What does “Closing” the Heart mean?
There is energy flowing inside our bodies and it is called various names in different traditions, such as Chi, Prana or the Soul. The heart is the center of this energy and it facilitates the movement of it around the body by closing and opening, just like a valve.
But the heart can have blockages which disrupt the flow of energy, and in the yogic tradition this is known as Samskara. Blockages can be seen as coping mechanisms to help us survive situations that we are resisting. A Samskara is a blockage, or an impression from the past. It is an unfinished energy pattern that ends up negatively affecting a person’s life. It is a pattern of stored energy that cycles through time from the past. It is caused by resistance to fully experiencing difficult events. These blockages, which would have started when a person was a baby, and continued up until today, are all stored here. They encrust the valve of the spiritual heart, and restrict the flow of energy throughout the body.
When we close our hearts, they don’t get sufficient energy flow. They can then develop negative or depressed energy, which can just build up.
How to Open the Heart
It is theoretically quite simple to undo the closing process and to start opening the knots that have been created in the heart. When an uncomfortable situation arises, do not react to it, instead just be a “witness” to it. Observe it. For example, a close friend refuses your help with something, and you feel some tension building up in your heart. When this happens, stop and take a step back. What is happening? You are clenching your jaw, and you are starting to feel angry and offended. Instead of getting carried away by this emotion, see, feel and listen to what is happening inside of you. Is it fear of being useless that you are feeling? Is it a feeling of abandonment? Allow the experiences to come to the surface and pass through you. If old energies and memories come up, it is time to let them go now. This is your chance to purify your heart.
We can also release Samskara through daily yoga practices. Although yoga can keep your body healthy, that is not the only benefit. Yoga is mostly a practice of being conscious and it gives us a way to experience liberation. Often yoga practice comes with pain. It can make you feel hot in the heart, which is called the fire of yoga. Pain is the price that we sometimes must pay for our liberation. But once you are not afraid of the pain, you will live without fear.
The gift of this process is an open heart. You live in love. Your heart goes through its purification, and it is wonderful.
The Journey with Open Heart
Living your purpose without fear and with love is a wonderful thing. When you experience life as a gift instead of fighting with it, you will be moved to the depth of your being. The spiritual journey is a lifetime process. When you feel such peace and love, you will choose to be on this path. Because nothing is worth closing your heart over.
