2 Easy Exercises for Cultivating Heart Energy

Research proves that fear, along with anger and sadness, depresses our immune systems, while love, appreciation, gratitude and joy enhance the functioning of this system. It has also been said that love and fear cannot coexist. The heart chakra is said to be the seat of love, the connection between ourselves and others.

These exercises will help you cultivate this bridging and nourishing heart energy.

1. Breathing into Your Heart
Fear contracts the heart, closing it down. Breathing into the heart expands it, making space for new feelings and experiences. Before you begin, connect with your heart and notice its size and how it feels. Take about two minutes to consciously breathe into your heart, feeling it expand with each breath. Now check in again with your heart. How has your experience of your heart changed?

2. Reaching Out and Drawing in Love, Joy, Compassion, Spirit, and God
Our conscious intentions, choices, and actions have great power. By consciously choosing to draw certain energies to you, you become like a magnet for your own good. Drawing in love, joy, compassion, spirit, and God can counteract fear, anxiety, or depression.

This exercise should be done slowly. It can be practiced while standing, sitting, or lying down. Reach out in front of (or above) you, extending your arms, hands, and fingers and imagine you are reaching out for love – God’s love, the universe’s love, and so forth. Slowly draw that love energy in toward your heart until your hands come to rest on your chest. You can add words to this exercise, such as “I open myself to love (or joy, compassion, spirit, God). Love, come rest in my heart.”

Read more: Spirit, Exercises, Self-Help

Adapted from Healing Without Fear by Laurel Ann Reinhardt, PhD (Inner Traditions, 2002). Copyright (c) 2002 by Laurel Ann Reinhardt. Reprinted by permission of Inner Traditions.
Adapted from Healing Without Fear by Laurel Ann Reinhardt, PhD (Inner Traditions, 2002).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

LMj S.

9:13PM PST on Jan 8, 2013

Thank you for info.

January 8
send a green star

9:12PM PST on Jan 8, 2013

Curtis S.

8:27AM PST on Dec 13, 2011

Try this simple heart breathing practice that I've posted in mp3 format.

December 13
send a green star

8:25AM PST on Dec 13, 2011

Excellent practices to connect with heart and to unite heart and mind. Love, love, love, Yes, it's all about love isn't it? How to bring love into our hearts and hold it there. And I see a comment above about a racing or excited heart. Good for you for observing your own heart. This is a great step in inner awareness. When we give our hearts our breath and attention the heart responds, sometimes by speeding up and sometimes by slowing down. The heart wants our attention and expands when we give it our breath and attention. Learn more at my website: http://healthy-heart-meditation.com

John S.

11:17AM PDT on May 24, 2011

Thanks.