Staying in the present moment also helps to transform resentments into forgiveness. It’s a “state of allowing” that simply means allowing life to move through us. This is our natural and intended way of being. It is a state of total aliveness and acceptance of ourselves and our lives. As soon as we move out of the present we move into judgment: judgment about the past or the future. The past is meant to be a place of reflection, of lessons learned, and the future is the untapped possibilities of what’s to come. But the mind can get in the way. Through judgments we hold onto experiences instead of allowing them to move through us and this takes us out of the present moment. We hold the judgment within our hearts, our minds and our bodies. This makes us tired, depleted and toxic, just like our silk nets. The end result is harbored resentments.

So what is forgiveness? It’s the transcendence of any judgment through forgiveness for oneself. We are all here to learn forgiveness. To do so, there has to be something within our lives to forgive and this is not always easy. To truly forgive another, we have to forgive ourselves. Forgiveness is not about freeing us from being judged, it’s about freeing the judgment from us so that we can be free.

The Heart Chakra

The heart chakra is the chakra of love and peace. When this chakra is balanced you will experience more love, acceptance, compassion and peace. You will be free from un-forgiveness, depression, guilt, resentment and bitterness so your relationships can become more life-affirming and supportive.

Anahata: The heart center is one of the most important chakras because it can bring balance to all the other chakras. Located in the middle of the chest, this chakra is at the heart of our being.

The Hindu symbol for this chakra is a twelve-petalled lotus flower with two triangles in the middle. One triangle points down towards the lower three chakras representing physical matter. The other points up to represent the three chakras rising towards spirit. People who live in the heart space have a deeper understanding for life and are innately more compassionate, gentle and caring.

On a physical level, this chakra is responsible for regulating the small intestine, the physical heart (emotional heart) and the thymus gland (spiritual heart.) The air element influences this chakra which helps us rise out of the basic needs of our physical life and into the higher, non-tangible realm of blessings. The gift of this chakra is freedom to express our true nature from a place of love, compassion and deep connection to all of life.

Yoga Postures to open the Heart Chakra

Bhujangasana – Cobra Pose: Lay on tummy. Bend the elbows and place the hands beneath the shoulders, or slightly forward of the shoulders if you have limited flexibility in your back. Breathe in as you slowly curve your chest upwards, raising up the chest one vertebrae at a time, with slight pressure on the hands. Lift the sternum. Keep the pubic bone connected to the floor. Keep the shoulders down and away from the ears. Take several breaths. Exhale and slowly lower the chest down to the floor, one vertebrae at a time.

Ustrasana – Camel Pose: Kneeling, inhale and extend your chest upwards, lengthening the spine. Arch your back and open the chest upwards. Place your hands either on your back, heels or soles of the feet depending on your flexibility. Be sure to hold your neck where it is comfortable in this pose.

Module 2 Progress:

[progressally_objectives]