5 Heart-Opening Exercises to Lift Your Spirit

Living with eyes wide open and a heart filled with joy supports a great path toward a fulfilling life.  If you are looking for a way to keep your heart open and your spirit happy, one of the best things you can do for yourself is movement. And one of the best form of movement for this is yoga.

Yoga helps you find the present moment, a place where you allow yourself to open and let go. Check out our list below, for some heart opening yoga exercise postures!

1.      Half camel pose

This is a pose where you can focus on opening your heart chakra. It is a gentle backbend where you can give your upper back the stretch it needs. By doing this, you are opening up your heart.

For this asana, all you need to do is kneel with your shoulders stacked over your hips. Hips over your knees, and bring your palms down to the top of your glutes. Stretch and bring your heart up and forward. Feel the stretch and start breathing in and out. You can do as many breathing cycles as you want.

2.    Wheel pose

The wheel pose is probably one of the most popular heart-opening yoga poses, and for a good reason! People tend to use it to maintain mobility in their spine and their hips, but it is so much more than that! While raising your body off the ground, you allow your heart to open up and fill you with joy and love!

If you have never tried this asana before, here is how to do it – lay flat on your back and place your palms and your feet on the ground. By facing the elbows to the sky, bring your palms next to your ears. Inhale, and start pushing yourself up – try to make a bridge pose from your body. Go as deep as you can and fill your body with deep breaths. Make sure to stay comfortable and breathe in and out as many times as possible before slowly returning to the ground.

3.    Upward-facing dog

One of the best heart-opening exercises is the simplest one too! This great pose can tone the muscles in your arms, belly, and legs, and give your back the stretch it needs while opening up your heart. You are bound to feel joy every time you do this asana and end up doing it with the biggest smile. The advantage here is that it is a gentle pose, and it is recommended for people who spend a lot of time working in front of a computer.

Here is how you can do it – lay on the yoga mat with your face down and the tops of your feet on it too. Then, place your palms under your shoulders and slowly lift yourself. Stretch your head back, stretch to the shoulders, and exhale to deepen yourself into the pose. Stay in the pose for as long as you like, and keep breathing deeply.

4.    Bow pose

Another heart-opening exercise that can make you feel incredibly good. The bow pose is easy, especially for those who like to give their bodies a bit of extra stretch to make them feel at ease. This is not only a recommended exercise for all those who want to keep their spine as mobile as possible, but it is an excellent heart-opening yoga pose that you can do anytime.

The way to achieve this asana, similar to the previous one, is to lay on your belly with your face and feet down on the mat. Then, you should bend your knees, bring your feet to your back, and grab them with your hands. Then, lift your shoulders, head, and neck back. While you inhale, put some pressure on your hands from your feet, and try to go even deeper into the pose. Exhale. Stay in this position and do as many breathing cycles as you like.

5.      Reverse plank pose

To be honest, each time a person hears the word plank, a certain dread creeps up from behind and hovers like a cloud until the exercise is done. But if your goal is to try a great heart-opening pose, we recommend that you try this one – it will make all the difference! You will not only enjoy stronger arms, legs, core, and back, but you will also open up your heart. After this heart-opening yoga pose, the feeling is indescribable – so get your mat and try it yourself!

Since this is a reverse plank, you begin by sitting on your mat with your legs extended. Then, you place your palms next to your hips, and as you inhale, you slowly extend your toes to the ground and lift your body to the sky. There is an alternative to go even deeper into this pose – tilting your head back, thus opening your throat. Inhale and exhale as many times as you want.

Living life with your wide open is crucial, though we can understand it may be frightening for some people. It will not only make you feel more, but it will increase your empathy and love toward yourself and the world around you. While you try to view the world with the level of vulnerability and gentleness it requires, these heart-opening exercises can help you broaden your horizons and feel better and happier.

If you are considering opening up your heart, the best way to do that is by trying some of our offerings at FCYS! You’re in for a spiritual experience that will resonate with you for years to come!