They say you can’t tell where the sound comes from, but I could feel it echoing in my chest. My instructor stuck her song bowl again and told us that it was tuned to the level of the heart chakra. Lying in savasana at the end of a hot yoga class, I couldn’t tell if it was sweat or tears. But my eyes were brimming, and saying that I felt both overwhelmed and utterly vulnerable was an understatement beyond measure.

More than anything, the heart is fickle. It opens and shuts seemingly on a whim, with some more inclined to go one way or another. The heart chakra can be in excess or deficient to cause overwhelming feelings.

An overactive chakra can lead to giving too much of yourself, or saying “yes” to everything. Being open and generous is great, giving your time to others, fantastic. However, emptying yourself into others in the name of “kindness” is only going to harm you.

An underactive heart chakra can cause a disconnect with people, a lack of empathy. When the heart chakra is underactive, there is an inability for an honest, open connection.

“An overactive chakra can lead to giving too much of yourself, or saying “yes” to everything. ”

The heart is fragile. Throughout life, we experience times of overactivity, underactivity, and hopefully, perfect balance. Looking for that balance can be difficult. There is a place between fully giving yourself and being completely closed off, which benefits both you and the receiver.

“An underactive heart chakra can cause a disconnect with people, a lack of empathy. When the heart chakra is underactive, there is an inability for an honest, open connection. ”

Heart opener exercises in yoga can be very overwhelming for those with an overactive chakra. In my experience, hearing the singing bowl tuned to the heart chakra was incredibly overwhelming. After the class was over I sat in the locker room for a moment to compose myself. I heard someone say that they felt they couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from. My teacher said that it was very common to feel unable to tell where the sound is coming from. For me, it felt like the sound was seeping right out of my chest. The sensation almost made me feel nauseous since it was so overwhelming. Even though I was completely and utterly overwhelmed, I didn’t want the sound to stop. If there was an option to stay there all day I would have taken it, and those of you who take hot yoga know that staying in that room all day is a tall order.

It’s important to check in with your heart. Whether or not you use a song bowl, listen to your heart. Turn inward and listen to yourself. Keep your heart protected, but not locked away where you are keeping it from it’s soul purpose: to love, to feel, to break, to heal.

Anahatta