“Please Meditate: Check Your Heart Chakra”
written by Olivia Rosewood for the Huffington Post | Published February 17, 2011
In yogic meditation practices the heart chakra is called, “anahata.” Anahata is translated from the ancient Sanksrit to mean unstruck, or in other words, unhurt or unbeaten. It is a very simple translation, and yet at the same time, complex and rich in meaning.
The symbolism of the heart chakra is very beautiful and worth contemplation. In the center of the anahata lotus are two symbolic deities. One is called Isha, who is shining white, wearing tiger skins, representing the masculine energy in all humans, and ever ready to dispel fears. The other is Kakini, who is a shining rose color, seated on a red lotus, representing the female energy in all humans, and always generating love. But to reach these two, one must pass through the vermillion green petals protecting vortex. The petals are obstacles to being unstruck: lust, fraud, indecision, repentance, hope, anxiety, longing, impartiality, arrogance, incompetence, discrimination and defiance. One must move through these states to open the petals and enter the center, where one experiences unending, fearless love.
Most find the petals a bit confusing, but understand that they are from a tradition that goes back thousands of years, kept intact in Sanskrit, a formal language of symbols. The interpretation of the the translation is fairly subjective. Symbols are meant to guide, not dictate, spiritual exploration.