The heart chakra sits at the very centre of the body's energy system — fourth of seven, the bridge between the physical world below and the spiritual dimensions above. In Sanskrit it is called Anahata, meaning "unstruck" or "unbeaten," and its colour in the Colour Energy tradition is green: the green of open fields, of new leaves, of the part of the light spectrum most natural to human sight. This is a guide to what the heart chakra is, what it governs, and how to work with it through colour, aromatherapy, and intention.
What Is the Heart Chakra?
The heart chakra — Anahata — is the fourth energy centre in the seven-chakra system. It is located at the centre of the chest, in the area of the physical heart and lungs. In the Colour Energy tradition, the heart chakra is associated with the colour green: the colour of balance, growth, and the capacity to give and receive with equal ease.
What makes Anahata distinct is its position. The three centres below it — Root, Sacral, and Solar Plexus — are oriented toward the physical: survival, sensation, identity, and will. The three above it — Throat, Brow, and Crown — open toward expression, intuition, and spiritual awareness. The heart stands at the crossing point, and its energy is, accordingly, one of connection: between self and others, between earth and sky, between what is felt and what is understood.
Anahata's Sanskrit name — "unstruck" — refers to a sound that arises from no physical cause: the sound of pure being. This is the territory the heart chakra governs: that which is felt beyond words, the quality of love that simply is.
What Colour Is the Heart Chakra?
In the Colour Energy system, the heart chakra is green — and also, in its secondary expression, pink.
Green is the colour of the Heart Energy Centre in the tradition of colour therapy: the colour of balance, compassion, emotional harmony, and connection to the natural world. It is the colour at the centre of the visible spectrum, which may be why green environments — forests, parks, open fields — create such a natural sense of ease. Green does not push forward or pull back; it holds the still point.
Within the Colour Energy tradition, pink accompanies green as the Heart Centre's second expression. Where green carries the broader, more universal dimension of love — the love that extends outward toward others and toward the world — pink carries the personal and tender face of that same energy: self-compassion, emotional receptivity, the quiet warmth of unconditional care. The two work together, and many people are drawn to both when working with the heart centre.
For a full exploration of each colour, read What Does Green Colour Mean? and What Does Pink Mean?
What Does the Heart Chakra Govern?
Anahata is traditionally associated with the emotional and relational dimensions of life. The central themes are love, compassion, and connection — but those terms are broad, and the heart chakra's specific territory is worth understanding more precisely.
Love in the fullest sense. The heart chakra is not concerned only with romantic love or family love, though it encompasses those. It governs the capacity for love as a way of being: open, generous, present. Within the traditions of colour therapy and energy work, a freely flowing heart centre is what makes genuine connection possible — with other people, with the natural world, and with oneself.
Compassion and forgiveness. These are the practical expressions of heart energy. Where love is the quality, compassion is the action — the ability to feel with others rather than at a remove. Forgiveness, in the heart chakra tradition, is understood less as an event and more as a process: the slow softening of what has been held tight.
Self-acceptance. The heart chakra governs how we feel about ourselves, not only how we relate to others. Within colour therapy traditions, an open heart centre is often associated with a settled sense of self-worth — not ego, but the quiet acceptance of one's own value.
Balance. Green's quality of balance runs through everything Anahata governs. The heart centre is the regulator: it is what mediates between the drive of the lower centres and the openness of the upper ones.
The heart chakra is also connected, in the physical body, to the area of the chest — the heart, lungs, and the thymus gland. In Colour Energy's tradition, green energy is traditionally associated with this region of the body, and working with green is understood to support awareness of the breath and the chest centre.
What Crystals Are Associated with the Heart Chakra?
Within crystal traditions, green stones are the primary companions of the heart chakra. In the Colour Energy system, two green crystals are specifically associated with the Heart Energy Centre.
Green Aventurine
Green Aventurine is among the most widely used crystals in heart chakra practice. Within crystal traditions, it is often associated with emotional openness, a grounded sense of optimism, and the capacity to move forward with a light heart. The Prosperity Bracelet — Green from Colour Energy features Green Aventurine and is traditionally associated with the qualities of love, compassion, and peace — the heart chakra's central themes. It comes with an information card and velvet pouch, and can be combined with an Energy Blend for an intentional daily practice.
Emerald
Emerald's deep, saturated green has carried heart associations across many traditions. In the Colour Energy system, both aventurine and emerald appear in the Crystal Light Spiritual Spray — Green — a misting spray formulated to support the Heart Energy Centre, with essential oils of lime, rose geranium, and rose absolute alongside the vibrational influence of these two green stones.
