I did promise I would continue my exploration of the Chakras in pop culture. It took awhile (okay, five months might be more than "awhile") but we're moving up the spine again.
Oh-so-long ago we left Tarzan beating his chest and screaming from his powerful solar plexus. Now we wander upward to the heart center and find Anahata, the bright green fourth Chakra. Anahata translates to "unstruck," as sound made without two things striking, but is taken to mean "unhurt" or "clean."
Located in the center of the chest, in the cardiac plexus, it's not surprising that Anahata is all about love. Being in the middle of the seven Chakras, with an equal number above and below, Anahata is the balancer and a healthy fourth Chakra creates balanced love.
Every individual has the basic right to love and be loved. Being a lover in a one-on-one relationship is part of that right, but there's more. Loving oneself and, therefore, deeming oneself worthy of others' love, is essential to Anahata's energy, as is a sense of kinship and belonging as part of a community. When you recognize your kinship to and interconnectedness with all life, you can be certain your heart center is glowing green.
The fourth Chakra inspires healthy relationships, where both parties give and receive, creating intimacy and devotion. When the scales tip too far to one side, relationships become a place of fear rather than love.
When Anahata's green light is smothered, we stop reaching out. Those with deficient fourth Chakras tend to be antisocial and intolerant, lacking the empathy needed to fit into the web of relationships. When the fourth Chakra's energy becomes excessive and consuming, we find codependency, clinging, and the green-eyed monster of jealousy.
Our friend Kermit sings of his journey to fourth Chakra balance. At first regretting being green, and blending in with ordinary things, he laments not being red or yellow, the colors of those lower Chakras that want to stand out and be seen. Then Kermit recognizes his kinship to the leaves, mountains and trees and decides that being green is beautiful. He points out that green is the color of spring, the lovers' season. In the end, Kermit is green and that's what he wants to be. He loves himself as he loves the green life around him.
Kermit is right when he says green can be "tall like a tree." Unfortunately for tall trees, they have a long way to fall. The risk of an open fourth Chakra, an open heart, is suffering great loss. It's not surprising that practices to balance Anahata include some for releasing grief.
On the yoga mat, we can find Anahata's green glow in heart-opening poses like Trikonasana (triangle), Virabhadrasana II (warrior II) and Dhanurasana (bow). Even rolling our shoulders back and down makes room for fourth Chakra energy.
When we step off our mats we can discover our green glow by playing with children and pets, those wonderful beings who love us just as we are and accept our love without fear. Look for creative projects that bring joy to ourselves and others and enjoy a good laugh every now and then. Rejoice in who you are and share your love with all who accept it and you'll be basking in green light.
And listen to Kermit, because how can you not love a singing frog?
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