Opening The Heart

By Jennifer Kelleher

There is something about this time of year that draws our attention back to the heart. Spring arrives with longer days, softer air, and the subtle feeling that something within us is waking up again. After months of winter’s introspection and stillness, we begin to feel a gentle upward movement in our bodies and spirits. Nature mirrors this beautifully: buds open, the earth softens, and life begins to stretch toward the sun.

In yoga, this movement toward openness can be associated with the heart center, known as ‘Anahata’ in the chakra system. Located at the center of the chest, Anahata is said to be the meeting place between our lower, more physical energies and the higher, more expansive aspects of our being. It is the bridge between body and spirit, between grounding and growth.

The word Anahata translates loosely to “unstruck” or “unhurt,” referring to a sound or resonance that exists without two things striking together. It suggests something pure and steady at the center of us– a place that remains whole even when life around us becomes complicated.

Many traditions speak about the heart as a center of love and compassion, but in yoga philosophy it is also the seat of balance and connection. When the heart is open, we often feel a sense of trust in life itself. We are able to give and receive more freely. We move through the world with greater ease.

Yet opening the heart is not always simple.

Emotionally, many of us carry experiences that encourage us to close off a little– perhaps to protect ourselves, to brace against disappointment, or to hold our stories tightly in the chest. Over time, these emotional patterns can subtly shape our posture and our breathing. We round forward, shoulders creeping inward. The front of the body becomes guarded.

Interestingly, modern science reflects what yogis have observed for centuries: our physical posture and emotional state are deeply interconnected. Research in neuroscience and psychology suggests that body position can influence mood, energy, and even confidence levels. When we expand the chest and breathe deeply, we stimulate the vagus nerve and the parasympathetic nervous system, helping the body shift into a more relaxed and open state.

This is one of the reasons backbends are such a powerful part of yoga practice. Backbends encourage the front of the body to open– stretching the chest, shoulders, hip flexors, and quadriceps, while strengthening the muscles that support the spine. Many people assume flexibility in the back is the key to a backbend, but the movement is more about creating space and support throughout the entire body.

Healthy backbends rely on a mobile thoracic spine, open shoulders, length through the hip flexors, and a strong, engaged core that protects the lower back. When these elements work together, the posture feels less like forcing the body into a shape and more like an organic expansion.

Energetically, many students describe heart-opening poses as uplifting or even liberating. There is a sense of vulnerability in lifting the chest and exposing the heart, but also a quiet courage. The practice invites us to soften where we have hardened and to remember that openness does not mean weakness, it means trust.

One of my favorite affirmations connected to the heart center is simple but powerful: I am whole and I am healed just as I am. There is nothing I lack. My heart is open to the fullness of life.

Sometimes the greatest healing is remembering that the heart itself already knows this. This month at Ocean Bliss Yoga, we are welcoming the renewing energy of spring by exploring practices that gently open the heart– physically, emotionally, and energetically. I’ll be offering a special 90-minute pop-up class focused on safe, supported backbends on Wednesday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. We’ll prepare the body step by step– unlocking the thoracic spine, opening the shoulders and hip flexors, and building the strength that allows backbends to feel spacious rather than strained.

We’ll close the evening with an extended savasana surrounded by candlelight and the soothing resonance of singing bowls, followed by tea and a moment to simply rest. $33. Sign up: www.oceanblissyoga.net/workshops. Call: 917-318-1168.

If you’re feeling the quiet call of spring, to open, soften, and breathe a little deeper, I hope you’ll join us.