Healing from the Heart with Yoga
“I wish we could talk about our hearts, like we talk about the weather, because whether or not, we are okay is more important than the chance of rain”, quote from R H Swaney, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
We asked our Director, Moira, to put pen to paper and give us her thoughts and opinions on healing from the heart and how yoga can help. Here’s what she had to say:
Let’s talk about our Heart and how to tune into the space of the Heart. How might this help us get a true sense of how we are, in ourselves and in the world around us?
Yoga expands the expression of the Heart
The practice of Yoga and Meditation refine our focus and tune us into the frequency of the Heart. I recently gave a DRU yoga and Creativity session at Trauma Healing Retreat. The attendees experienced a subtle opening of the physical body and the expansion of Prana or energy flow in and around the body. This is the world of the Heart, where we feel Happiness, Love, Joy and Compassion for ourselves, others and all Humanity. We receive a sense of clarity, good health and believe that all is as it should be, Santosha, or contentment or simply a little lighter in spirit.
Our heart is located in the chest cavity, many classic Yoga Asanas open the chest. In particular, back bends give a sense of heart expansion and may direct energy (prana) from the lower body to the heart space.
In the Indian traditions the Heart (Anahata) Chakra is the seat of the air element and when the lungs move freely, we get into the places where grief and sadness may be trapped. The release of tension from feelings and thoughts of a heavy spirit gives us the enthusiasm to feel better and love ourselves more, and we experience comfort and ease in the relaxation stages of our practice.
A simple practice of lying with the legs up the wall, is a great place to start benefiting our heart as venous blood is pumped to the physical heart more efficiently. The following Asanas have a strong effect on the heart space, as they massage the area around our heart and lungs.
Choose to include one as a focus posture for your next home practice session. Remember to support yourself by warm up exercises, be grounded your energy and anchor the spine with gentle contraction of the core muscles as you move into one of the following:
- Bhujangasana, the Cobra especially works the thoracic spine and activates the heart space.
- Utkatasana, the Chair gives the heart area a gentle massage and works on the mental aspect of the Heart (Anahata) Chakra, breathe into this pose, let go and surrender.
- Ustrasana, the Camel pose gives an expansion of the chest and frees physical tension.
- Parvottanasana, the standing side extension, sometimes called the Charity pose, opens the mid thoracic spine and activates the Heart (Anahata) Chakra to bring about the qualities of an open heart; generosity, gratitude and compassion.
Further asana reference: Asana Pranayama Mudra Bhandha by Satyananda/Light on Yoga by Iyengar
Bhakti Yoga Heart healing
Bhakti is the spiritual path or spiritual practice within Traditional Indian Yoga of loving devotion towards a personal deity. It is one of the classical paths which lead to Freedom, or Moksha.
How does Bhakti or devotion heal the Heart? To explore, let’s begin by sitting in a meditative mind state and drop your awareness into your heart space as if your heart were the lungs and focus entirely on the breath. Simply observe the coming and going of the natural breath, relax and loosen the body. Let the breath, breathe you and gradually the breath will deepen and slow. You will reach a state of stillness, notice the pause at the end of each inhale and exhale. Be in the heart space and strengthen it by imagining peace and love for a special place or person, a personal deity, they can appear in your mind’s eye, welcome them into your heart. Stay as long as you feel inclined, you might explore the sound of Mantra. In this moment we are linked into the movement of prana or chi, through our whole being, similar to a state of prayer or surrender to the divine or universal source. You may even imagine you are breathing in sparkling white diamond light as you receive positive energy or life force to the Heart.
The HeartMath Institute which originated in the US, calls this ‘building up’ your heart field or Heart Coherence which leads to the optimal function of the heart, mind and body systems, sounds to me like healing from the Heart.
The HeartMath Science evidence indicates that our personal coherence improves our memory and cognition and is communicated through our energetic field, having an uplifting impact on others. Heart Coherence | HeartMath Institute
The benefits of Heart Coherence also extend out to our social and global communities. Seeing everything in the world through the eyes of our heart brings us to Kindness, Compassion and Love.
Lokaha Samastaha Sukhino Bhavantu
Aum Shanti, Shanti, Shanti
May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and
May the actions, words and thoughts of my own life contribute in some way
To that happiness and that freedom for all.
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Community yoga classes
We are passionate about sharing the joy of practising yoga and offering you an opportunity to connect with your true self on a regular basis.
View previous classes or book now for our next class.
Free
Tuesday 3rd June 2025 - 12:00nn to 1:00pm
Leah Cooper - Winter Water element Kidney Meridian Class
Online Yoga Community Class Link
Meeting ID: 837 8021 3576
Passcode: 546998
This class uses Japanese yoga therapy to tune into the kidney energy, support the spine, and help regulate the nervous system. With exercises to squeeze into the kidneys, we bring tone and support the organ’s function, helping to release stagnation. Followed by kidney meridian stretches, energy is able to flow more freely, helping to achieve a deeper sense of peace and calm as a result. Try this class to reduce symptoms associated with stress and to improve sleep.
Leah Cooper is an accredited Level 3 Yoga Teacher (Yoga Australia) who brings her passion for health and healing to the mat. She teaches meridian-based yoga therapy and owns The Centre of Ki, a yoga and wellbeing business based in South Australia. She enjoys sharing her health and wellbeing knowledge and experience with others via her YouTube channel and podcast, The Wellbeing Room.
Free
14th July - 12:00nn to 1:00pm
Gemma Perry - Autumn Metal element Lung Meridian Class
Online Yoga Community Class Link
Meeting ID: 812 3780 7403
Passcode: 872606
This Yoga for Good Community class includes gentle movement and meditative sound techniques. You’ll be guided through simple movement and breathing practices to prepare the body and mind for meditation, followed by a sound meditation (including vocalisation and visualisation).
Dr. Gemma Perry, PhD, is a yoga teacher and researcher specialising in mantra meditation. Gemma completed her Honours, Master’s and PhD on the psychology of chanting at Macquarie University, and continues her research at Bond University, Australia. She aims to establish mantra and chanting as practices recognised by health practitioners, scientists, educators and industry to promote psychosocial wellbeing and peace and reach our full human potential.
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