Blossoming Heart -
Emotional Spring Cleansing

Spring is the season of new birth and new beginnings - begin afresh this spring by cleansing your heart and increasing inner peace through unconditional love!.

· Often times we focus on physical cleansing. But it is also very important to spend equal time on spring cleaning for the Heart! I have noticed in my practice as an ayurvedic practitioner and yoga teacher that most health problems have their root in the heart. Most ill health comes from unresolved sorrow, anger, jealousy, hurt, loneliness or a feeling fo being misunderstood.

It is really important that we not only take car of our physical body by exercising and eating right. If we want to be truly healthy we must also make sure that we nourish and strengthen our spiritual hearts!


Some signs that the spiritual heart needs attention

1. Chronic fatigue

2. Chest pain or chronic bronchitis or pneumonia

3. Confusion and loss of memory

4. Depression

5. Extreme emotional sensitivity

6. Feelings of lonileness, anger, fear

7. Holding grudges

8. Immune disorders


There are many ways to heal the heart and clear negative emotions.

Yoga Poses and Mudras.









Ushtrasana - Camel Pose

•Stand on the knees,

• Exhale and lean back - hold, arch the back, push out the chest and drop the head back clasp the ankles.

•In the beginning it is advised to reach back and hold unto one ankle first and then switch and hold the other ankle. As the spine and front of the legs become more flexible one will be able to reach both ankles at the same time.

•Breathe deeply here and focus on opening the heart. If it is not possible to touch the ankles when the feet are flat on the floor place the toes on the floor.

• Inhale. Lower the body and sit on the heels.


Hakini Mudra Heart Goddess Gesture





•Sit in any comfortable asana

•Place the fingertips together and open the hands away from each other.

•Breathe deeply and focus on the heart chakra.


Herbs

Punarnava - helps to release negative emotions from the heart

Cardamom - helps to warm the heart


Stones

The following stones can be warn on a pendant that hangs in front of the heart:

Jade - helps to strengthen the heart and make one able to withstand more emotional pressure

Moonstone - helps to reduce moodiness and confusion

Quartz crystal - helps one to think clearly


Essential Oils

The following oils can be rubbed into the chest:

Sandalwood - makes one think more clearly, enhances spirituality

Rose - increase love


Meditation

•Visualize the heart as a twelve petaled lotus.
•Inhale and watch the petals of the lotus open

• Exhale and release all feeling of pain, sorrow, jealousy, self - hate and anger from the heart

•Chant the sound YAM pronounced yum as you exhale

•Repeat this three times


Sun Therapy

• Sit facing the sun upon sun rise and sun set.

• Lift your face up to the sun with eyes closed

•Bring the light in to the heart and visualize the heart over flowing with warm healing energy

•During this healing you can focus on a specific pain in your heart that you would wish to heal or focus on a relationship that you would like to heal or focus on increasing a certain positive emotion or reducing a specific negative emotion.

•Perform this sun healing everyday for a month and enjoy the increased inner strength and over all peace that it imbibes!