Heart Chakra Affirmations to Find Love and Serenity

Heart chakra affirmations are short, loving sentences you say to yourself, slowly and often, to open up to love and settle into calm. In the yogic tradition they're a way of tending Anahata, the heart chakra, and if your heart has felt a little closed lately, that's exactly the moment they're for.

We've all been there. We're connected to everyone all day, through our phones and our screens, and somehow we still end up feeling alone. The fear of being rejected creeps in. Old hurts make us careful. Even when we have people who love us, we can struggle to say what we feel to a friend, a parent, a colleague or that special someone.

So, if love has felt far away, or if you've felt guarded around it, you're not doing anything wrong. You're human. And there's a gentle, old practice that can help you soften again. Let's start with what the heart chakra actually is.

What is the heart chakra?

In yogic philosophy, prana is the life force that moves through us along subtle channels called nadis. The old texts don't agree on how many there are. Some yoga texts, including the Goraksha Samhita, speak of 72,000 nadis, while others give very different numbers. Where these channels meet, the tradition places the chakras, the wheels of energy.

Seven of them are the ones most people talk about, running from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. If you're new to them, our beginner's guide to the 7 chakras walks through each one. The heart chakra is the fourth. Its Sanskrit name, Anahata, means "unstruck", and it sits in the middle of the chest, with three chakras below it and three above.

That middle position is the whole point. The lower three are tied to our everyday, physical life. The upper three reach towards the spirit. The heart chakra is where the two meet, which is why its symbol shows two triangles crossing inside a circle, one pointing up and one pointing down. Tradition links it with the element air, and modern chakra teaching gives it the colour green, the colour of growing things.

"In the chakras, it's the heart chakra, Anahata, the central chakra, three above and three below, which symbolizes happiness and love, psychic oneness, spiritual understanding." Frederick Lenz

What we love about this line is how plainly it puts the heart in the middle of everything. Read it on a day when you feel split between what you have to do and who you want to be. It's a reminder that love is the bridge between the two.

One honest note before we go on. The chakras are a spiritual tradition and a way of reflecting on your inner life. They aren't medicine, and they don't diagnose or treat anything in your body.

What does a blocked heart chakra feel like?

In the tradition, a balanced heart chakra shows up as warmth. You like your own company. You forgive more easily. You meet people as they are, and your relationships have room to breathe.

When it's described as blocked, the feelings go the other way. You might notice:

• Feeling lonely, isolated or left out, even around people
• Self-doubt and a dip in confidence
• Finding it hard to trust
• Jealousy, criticism or resentment rising more than usual
• Strained or tense relationships
• A habit of expecting the worst

Here's a small exercise. Read that list once, then write down the one that stings the most. That's the group of affirmations to start with below.

And please hear this. If you've felt low, hopeless or cut off for more than a couple of weeks, that isn't a chakra to fix on your own. The NHS suggests seeing a GP if a low mood lasts more than two weeks, and talking to a doctor or therapist is a kind thing to do for your heart, too.

How do you open the heart chakra?

Start below it. In chakra teaching, a shaky heart chakra often rests on unsteady lower chakras, so it helps to feel grounded first. If you've been feeling unsafe or scattered, spend a week with our root chakra affirmations before you come back here.

Then move your body gently. Yoga practices for Anahata usually focus on opening the chest and shoulders. If you'd like a guide, Yoga With Adriene's Heart Chakra Yoga for Beginners is a calm place to begin.

And breathe. Since the heart chakra is linked with air, breath work sits at the centre of the practice. You don't need anything fancy. The NHS describes a simple calming breath: breathe in gently through your nose, counting to five if that helps, let it flow out through your mouth for another five, and keep going for at least five minutes.

How should you use heart chakra affirmations?

The most important part of any practice is you showing up for it. Lots of us try meditation or chanting and give up because our minds wander everywhere. Affirmations are easier. They give your busy mind a single sentence to rest on.

"Peace is this moment without judgment. That is all. This moment in the Heart-space where everything is welcome." Dorothy Hunt

This is the attitude to bring to your affirmations. You don't have to believe every word on day one. You just have to let yourself say it without judging yourself for saying it.

Here's how to try it. Sit somewhere calm, place a hand on the centre of your chest and take a few slow breaths. Pick one group below and say three of the lines slowly, out loud or in your head. Do it in the morning before you look at your phone, or at night before you sleep. Stay with the same lines for a week before you switch.

Affirmations to open your heart to love

Use these when you've been keeping love at arm's length. Say them with your shoulders relaxed and your hand on your chest.

• I am surrounded by love.
• I am welcoming love with open arms.
• I am letting love into my life.
• My heart is open.
• I love to give and receive love.
• It is safe for me to love and be loved.
• I am always deserving of love.
• There is an infinite supply of love. It never runs out.
• I am never alone.

Affirmations for self-love

Love that starts outside you rarely stays. Say these in front of a mirror if you can bear to, and notice which one is hardest. That's the one you need most.

• Real love starts with me.
• It is okay for me to be kind to myself.
• I'm good and beautiful enough the way I am.
• I deeply, and completely, love and accept myself.
• I am loved, loving, and lovable.
• Every day, I love myself a little more.
• I embrace my gifts and my imperfections equally.
• I love being with myself.
• I am filled with courage.
• I am worthy of abundance.

Affirmations for relationships and friendship

Use these before a hard conversation, or after one. Pick a single line and then do one small thing that matches it today, like sending the message you've been putting off.

• I give my relationships the attention they deserve.
• All of my relationships are meaningful and rewarding.
• Friendships come easily to me.
• I deserve fulfilling relationships.
• I choose to be involved with good-hearted people.
• I accept people the way they are.
• I choose compassion over judgment.
• I love myself and others fearlessly.
• Love and compassion are my superpowers, and they will carry me as far as I want to go.

Affirmations to let go of past hurt

These are for the evenings when an old memory won't leave you alone. Write one on a piece of paper, read it three times, then fold it away. You don't have to be over it. You're just practising.

• My heart is free from past hurt.
• I am feeling better than yesterday.
• I am letting my worries go.
• I don't let negativity affect me.
• My heart is at peace.
• I'm exactly where I want to be.

Affirmations for gratitude and serenity

Gratitude and an open heart go together. Pair these with a quick list of three good things from your day, and say one line for each. If you'd like more on this, try our simple gratitude practices.

• I am grateful for all the love and affection I get.
• I am grateful for all of my blessings.
• My heart is filled with joy and gratitude.
• My heart is grateful, and my soul is peaceful.
• My life is full of happiness.
• I live in a state of grace.

Affirmations to feel connected to everything

These are the most spiritual of the set. Use them at the end of your breathing practice, eyes closed, picturing a soft green light in the centre of your chest as you say each one.

• My heart space radiates bright green light.
• I live in harmony with all other beings.
• I am united with all beings.
• Love is my guiding truth and I follow it.
• I am vibrating positive, loving energy, and I attract this same energy in return.
• Every cell in my body is vibrating at the frequency of love.
• I am pure universal love.
• I am love.

Let your heart be the meeting point

We believe love is something you practise, one small sentence and one small act at a time. The heart chakra is simply an old and beautiful way of reminding yourself of that.

So, pick your three lines, put your hand on your heart and start tonight. Be patient with yourself. You are more lovable than you think, and you are not alone in this.

Which affirmation spoke to you most? Tell us in the comments. Someone else might need it too.