Heart Opening Yoga Poses

Heart Opening Yoga Poses

In yoga, heart-opening poses mostly refer to poses that open up the chest and shoulders.

While yoga is known to get your heart rate up and support regular heart health, heart-opening poses mostly target the heart chakra's health.

Anahata or heart chakra is the fourth primary chakra and is located at the center of our chest.

If a person had two hearts, a physical heart to pump blood and an emotional heart that experiences love, heartbreak and empathy. Our emotional heart would be the heart chakra that focuses on feelings of peace, love and self-esteem.

When our heart chakra is clogged, we find it difficult to feel love, compassion, empathy, and peace. It can feel easier to experience anger, bitterness, jealousy and worry.

Check out some of my favorite heart-opening yoga poses that will heal the heart chakra and keep our emotions in check.

1. Camel 

• Kneel with your body in an upright position. (Kneel on a blanket or soft surface as a modification.) 
• Bring both hands to your lower back (the flat part right above your butt) with all fingertips pointing down. 
• Roll your shoulders onto your back and point your elbows behind you. 
• Use your hands to push your hips forward and begin to lean back. 
• Keep your chin tucked towards your chest or choose to release your neck and open your throat by allowing your head to fall back.

2. Reverse Tabletop 

• Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. 
• Place hands directly behind you with your fingertips pointed towards your butt. 
• Press into your hands and feet to lift your hips off the ground. 
• Gently draw your shoulder blades towards each other and release your head back by tilting your chin up. 
• Tuck chin to chest and lower hips to get out of the pose. 

3. Bridge

• Lay on your back with both knees bent. 
• Press the feet into the floor and press your hips up towards the ceiling
• Press the arms and shoulders down into the mat and lift your chest
• Hold for 4 breaths & lower hips to get out of the pose. 

4. Bow

• Lay on your belly with your legs extended 
• Kick your feet up into 90-degree angles 
• Grab the OUTSIDE of your ankles by placing your hands on the bony place at your ankle. 
• Adjust your shoulders by rolling your shoulder blades onto your back. 
• On an Inhale, Press your legs into your hands and lift your chest off the floor 
• Place your gaze ahead of you and slightly up towards the ceiling. 

Get more step-by-step instructions by watching my YouTube video on Heart Opening Poses: https://youtu.be/wiVUo8jYxoY