An imbalance, or worse, a blockage in your heart chakra can prevent you from living and loving freely and without constriction. In this post, we’ll cover heart chakra imbalance symptoms. We’ll also walk you through some of our favorite transformative asanas and mudras for clearing your heart center and evicting negativity from your body.

Heart Chakra Imbalance Symptoms

Heart chakra imbalance might manifest in numerous ways. This may include shying away from social events, loneliness, low self-esteem, self-criticism, skepticism and fear, inability to let go of grudges and countless other side effects from being closed off at your very center. And honestly—who has time for that? There’s too much joy to be experienced in this day-to-day life!

Heart Chakra Yoga Poses

Luckily, many yoga poses offer the opportunity to crack open your heart chakra and let your inner light shine through! Here are some of our favorites:

Bound Standing Forward Fold

A gentle forward bend with intense shoulder and heart opening, Bound Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) allows you to let go and open up at the same time. Place your feet hips’ width distance and let the weight of your torso fall atop your thighs. This pose places the heart above the head and encourages deep expansion of the shoulders, pressing the heart chakra open as the body warms its way up to more intense heart openers and back bends.

Humble Warrior

The ultimate in humility, Humble Warrior, or Baddha Virabhadrasana, asks you to succumb to the self, which can be all too necessary when faced with a blocked heart chakra. As the upper body drapes heavily atop the inner thigh, the shoulders open and the neck relaxes, while the legs stand firm in a Warrior 1 base. Humble Warrior is the perfect balance of strength and surrender, which much of yoga encourages. The heart is open, but the body is submissive—a great way to let go of fear, doubt and self-criticism.

Fish Pose

Fish Pose, or Matsyasana, is a mix of powerful heart and throat opening with a relaxed base. You can adopt a more restorative version by tucking a block between the shoulder blades and letting the head drop back. Or you can amp it up by bringing the hands beneath the sacrum and using the forearms as a base. Either way, the heart shoots toward the sky and releases stuck energy from the body.

Wheel Pose

Wheel Pose, or Urdhva Dhanurasana, is a regal backbend. The body must be warm and open to experience the full expression of this beautiful posture, and once attained, it is single-handedly the best heart chakra yoga pose! Positive energy is gained. Negative energy is released. The body is left feeling pure and calm.

Heart Chakra Mudras

A mudra is a symbolic hand gesture used to channel energy. Here are a few of our favorite heart chakra mudras.

Abhaya Hridaya Mudra

Literally translated, Abhaya Hridaya Mudra means “fearless heart seal.” Combine this courageous mudra with powerful breath, drawing it into the root of your heart center, to invoke a brave, open sense of self-love.

Lotus Mudra

Lotuses are beautiful flowers that arise from muddy waters. The lotus mudra is proof that profound growth can be experienced, even in the murkiest of times.

Ganesha Mudra

Ganesha, an elephant-headed Hindu deity, symbolizes the removal of obstacles. Practicing this mudra clears heart chakra imbalances and obscurities that keep you from tapping into your fullest potential.

Wear Openness Like A Badge Of Honor

The Inspired by Stephanie Rose collection allows you to be free in mind, body, soul and heart. Remove obstacles and crack open your heart chakra with our motivating line of attire, and notice how quickly you can regain balance, on and off the mat.