Heart Opener

This pose will create more space in the front body, so you will be able to breathe deeper. Heart openers expand your chest and rib cage, making them more receptive and free.

On an emotional level, the heart opener can support you in standing up tall. We must continually practice to stand up for ourselves in a balance of facing the world and keep our own values intact. The Heart Opener will assist you in this and allow for your heart to stay open to receive the blessings in your life.

When you have a rounded back and your chest collapses, it’s a posture of meekness and submission. Opening your heart does the exact opposite, telegraphing confidence and authority. Spending long hours working at desks, bent over keyboards makes the spine rounded, which causes back pain. It is important to counteract this posture with heart openers.

If your heart is closed down for protection purposes after a period of pain or hurt, the heart will need to practice trust again to open again, to receive again. This pose is a subtle, but powerful practice for doing just that - in your own private space and time.

THE POSE

If you have a prop like a bolster, blanket or block handy, a restorative heart opener is a wonderful place to start your exploration.

Place the prop so that it will support your back from the bottom of your shoulder blades up when you lie down on it. The legs can be in any position: outstretched, knees bent, goddess pose. You may want another prop to support your head.

Stay in this position for several minutes as your back melts over the prop and feel your body release tension as your breath deepens and your front body opens.