Live From the Heart with Yoga

We live in a world that seems to continually pull us into our heads – thinking about so many things. We spend much of our lives planning our day, our week and sometimes even our year! It is common in modern times to spend far too much time worrying and striving and the result may feel quite stressful. But you can find relief by moving your awareness away from the head and into the heart.  Yoga gently invites us back home to the heart. To live from the heart is to move through life with presence, compassion, and authenticity. Yoga is not just a physical practice; it is a pathway to remembering your true self with deep awareness - who you really are beneath all the noise.

What Does It Mean to Live From the Heart?

Living from the heart means listening to that quiet voice within.  It means allowing your inner wisdom to guide your choices rather than merely reacting to fear, habit, or external expectations. It is the space where intuition lives, where kindness flows naturally, where forgiveness is possible and where we feel most connected - to ourselves, to others and ultimately to the Divine.

In the ancient teachings of Yoga philosophy, the heart center (called the Anahata chakra) represents unconditional love, compassion, joy and unity. When this space is open and supported, we experience a sense of ease and belonging. We may even experience a much needed release of stored emotional tension. However, when the Anahata Chakra is guarded or depleted, we may feel disconnected, possessive, defensive, or emotionally distant.

Yoga as a Heart Opening Practice

Yoga teaches us to listen. Each breath, each posture, and each pause becomes an opportunity to listen inward rather than push through. Heart-opening postures such as Cobra, Camel, Bridge, and gentle backbends create physical space across the chest, but the deeper opening happens internally. As we breathe into sensation, we practice staying present with whatever arises. This is how Yoga trains us to meet life off the mat: with curiosity instead of judgment, with soft awareness instead of resistance.

Breath: The Bridge to the Heart

Pranayama, or conscious breathing, is the easiest and probably the most direct way to reconnect with the heart. Slow, steady breaths calm the nervous system and shift us out of survival mode. Practices like slow three-part breathing or simple heart-focused breathing help us feel grounded and safe enough to be present and allow opening. When the breath becomes smooth and intentional, the heart follows.

Heartfulness Meditation: Deepen Awareness into the Heart

Another facet of an authentic Yoga practice is meditation.  Sometimes we meditate while we are on the Yoga mat and, at other times while sitting specifically for meditation or even during moments of awareness in our daily life. At Yoga Haven, we regularly practice Heartfulness Meditation. It is a simple and subtle practice of meditation that connects each of us with the love and light in our hearts. Heartfulness meditation awakens our potential for a simple, joyful existence. Having originated in India in the late 1800s, Heartfulness is now practiced in 160 + countries around the world.  The Heartfulness Way is to lead a life with inspirations and feelings from the heart, while regulating the mind in all its thoughts. If you would like to learn more about Heartfulness Meditation, visit www.heartfulness.org.  You can also watch this brief video (https://youtu.be/k4z-EQgDh8k?si=9NQpb7uzFHY7j6JR). Every other Sunday at 11 am, this precious gift of human transformation is offered at Yoga Haven free of charge to all seekers. Perhaps you will enjoy adding it to your Yoga practice.  

Living Your Yoga Off the Mat

Living from the heart doesn’t end when the Yoga class is over. Yoga invites us to carry awareness into everyday moments:

• Communicate truthfully with kindness

• Set boundaries with compassion

• Listen more deeply to ourselves and others

• Go ahead and rest when the body or the mind asks for it

These small, mindful, daily choices lead to a balanced life aligned with the heart.

Choose to Live with Intention

You don’t have to be perfectly calm, super flexible, or enlightened to live from the heart. Yoga meets you exactly where you are. Some days the heart feels wide open; other days it needs protection and care. Both are part of the practice. Each time you return to your Yoga mat, your breath, or a moment of stillness, you are choosing to live with intention.

An Invitation to Live from Your Heart

Let your Yoga practice be a gentle and loving conversation with your heart. Move with awareness and intention. Breathe deeply to find your center. Trust what you feel. When you live from the heart, Yoga becomes more than something you do, it becomes the way you live your life.