Your spiritual body isn't an amorphous blob; its energy has shape to it, and centers of activity that correspond to your physical body's organs and nervous system. These centers are commonly referred to as chakras.
The heart chakra takes many hits over the course of a lifetime. This is especially true for sensitive, "soft-hearted" people. Some tend to close off their spiritual heart as a protective measure. Since the heart serves as a connective center between the lower chakras (root, sacral, and solar plexus) and upper chakras (throat, third eye, and crown), it is beneficial for your overall well-being to keep it clear and open. If your physical body's heart experienced trauma, you would give it care. Your spiritual body needs TLC too.
Aside from the obvious methods such as talk therapy and/or energy work, here are some do-it-yourself suggestions to heal and strengthen your spiritual body's heart center:
Listen, and Visualize. As a vibrational sound therapist, my go-to tool is meditation with Solfeggio frequencies. The heart's frequency is 639 hz: https://youtu.be/s2lFMMo7XzM I provide this link only as an example of the tone... I suggest you search the internet for a more relaxing 639 hz download that appeals to you. Or, you can match the 639 hz tone by humming. It's a good way to meditate: it's free, it moves self-made healing vibration through your physical body, and wherever you are, your "hum" is right there with you! Listen to the tone, keep it in your mind, settle in to your meditation space, breathe deeply, and hum away. Some 639 hz meditations have titles like "Heal your relationship! Attract love!" If you like how they sound, then go for it. Yet be mindful that this is not about romance. It's about you... about healing your spiritual body. Relationships with others will fall into place naturally when your heart center is balanced. Healthy people attract healthy people, and unhealthy people attract unhealthy people. While focusing on your chosen 639 hz tone, visualize your heart as a tightly closed fist. It holds on to the hurt feelings, disappointments, and abuses you have suffered. It holds on to grudges, and refuses to forgive. See it gripping down hard, holding those negative emotions inside you. As the minutes goes by, visualize the fist relaxing and slowly opening. Watch as the hand releases each finger one by one. Stretch the fingers out wide and open the palm flat. Feel the release of the open hand. You may want to picture a tiny black bird in the palm of the hand, who flies up and away, carrying those hurts with her. Or, tear drops rising up out of the hand one by one, floating up away from you and disappearing into the sun. This is a personal exercise, and once you try it a few times you may be surprised what you see. Certain people may come to mind. If tears start to flow, let them flow out of you. Better out than in.
Use Your Eyes. The heart chakra's color is green. On days that you do the meditation exercise, feast your eyes on the color green. Wear a green shirt, eat green foods, gaze upon beautiful things that are green such as grass, crystals, jewelry, and works of art. Creating your own art, or decorating a small space in your home using green, would be ideal.
Serve others, and expect nothing in return. No matter how crappy your life situation is, I promise you there is someone who has it worse. Get out there and serve them. Volunteer to help suffering people or animals. Leave a surprise gift on someone's doorstep. Donate anonymously to a friend's cause. This is not about you getting credit for good deeds. This is about growing your unconditional love (heart), not your ego (brain). We often hear, "Love Love Love, it's all about unconditional love!" But what does that mean? How do you experience it? The answer is, anonymous service to others. As you run back to your car giggling to yourself in the dark because you just snuck a surprise gift onto someone's porch, you will feel the joy of unconditional love.
Hang Out With a Dog. Your heart radiates an electromagnetic field that extends well beyond your physical body.
The same is true for animals, in varying degrees. A content domesticated animal's heart center feels clean and strong when you put yourself close to it.
These animals have pure heart energy unhampered by the busy, frenetic activity of the human brain. If you have a dog who cuddles, a cat who lays purring on your chest, or a horse you can hug, you are in luck! If you don't have a pet, visit a friend with a large, big-hearted dog and offer to play fetch in the yard. Don't spend the playtime chatting with your friend. Quietly focus on the dog's joy as you play. You'll pick up on that joy in your own heart.
5. Sing like a bird, dance like no one's watching. This is about using sound from the inside out, and the outside in, to energize your heart center. Birds don't sing to entertain us, nor do they have to care how they sound. Neither do you! Find some time alone to sing your heart out. You are letting OUT what has been trapped IN. Whether it's a joyful song, or angry, or sad, doesn't matter. Are you pissed off? Try Walk by Pantera. Want to cheer up? Sing Happy by Pharell Williams. Need a good cry? Without You by Harry Nilsson might do the trick. Let it out... better out than in! Dance is another time-honored method of spiritual healing and release. It doesn't have to be anything sacred or complicated. In the words of Lady Gaga, just dance. Not in the mood? Try Parliament Funkadelic. It works every time. Go ahead and try to listen without moving... I'll wait.
6. Forgive others, and expect nothing in return. They never need to know you have forgiven them. Holding on to a grudge hurts you, not them. If the offender is still in your life, work on forgiveness while also setting healthy boundaries. Seek the help of a professional if needed. If you can't afford therapy, a trained volunteer or wise friend who will let you get it off your chest on a regular basis can help you achieve the freeing release of forgiveness. You may also want to try cord-cutting meditations, since energy cords that no longer serve us often remain attached to the heart chakra. If you have nagging thoughts of someone who hurt you, even though you've worked through it in therapy, you may simply have a lingering energy cord that needs to be cut with firm intention.
7. Give it up to God. If you believe in God, you have a strong partner to carry you through this healing journey. All you have to do is invite him/her/it to help you achieve wholeness. If it's been a while since you prayed, no problem. God isn't going anywhere, and is fully available to you 24/7. Just pray. Just ask. If you don't believe in God, suggestions 1 - 6 will benefit you. Set the intention to heal and strengthen your heart center, practice, and you will see results.
Incorporating these practices into your schedule regularly, especially in combination with talk therapy or energy healing, will help bring your spiritual heart to peak condition, just as aerobic exercise conditions your physical heart. As your spiritual heart grows stronger, you will gain access to the highest of human joys; boundless, unconditional love. You will feel more in tune with yourself, and with the world around you.
Wishing you sound spirit, sound mind, sound body.
Mary
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