How Do You Work with the Heart Chakra?
Working with the heart chakra begins with noticing. The heart centre responds to awareness — to the small daily choice to slow down, to breathe, and to pay attention to what is being felt. Nature is one of the most immediate routes: time in genuinely green environments is one of the most direct ways to support the qualities the heart chakra governs.
For those who want a more intentional practice, Colour Energy's green and pink collections offer a full range of tools built around the Heart Energy Centre.
Aromatherapy. The Energy Blend — Green is formulated with eucalyptus, cedarwood, and pine in a jojoba base, intended to harmonise the Heart Energy Centre. Warm a little in the hands, apply to the chest area, and take a slow breath in. The Energy Blend — Pink, which contains palmarosa and rose, offers a complementary approach for the personal, compassion-centred dimension of heart energy.
Colour bathing. The Colour Bath® — Green transforms a regular bath into a green colour therapy experience — a moment of stillness associated with the qualities of balance, harmony, and renewal. Gentle enough for sensitive skin and the whole family, and straightforward to use: add to warm water and simply be in it.
Intention and essence. The Chakra Light Essence Roll-On — Green is designed for use over the heart centre, applied with breath and intention. The Chakra Light Essence Roll-On — Pink focuses on the personal and purposeful dimension of heart energy.
Crystal and colour. The Prosperity Bracelet — Green can be worn daily as a gentle reminder of the qualities you're choosing to cultivate — a quiet anchor for the heart centre's energy throughout the day.
For a complete step-by-step guide, read How to Balance Your Heart Chakra.
Why Work with the Heart Chakra?
The heart chakra tradition offers a meaningful way to bring awareness and intention to your emotional life — a language for what matters most and a set of practices that make those qualities feel more present each day.
Using green in your environment, working with green aromatherapy, holding or wearing a green crystal — these are acts of attention. They direct awareness toward the qualities of love, balance, and compassion; they create moments in the day where those qualities are noticed and honoured. Many people find that this kind of intentional practice shifts something real in how they move through the world, one small choice at a time.
Green environments and green colour have long been associated with feelings of ease and restoration — something colour therapy traditions have observed for generations. Scent, too, is deeply connected to memory and emotional state, which is why the aromatherapy dimension of heart chakra work can feel so immediately grounding.
What the heart chakra tradition brings together is colour, scent, crystal, and intention — a daily practice built around the qualities you most want to cultivate. That is the invitation: to pay attention, with purpose, to what your heart already knows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the heart chakra responsible for?
Within colour therapy and chakra traditions, Anahata — the heart chakra — governs the emotional qualities of love, compassion, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. It is understood as the bridge between the physical and spiritual centres in the body's energy system, and is associated with the capacity for genuine connection: with others, with nature, and with one's own inner life.
What colour is the heart chakra?
In the Colour Energy tradition, the heart chakra is green — the colour at the centre of the visible spectrum, associated with balance, openness, and emotional harmony. Pink accompanies green as the secondary expression of the Heart Energy Centre, representing the more personal, tender dimension of love and compassion. Read more in What Does Green Colour Mean? and What Does Pink Mean?
What is the difference between the heart chakra and the solar plexus chakra?
The Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura, yellow) governs personal will, confidence, and identity — the energy of the individual self. The heart chakra (Anahata, green) is where that self opens outward toward others. Where yellow is the colour of personal power, green is the colour of the love and connection that naturally follow from a settled sense of self.
How do you work with the heart chakra?
Within colour therapy traditions, the most natural approaches involve green — time in nature, wearing or surrounding yourself with green, working with green aromatherapy or colour baths, and wearing or holding green crystals. Colour Energy's Green Collection and Pink Collection offer a range of tools designed specifically for the Heart Energy Centre.
What is the heart chakra symbol?
Anahata is traditionally depicted as a twelve-petalled lotus in green, with a six-pointed star at its centre — the meeting of the upward and downward triangles, representing the union of the physical and spiritual. The twelve petals are traditionally associated with qualities of the open heart, including compassion, clarity, peace, and joy.
Find Your Heart Centre
The heart chakra's invitation is an enduring one: to move through the world with openness rather than guardedness, to receive as readily as you give, and to find in the colour green — in a forest, in a crystal, in the simple act of being still — a reminder of what matters most.
The Colour Energy Green Collection → and Pink Collection → are built around the Heart Energy Centre, with aromatherapy, colour baths, crystals, and essences to support your practice.