Indicators of a Blocked Heart Chakra and How to Unblock It

The seven chakras may be something you’ve heard about if you’ve ever taken a yoga or meditation class. The heart chakra, or Anahata (the fourth chakra), is located at the center of the chest. Close to the heart, this chakra governs the energy dealing with matters of love, relationships, emotions, and connection. 

Sometimes, the heart chakra becomes blocked, and the energy becomes stagnant. This happens during times of trauma, depression, anxiety, and grief. 

While there are many signs and symptoms that your heart chakra may be blocked, here at the top 5 symptoms and how they manifest. 

“There is deep wisdom within our very flesh if we can only come to our senses and feel it.” 

– Elizabeth Behnke

Negative heart chakra blockage symptoms

Anger

One of the most common instances of a blocked heart chakra is anger. This anger stems from past hurts, failed relationships, and “what ifs.” 

Until the past memories have been resolved or you’re able to adjust your perspective on the situation, the anger will continue to burn at the center of the Anahata chakra. Forgiveness, empathy, and compassion are often the best remedies for letting go of anger, especially anger associated with love. 

Learning to release any blame from everyone involved can help you grow, release this anger, and put out the fire that it burns. 

Breast cancer

The heart chakra is located near the breast area and can cause complications if the energy center becomes stagnant. Healthy organs, tissue, and muscle require a flow of energy, and if there are issues with the heart chakra, the surrounding functions of the body can become impaired. 

Adding a chakra balancing technique alongside traditional cancer treatment can help promote healing and get to the root cause of the ailment. You may have to spend time in self-reflection to uncover the specific cause of your heart chakra blockage. 

Once identified, practicing ways to remove these blockages can be helpful in creating positive change within the body.

Loneliness

Loneliness is a feeling most people will struggle with at some point in their life. The heart chakra governs connection, wholeness, and love. 

Relationships, whether they’re romantic or platonic, aren’t necessarily forever. When certain relationships end or a sense of disconnection occurs, it can cause feelings of loneliness.

These feelings manifest due to a disturbance within the heart center. When you experience loneliness, it’s a sign that you’ve invested too much energy into an external source of power. 

If you’ve had a relationship end and now feel an emptiness in your chest, this is your heart chakra’s way of showing you that it’s time to find wholeness and connection within yourself. 

You’ve invested more energy into connecting with others, neglecting your own internal union. When you love yourself and feel whole, even when external relationships end, you still remain complete. 

Working toward cultivating self-love and wholeness is the best method for combating feelings of loneliness. 

Panic attacks

Feeling anxious and anxiety-ridden can take away from your quality of life. Untreated anxiety often leads to panic attacks, which manifest as periods of fear and extreme physical sensations that can often immobilize someone. 

One of the main symptoms of a panic attack is the inability to breathe properly and pain in the chest region. When the heart chakra nadis are stagnant or blocked, they can affect the flow of energy within the heart center. 

The heart chakra is connected to the respiratory system and can cause periods of troubled breathing. The fear that’s associated with these panic attacks may be a fear of love or fear of loving others. 

Working towards opening your heart space, welcoming in love, and comfortably expressing love to the people in your life can help relieve these symptoms and help balance the energies in this chakra. 

Back pain

A blocked heart chakra can cause tightness and pain in your back, specifically the upper and middle regions. While both of these areas can experience issues, they both have different causes. 

Upper back pain happens when you feel unable to offer love. You may be going through a time when you aren’t in a place to express love outwardly or aren’t able to find reasons to love yourself. 

Clearing a blocked heart chakra

It’s important to understand that times like this happen, and when they do, you can always find your way back again. If you struggle to express love, it can feel like a weight on your back, creating pain and discomfort in the upper region. 

The truth is, there are many things that you truly love, yet you might not have the energy to acknowledge them. It’s helpful to start small, such as with your favorite food, your pets, or even just how the sun feels on your skin. 

Use these small joys to realize just how much love you have for the world, and try to emulate those feelings for yourself, your own unique traits and qualities, and the people in your life. 

Middle back pain happens when you’ve held on to pain and hurt regarding past experiences of love. Many times, you weren’t provided with a closure or allowed to feel the closure needed to let go of the pain associated with a specific event. 

If you’ve been wronged, hurt, or betrayed, energy can become stagnant in your heart chakra and cause tightness in your middle back. While it’s natural to hold on to these feelings, you’re the only one who has to bear the weight of them. 

If you’ve held on to the pain of your own actions and how they’ve affected the lives of others, there is a need for forgiveness that must take place in order to help break up this pain in your middle back. 

Yoga can be very beneficial for releasing old energies, emotions, and memories in the back region. Spending time each day stretching your upper and middle back and consciously practicing forgiveness can help alleviate the pain felt in these regions. 

Check out this video, where spiritualist Teal Swan, explains how to open your heart chakra properly. 

Sources

• https://lucidbody.com/blog/grief-and-rage-the-connection-between-4th-and-1st-chakras/
• https://www.drnorthrup.com/energetic-breast-and-heart-disease-prevention/
• https://vitali-chi.co/blogs/jills-health-beauty-wellbeing-blog/are-you-lonely-tonight-loneliness-heart-chakra
• https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mental-health/panic-disorder