can start to put walls up and guard our heart. Think of the heart center like a lustrous gem, when it becomes hurt or betrayed a protective layer starts to form around it. This eventually starts to block the other channels from flowing through the central channel.

In the Chakra system, the heart center is the Heart Chakra or Anahata (Ana-ha-ta) Chakra. When in balance, it is the unstuck sound. It allows us to experience deep emotions and openness. In the zodiac, Cancerians tend to be sensitive, protective, and nurturing. Being the cardinal water sign of the zodiac, Cancers have an emotional strength to them that brings growth and initiation. The heart chakra is connected to the element air, while Cancer is connected to the element water.

When in flow, think love, caring, flow states, compassion, strength, openness to others, in alignment, connection. When blocked, think of a hardened shell, protecting oneself, broken heart, trust issues, lacking empathy, co-dependancy. How to bring back into balance: Breath exercises such as deep breathing and alternate nostril breathing. Yoga poses such as heart openers, backbends. hip circles, and goddess pose

The themes of the Full Moon in Cancer and the heart center remind us how to hold space for our emotions, meeting ourselves and others with both compassion and strength.