Heart Openers –Open Your Heart and Feel The Love

“An Open heart is an open mind.”  – Dalai Lama

It’s hard to love with a closed heart, but it’s also hard to live. A closed heart feels a lot like isolation, depression, skepticism, non-trusting and judgement. Practicing heart openers works the heart chakra (anahata chakra), which is not only beneficial physically by opening the chest, but it also grows compassion and connection to others.

Heart openers – aka Backbends – counteract the common hunch that happens when we sit at a desk, drive our car, and look at our phones. By lifting your heart and moving your shoulders down and shoulder blades into your thoracic spine, these actions lengthen the front and back of your body while decreasing back pain, shoulder tightness and lifting your spirits.  

Some poses to practice are:

UPDOG

BRIDGE

WHEEL

Photo by John Cook

DANCER

Photo by Zach Kadolph

FLIP DOG/WILD THING

REVERSE WARRIOR

FISH

Photo by John Cook

REVERSE TABLE TOP

Photo by John Cook

You can add heart opening to poses like Warrior 1, Crescent Lunge, and Tree by taking your gaze up and back while pressing your shoulder blades into your mid-back.

 If you have any questions on how to do any of these, leave a comment and I’ll do a tutorial. Open your hearts and feel the love, yogis!