Heart Opening Flow for Love and Compassion

Connecting with the energy of the heart (and its chakra) is a great way to tap into compassion and love for self and others.

The poses laid out here, will help you to open the heart space with chest openers and back bends.

They are a bit more intermediate in nature, and no props are needed.

1. Broken Wing – Begin laying on the belly. Extending the right arm out, with the elbow in line with the head and fingers reaching forward. Palm pressing in to the floor. Roll onto the left hip, left shoulder and ear. Pushing the right hand in to the ground. Bend the knee if you like. Breathing in to the space of the heart.

Repeat on the other side.

2. Sphinx – Roll back on to the belly. Bringing the forearms and palms flat to the floor in front of you. Push into the tops of the feet. Lift the chest up. Visualizing the heart chakra and a glowing green light.

3. Puppy Pose – Push up to hands and knees. Keep the hips over the knees. Walk the hands forward. Melting the forehead and chest to the mat. Draw the low belly in a bit to avoid sinking in to the low back and focus on opening the chest.

4. Camel Variation – Come up to sit back on the heels. Keep the knees hip width apart. Bring the left fingers back behind you. Swing the right arm up and over. Pressing the hips up as high as they’ll go. Lower down after a few breaths. Try on the other side

5. Low Lunge with Heart Opening Back Bend – Come to downward dog. Step the right foot to the top of the mat. Lower the back knee down. Press to lift the upper body. Reach hands up overhead. Bring the palms together. Bend the elbows and bring hands to the back of the head. Leaning back and adding a backbend. Broadening through the chest.

6. Wild Thing – Come back to three legged dog, kicking the right leg up. Bend into the knee and kicking the foot to glute. Stay here or drop the foot down behind you. Reach the right arm up and over. Pushing into the feet and lifting the hips up.

Repeat 5 and 6 on the other side.

7. Bridge – Flip over to the back. Bringing the feet to the floor. Arms down by the sides. Roll the shoulders down, opening the chest. Push into the heels and squeeze the glutes to lift the hips up as high as they’ll go. Optionally lift the heels up.

Be sure to finish with some spinal twists and a savasana before you get up.

These come from a 20 minute yoga flow I released earlier this week.