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I’ve been waiting for this question for a while. Mine opened suddenly near the end of a nine year meditation retreat when i really threw myself into my practice, and I was meditating 16 hours a day or more. I went through a spiritual death type of experience where everything became unbearable and i wished i would die. It was like being pushed through a pinhole sized opening. I barely made it through.
Then I started feeling love. The middle of my chest felt full of aching love all the time, day & night. The feeling of love kept getting stronger and stronger until it physically hurt and I thought, ‘this is nice but I don’t think my heart can hold anymore love without breaking.’ And then it broke. It felt like it actually physically cracked open and started spraying out elemental love like a sprinkler, 24/7; I could feel it when I was asleep, awake, and in my dreams. I could see my heart chakra when I closed my eyes, opening like a daisy with millions of petals coming out of a single point in the center. Everything looked so beautiful. I had endless energy, I suddenly had no worry about the past or the future, and I realized everything I need in life (besides some food and some sleep) is inside my own heart. I remembered that was how I used to feel as a small child; I had forgotten what it was like to be happy! I rememered this was how I felt at 8 or 9 years old, laying in bed at night, looking at the ceiling, nascent and open and excited just to exist.
I stopped taking antidepressants and anxiolytics that I had been taking for more than a decade, basically overnight. I realized that I’m essentially nothing— the real ‘me’ is unaffected by the ups and downs of daily life. I’m just the awareness of everything. I can be nothing, then everything, then nothing again, every few seconds. I realized that there is nothing to freak out about, ever. If something happens that I don’t like I can bring all my awareness inside my heart and watch the situation change. I realized I generally don’t really need anything from anyone, and in an interaction I can just focus on the other person, serving them and trying to give them what they need. I can watch with compassion as they try to negotiate to get what they want. I can skip right to the giving part. We mostly just want to be loved and cared for. I saw what abundance we would have if we just gave without needing anything or worrying about what we’re getting back.
The highest yogic meditative state is called the turiya state which is said to be beyond waking, dreaming & deep sleep. I always thought it must be way out in outer space somewhere hard to find. It’s not; it’s inside the heart. You can feel it every moment of every hour of every day, waking or sleeping. Baghavan Nityananda said the heart is the hub of all holy places— go there and roam. Once your heart is open there is literally nothing else to do but to let yourself go deeper into that experience and be grateful for it. Relax & breathe and let go of absolutely everything else.
The old cliche about there being nothing to fear but fear itself turns out to be true. If you hold on to nothing but your heart and react to everything that happens with love, there’s nothing to protect or defend. I think reacting with tension, fear and negativity just perpetuates suffering. Love is both the path and the goal. Just to love everyone and everything in a simple unconditional way, exactly as it is…
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Vagus Nerve & Chakras: The Mind-Body Connection
The vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) and the chakra system both play crucial roles in regulating physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. While the vagus nerve is a physiological structure controlling the parasympathetic nervous system, chakras are energy centers in yogic traditions. Many holistic healing approaches suggest that the vagus nerve and chakras are interconnected, influencing mind-body balance.
Vagus Nerve Overview
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The longest cranial nerve, running from the brainstem down to the abdomen.
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Regulates heart rate, digestion, breath, and emotional state (linked to the parasympathetic nervous system).
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Stimulating the vagus nerve promotes calmness, healing, and higher states of awareness.
Chakras & Their Possible Vagus Nerve Connection
| Chakra | Location | Vagus Nerve Connection | Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown (Sahasrara) | Top of head | Higher consciousness, possibly linked to the vagus nerve's role in deep relaxation and spiritual states. | Spiritual awakening, bliss, oneness. |
| Third Eye (Ajna) | Between eyebrows | Vagus nerve interacts with the hypothalamus & pineal gland, affecting intuition and vision. | Intuition, perception, inner wisdom. |
| Throat (Vishuddha) | Throat | The vagus nerve controls the larynx & vocal cords, influencing speech and expression. | Clear communication, truth, self-expression. |
| Heart (Anahata) | Center of chest | Directly influenced by vagus nerve regulation of heart rate variability (HRV). | Love, emotional balance, compassion. |
| Solar Plexus (Manipura) | Upper abdomen | Linked to vagus nerve's role in digestion & gut-brain connection. | Confidence, personal power, motivation. |
| Sacral (Swadhisthana) | Lower abdomen | Possible vagus nerve involvement in reproductive & digestive health. | Creativity, emotions, sensuality. |
| Root (Muladhara) | Base of spine | Vagus nerve influences relaxation, grounding, and survival responses. | Stability, security, connection to earth. |
How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve & Align Chakras
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Deep Breathing – Activates vagus nerve & balances all chakras.
