Fourth Chakra – Heart Chakra - Anahata

posted by Jackie Gaston


This post is part of an ongoing series about the chakra system.  If you would prefer to read all of the information in one place, please go to my goodies page and download my free ebook, Chakras 101.





Symbol: Twelve-petaled lotus, circle containing two intersecting triangles


Location: Heart


Color: green


Stones: emerald, jade, green tourmaline, rose quartz


Musical Note: F#


Scents: rose, geranium, palmarosa , lavender



Body Parts: heart, shoulders, arms, hands, lungs, thymus gland, breasts


Sense: Touch


Foods: leafy green vegetables


Asanas: camel, cobra, fish


Planet: Venus


Astrological sign: Libra


Element: Air


The fourth chakra's location in the middle of the body makes it the bridge between the lower and higher chakras. The first three chakras are concerned with the individual self in terms of survival, creation and power. The heart chakra balances these elements with the last three chakras which are more concerned with the connection to the higher realms. It's energy is mostly feminine with nurturing qualities.


The fourth chakra relates to the planet Venus which is named for the goddess of love. It is notable that the Goddess Venus was said to live between the heavens and the earth which seems appropriate for the chakra which connects the lower and upper chakras.


Libra with its scale relates to the heart chakras tendency to seek balance between the higher (head) chakras and the lower (body centered) chakras. Libra is also a sign that is associated with relationships which are ruled by the hears.


An out of balance fourth chakra is sometimes expressed as jealously, neediness, low energy, over sensitivity or putting the needs of others ahead of ones own. In physical terms it can be associated with breast or lung cancer, heart disease or a tendency to injure the hands, arms or shoulders.


A person with a balanced and healthy heart chakra is loving and giving but is very self aware when it comes to taking care of his/her own needs. This person is accepting of him or herself which allows him/her to be more accepting of others. He/she tends to attract people who don't have agendas.

That Inner Voice
posted by Jackie Gaston



Chuck Pyle calls them his posse. Jim Patton claims to have at least 27 voices in his head. We all have them. The problem is, which one to listen to at any given time. If they wouldn’t all talk at once, life would be so much easier.

You know what I mean. There is the voice that says,” That cookie sure would taste good.” And the voice that says, “Hey, I thought we were trying to lose a few pounds” followed by “it’s just one cookie.”

Then there are those voices that offer advice and we just don’t listen. They say, ”This is not a good idea” but we have already told someone we would do something and don’t know how to get out of it. Sure enough, it turns out to be something we feel that we would have been better off not doing. Of course, if we don’t do it, the guilt voice chimes in loud and clear.


So how do you get in touch with your inner voice, the one that really speaks to you highest good ? Sometimes you don't have to do anything at all. When you start to do something and you get that feeling that is just doesn't feel right, that's your inner voice.


When the same phrase or item keeps showing up in your life over and over again, that's your inner voice. All you have to do is notice it. An example of this in my life is when North Carolina kept showing up in my life. I'd see photos of it in magazines. Someone would mention it in a casual conversation. It would be in the news for some reason. It was happening frequently enough that I had a conversation with a friend about it. A few weeks later I met this great guy from...North Carolina. Because I'd had all these North Carolina things showing up, I may have paid him a little more attention than I normally would have. We've been together 14 years now.

I find that meditation is a great way to contact it. Ask for guidance before you start to meditate and be open to whatever thoughts drift through your mind.

The simplest way that I've found to get an answer from my inner voice is to ask it a question directly. I ask if one option is a good one for me and take a deep slow breath noticing how I feel it in my body. Does my body feel tight somewhere or is there relief? Then I ask about the opposite option and repeat the process. One option is going to feel a lot better than the other.

There are times when I am better at selecting which voice to heed and which ones to tell to shut up than at other times. I ask which one best serves my greatest good at this moment. That one usually gets louder if I get very quiet. Then I listen carefully to whatever it has to say. It hasn’t been wrong yet.

An interview with Linda Bucher
posted by Jackie Gaston

Ever wonder what makes anyone want to go it alone in business? There are probably as many reasons as there are solo business owners.  In an effort to shine a light on the subject, I'm featuring a series of interviews with solopreneurs from several fields of business.  Today's interview is with Linda Bucher, life and business coach.


Please tell me a little about yourself and your business.


Hi! I'm Linda Bucher. I'm a master certified life coach and coach mentor, a mom
and a musician, and I'm proud to say that I manifested the man of my dreams. I love to help people uncover their a-ha moments in life and business. More about me and more for you at lindabucher.com


How long have you been a solopreneur?


I left my corporate job as an IT project manager in March 2010 and have been
building a thriving coaching practice ever since.


Who do you serve through your business? Who is your perfect client?


My clients for both life coaching and coach mentoring are ready to take charge,
change and move forward. I especially love working with women who know there are bigger things waiting for them and are ready to build the coaching practice that supports that dream.


What was your intention when you created your business and do you feel that
your intention has changed since you started?

My original intention? I just wanted to help! I had a deep desire to help everyone with everything. Now I recognize that not everyone's journey is toward expansion is like mine, and that there are specific people whom I am meant to guide. Now my intention is to be there for those people.


What do you feel has been the biggest challenge you've faced in getting started and maintaining a business that supports you?


The bigger challenge I faced was the time I wasted trying to emulate how other successful coaches have done business, when all I needed was to give myself permission to do things my way and define what success means for me.


