How to Fix a Blocked Heart Chakra

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A comprehensive guide to opening and balancing your heart chakra

Co-authored by Emily Christensen and Annabelle Reyes

Last Updated: May 8, 2025 Fact Checked

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How to Unblock Your Heart Chakra

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Signs of a Blocked Heart Chakra

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What is the heart chakra?

Chakras are energy focal points throughout your body. Your heart chakra, also called Anahata, is the energy point located in the middle of your chest, so it's no surprise that it's associated with love, joy, and empathy. In this article, we'll walk you through ways to unblock the heart chakra, so you're open to love and other positive emotions. We’ll also go over signs that your heart chakra is blocked, so you can assess yourself and take action if needed. Keep reading for everything you need to know!

What does it mean to have a blocked heart chakra?

If your heart chakra is blocked, you might struggle with relationships, compassion, and forgiveness. You may also feel isolated, lonely, or disconnected from other people. To unblock your heart chakra, try writing in a gratitude journal, meditating with heart-opening crystals, and reciting loving affirmations.

Section 1 of 3:

How to Unblock Your Heart Chakra

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1
Write in a gratitude journal every day. If your heart chakra is blocked, you might feel like nothing is going right, and you may struggle to see the silver lining in things. To combat this energy, try to make a list of at least 3 things that you're grateful for every day. This trains your mind to see all the positives in your life, so you're more open to love and joy.^{[1]
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Trustworthy Source

Greater Good in Action
An initiative by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center promoting science-based practices for a meaningful life

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- These don't have to be epic things! You might write that you're thankful for the beautiful weather on a Spring day, a great phone call with a loved one, or a delicious home cooked meal.
- Just try to pick specific things you’re genuinely grateful for. The more personal you make your list, the better!
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Hold, wear, or meditate with crystals that open your heart chakra.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Emily Christensen
Spiritual Advisor & Founder of Rainbow Raaja

Expert Interview} You've probably seen rose quartz shaped like a heart—and there’s a very good reason for this. Rose quartz is known to be a powerful tool for opening the heart chakra!^{[3]
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Research source} In fact, there are several healing crystals that can help you balance and activate your heart chakra. Here’s a list of each of them, plus their specific powers and characteristics:
- Rose quartz: compassion, unconditional love, self-love
- Rhodonite: trust, stable foundations, high vibrations
- Green aventurine: abundance, opportunity, peace, harmony
- Jade: joy, success, manifesting the life you want to live
- Green calcite: clarity, clearing out bad energies, releasing difficult emotions^{[4]
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Use rose oil for soothing aromatherapy. Rose essential oil is thought to open the heart chakra, and research even shows that it may reduce anxiety and improve feelings of well-being!^{[5]
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Trustworthy Source

PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source} To experience these benefits, run a diffuser with rose oil, add a few drops of it to a hot bath, or apply it to your wrists like a perfume. You may also want to try out a few other essential oils that are thought to balance the heart chakra:^{[6]
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- Bergamot oil
- Chamomile oil
- Lavender oil
- Sandalwood oil
- Lemon balm oil
- Ylang ylang oil^{[7]
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4
Recite heart-opening affirmations. Any time you start to feel down on yourself or disconnected from others, pause and repeat a few affirmations that resonate with you. You can say them out loud or mentally recite them. Here are a few examples to get you started:^{[8]
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- I am worthy of the purest love.
- I am fully open to giving and receiving love.
- It is safe for me to love and be loved.
- I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- I choose to see myself and others in a compassionate light.
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Focus on activities that you love. It might seem simple, but redirecting your attention to things that bring you happiness can help you open your heart chakra and let go of negative energies. Hang out and connect with the people you love, spend time in nature, or carve out time in your day to read, play an instrument, or garden.^{[9]
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- If you have a pet, work in some extra cuddle time. They'll love the extra attention, and it can remind you of the unconditional love your pet has for you!
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Practice loving kindness meditation. Get comfortable in a quiet space and take a few deep breaths. Mentally send love and kindness out to your loved ones. Then, expand the scope of your meditation, sending gratitude and warmth even to the people you dislike. Finish by sending warmth and compassion to everyone on the planet.
- As you meditate, repeat your favorite heart chakra affirmations. For instance, say, "May I be safe, may I be happy, and may I be kind."
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Do deep-breathing exercises. Lower yourself to the floor in a crossed leg position and relax. Slowly breathe in through your nose, feeling the breath rise from your belly up to your chest. As you breathe, focus on expanding and opening your upper chest, near your heart. Take a final deep breath and hold it for about 3 to 5 seconds, then slowly breathe out through your nose.^{[10]
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- Repeat this as many times as you like until you feel more relaxed, at peace, and connected to your heart chakra.
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Try yoga poses that open and expand your heart chakra. One of the most popular poses for the heart chakra is the cobra pose. Lay on your stomach and place your palms flat on the ground at about chest level, making sure your elbows are tucked in. Next, breathe in and use your arms to push your chest and torso off the floor, while your hips and legs stay flat on the ground. Then, exhale as you slowly lower yourself back down. Repeat this as many times as you like.^{[11]
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- Other yoga poses that unblock your heart chakra include the upward-facing dog pose, bridge pose, camel pose, and reclining bound angle pose.
After all, green is the color associated with the heart chakra! Fill your plate with green produce, such as broccoli, spinach, kale, dandelion greens, cabbage, and celery.^{[12]
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Research source} For beverages, try sipping on nourishing green tea, or make an herbal tea that includes basil, thyme, or cilantro.

Section 2 of 3:

Signs of a Blocked Heart Chakra

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When your heart chakra is blocked, you may feel lonely or isolated. You’ll likely feel disconnected from the people around you, and your relationships may become challenging, since love can't flow through you as easily.^{[13]
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Research source} Here are some signs of a blocked heart chakra to look out for:
- You feel lonely, shy, resentful, or defensive.
- You’re isolating yourself and spending a lot of time alone.
- You’re experiencing fears of intimacy.
- You're struggling to express your emotions.
- You’re having a hard time trusting and opening up to others.
- You feel less compassionate and empathetic than you usually do.
- You feel unable to forgive, and you’re holding grudges against people you love.
- You’re being especially hard on yourself and struggling to practice self-love.^{[14]
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Section 3 of 3:

What is the heart chakra?

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The heart chakra is the 4th chakra and the center of unconditional love. Also called Anahata, the heart chakra is located at the center of your chest. When this energy point is balanced, you feel open, loving, compassionate, and connected to the people around you. You’re able to give and receive love freely, and you’re also kinder to yourself.^{[15]
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- The heart chakra is associated with the color green, and the element of air.^{[16]
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Join the Discussion...

How can I open my chakras naturally?

Melanie Sheree
Psychic Medium & Spiritual Teacher

The way that I teach people how to be able to take a chakra and open or close it is through a visualization technique. Because a chakra is an energy, you're kind of working with that energy to open or close it. If you're not used to doing that, it's not really going to do much until you practice. It's like an atrophied muscle. Whatever practice you are using to open or close a chakra, it just takes a little bit of finesse.

Also, each chakra has a different energy they're interacting with, for every single person. Let’s say I want to open my heart chakra. There might be energy in there that's keeping it closed. Were you hurt? Were you betrayed? Were you abandoned? Do you feel like people don't see you, or you have to hide? Do you feel made fun of? Do you feel unworthy? All of those layers of pain energy are keeping that from being open.