February is known for Valentine’s and summer, with the theme of love and warmth being associated with the month it seems fitting to nurture not only body and mind but the heart too.
Yoga not only exercises all muscles and body parts but activates and balances the energy centres or chakras of the body. The heart centre has an essential position of all seven charkas. It is the central chakra and its primary focus is on unconditional love and compassion for oneself and for others.
Physically we need to keep the heart healthy by eating well and exercising regularly. Yoga postures keep the heart healthy with cardiovascular sequence poses such as sun salutations that provide a complete workout for the whole body. Besides providing overall physical, mental and emotional well-being, a regular yoga practice will assist and maintain good circulation throughout the body, an important health physiology considering the heart centre’s physical action is that of circulation.
On an emotional level, we need to keep our heart healthy by nurturing ourselves with love, compassion and kindness. This nurturing is not only towards others but essentially towards ourselves.
Practise Bhujangasana / the Cobra, Matsyasana / the Fish or Urdhva Dhanurasana / the Wheel, to open the heart centre.
Remember that behind all the marketing of Valentine’s month, the true value and meaning is that of being healthy, being loved and loving others.
Nurture body, heart and mind with compassion, with love and with yoga.
Much love and blessings of health,