How do you feel that the Law of Attraction comes into play in your business?

A few years ago, I was overwhelmed with things I didn't want to do or that
required expertise I didn't have. In a journaling exercise, I envisioned what I
wanted my practice to feel like in terms of time, space and flexibility. I imagined doing the things that made me shine, feel good and made use of my talents, and opened myself up to trust that the Universe and the Law of Attraction would take care of the rest. I spent time in that feeling and, being in that place today - with a "First Officer" that helps me manage my business - feels just as delicious.


Do you differentiate your business personality from your private self or do you
feel the two are well integrated? Please give some examples or tell me how it
comes together for you.


I'm in complete alignment between Linda the entrepreneur and Linda the person and, as a solopreneur and service provider, I don't think there's any better way to run a business. In my business, my ideal clients are former versions of me - while it's easy for me to recognize them, they won't recognize me unless I share all of me. That means being completely transparent, authentic and open.


Have you ever had a big flop when launching a product or program? If so what
did you learn from the experience?


Three years ago, I prepared and launched a six-week program…to crickets.
There was absolutely zero interest. I learned an important lesson about
connecting with my audience. I hadn't taken the time or made the effort to
connect with or even put myself in front of the right people - so I was standing in the dark waiting for people to find me.


Tell me about a big success you've experienced in your business. I'm interested
in how the idea came to you, what intention(s) you set before you created it, and why you consider it a success.


My biggest success wasn't a product or a service; it was getting over the hill of
confidence in my business. Before I hit that point, I was always worried and there was always some obstacle keeping me small. The confidence happened almost accidentally. I entered master coach training to improve my skills and have an expansive experience, but what I came out with was the confidence I needed to expand my vision for my business and truly serve my clients in a big way.

Any words of wisdom for others who are interested in starting a one person business?

Get to know who you are first. Get clear on what success looks like for you,
separating out external expectations and things you think you "should" do, want  or feel. Do the things you love and are naturally good at. Hire someone else to do  the rest. Finally, trust yourself, trust your instincts, and trust the Universe.

Kindness

posted by Jackie Gaston


We are usually quick to grouse about the little rudenesses (is that a word?) that 'happen to us' out in the wide world...the driver who cuts us off, the shopping cart left in the middle of the isle, the slow line at the check out because the store manager did not plan well.

How often do we over look the kindnesses that come our way? I have been making an effort to notice each and every one. Despite the influx of people from all over the world into Austin, it is still hanging on to its soul somehow. It is seldom that anyone honks at another driver and that certainly is not the case in at least one other place in which I have lived. If you need to change lanes and simply put on your turn signal, sooner rather than later, someone will let you pull in front of them and into the lane you need. This happened to me the other night coming home down Mopac. It looked as though an accident had happened in the far left lane where I was. Everyone was slowing down at the sight of the flashing lights ahead. It seemed that the traffic in my lane was about to come to a screeching halt. Actually, all the traffic had just about stopped in every lane. I began giving my turn signal and a car two cars ahead of me practically stopped. The driver stuck his hand out of the window and motioned me to move in front of him. This person did not just let me over after we had both stopped. He made a special effort to let me around. I flashed my lights in thanks and got up to speed as soon as I could.

A week or two before that, I went to a shopping center to which I had only been one other time. The first time I was there, there were few people around so I parked in the middle of it in the little faux main street. This time, it was busy and I didn't even try to park there. I went around the side and pulled into a parking garage. I thought that I was on ground level with the shopping until I tried to find the way out of the garage. I did see elevators but I thought that they must go up to the residential area above the shops. I walked into what I thought was the opening into the shopping area only to find a set of stairs behind a locked gate. I had seen a man get out of his car and get into an elevator. As I came back out into the garage, he said, "Are you looking for the shops?" When I said that I was, he said for me t o get on the elevator with him and he would show me the way. It seems that I had driven up hill without realizing it and that I was now two floors above the shops. What makes this such a big kindness from my point of view is that this man got off the elevator and waited for me to come back into the garage because he had seen so many people get lost in there. He then showed me the breezeway to the shops and walked part of the way down it with me so that I could see where it came out.

I am sure that we all have these kinds of experiences often but we seem to forget them as soon as they are over. I am making it a point to remember them and I hope you will, too.


This song by my friend Chuck Brodsky ( sung by David LaMotte) always comes to my mind when I witness an act of kindness.

  http://youtu.be/U8H0wbdxbAM

A Meditation for Your 3rd Chakra
posted by Jackie Gaston



Your 3rd Chakra is your perception of your powerful place in the world.  It tends to become activated when we feel that we are helpless or powerless in any situation.  Here is a meditation to help you regain a feeling of control.

As always I recommend doing this meditation in a seated lotus position or as close as you can get to seated lotus with your hands palms up on your knees. If this is impossible for you, sit in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the ground.

Close your eyes and take three long deep breaths. Hold each breath for a few seconds before completely exhaling.

Relax into the pose and your breath.



Concentrate on your breath and drop the following thought into the space at the bottom of each exhale before you inhale the next breath.


                                             My power lies within me.


Be aware of the ways that you look outside yourself for validation, the times you compare yourself to others, the times you feel the desire of someone else's approval. These are the times that you are giving your power away and looking for it outside yourself. No one can 'fix' you. You don't need to be fixed. You aren't broken.




Additional mantras:

I approve of myself.

I choose my own path.