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Chanting & Mantras (OM, Bija Sounds) – Vibrations stimulate the vagus nerve, especially Throat, Heart, & Third Eye Chakras.
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Meditation & Visualization – Supports Crown & Third Eye Chakra activation.
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Cold Exposure & Yoga – Tones the vagus nerve and strengthens Solar Plexus Chakra.
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Heart-Centered Practices (Compassion, Gratitude) – Boosts vagal tone and Heart Chakra energy.
Key Takeaway
The vagus nerve and chakras share a deep link in balancing nervous system function, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. By activating the vagus nerve through breathwork, meditation, and sound, one can also stimulate and harmonize the chakras, leading to greater health and awareness.
Would you like a guided vagus nerve stimulation & chakra meditation? 😊
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Anahata Chakra is more commonly known as the Heart Chakra. The literal Sanskrit translation of "anahata" is "unhurt, unstuck, or unbeaten." The Heart Chakra is perfectly situated in the middle of your body, balancing the world of matter (lower three chakras) with the world of spirit (upper three chakras).
The Sanskrit word implies that deep beneath our personal stories of suffering and pain lies boundless love and compassion. Wouldn't it be nice to tap into the next time your anger overwhelms you?
Determining whether your chakras are balanced is quite an elusive subject; people often seek healers or reiki masters to rebalance them, when it's just as easy to look inward and dig deeper within yourself.
Signs your heart chakra may be blocked include feelings of shyness and loneliness. If you have an inability to forgive or a tendency to lack empathy, then you may be leading with your head more often than your heart.
Flip that the opposite way and an overpowering chakra can include feelings of codependency, and looking outward for acceptance or fulfillment. Intense jealousy or harsh judgment of others is also a red flag.
If you fall into the blocked category, figuring out how to rebalance your chakras really boils down to repressed emotions. Whether it's a traumatic event stemming from childhood that you can't even remember, or a grudge you're holding so tightly from last week. When you repress your feelings, your heart chakra's balance gets out of whack.
Try to set these three intentions to extinguish your repressed emotions, whether you're consciously aware of them or not:
1. Be open with your emotions.
Any way you want! Whether you write them down or scream out loud, you need to let them out. Be extremely honest and open with every word; don’t hold anything back. Write coming from the heart — it’s always painful, but it’s part of the healing process. Even if you have no intention of anyone else reading what you write, it's so helpful to put your feelings into words so that you can become comfortable, aware, and at peace with it.
2. Stop clinging to your feelings.
You get what you give. Practicing yoga really helps with this, because it teaches you to live in the present moment. Dwelling in past loves or past problems only brings us down, and if we stress about the future then we aren't living fully. Like most things in life, it’s easier said than done. Do yourself a favor and consciously work on this one!
3. Practice the art of acceptance.
A good rule of thumb is "If you can’t change it, forget it." Why stress about something or someone you have no control over? It’s a waste of time and energy. Instead, focus on what you can control. That’s what will bring you contentment and happiness. Set your daily intention to going with the flow and letting it be.
Try incorporating these three reminders into your daily life, and always remember that love is the greatest healer. Especially love for yourself. Keeping this intention while practicing asana will help open your heart. A few great poses to aid you in "opening your heart" are camel pose, eagle pose, and a back-bending practice. The heart chakra is represented by the color green. Eat more dark green leafy vegetables and drink green tea.
Bija Mantras are also a great way to connect with your chakras. The heart chakra is associated with the vibrational sound of "YAM." Chant this when you feel yourself closing your heart to the world, and instead lead passionately with your heart.
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The Path of Buddha is of self-experience. Buddha always said, "Know it by your own experience. Do not merely believe it because it has been declared by someone else, not even by me".
Practitioners of Buddha's time had walked different spiritual paths and failed. They realized that despite their concentration meditation methods, their minds still succumbed to negativity. Buddha helped them realize that the cause of suffering is the mind itself. Therefore the purification of the mind was more important than mere concentration.
If you have realized that the mind needs to be purified and you are ready for the strictest self-discipline for diving into awareness, hop on to the bandwagon of Buddha.
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