The Meditative Experiences of Opening the Heart Chakra and the Throat Chakra (2024-02-21)

Lan Tian said: I used to frequently get oral ulcers, sometimes from getting anxious and inflamed, sometimes from my body overheating. Ever since I opened the Conception Vessel (Ren Mai) along the front of my chest last year, I no longer get oral ulcers. Opening the heart chakra and throat chakra was especially uncomfortable—I felt a stream of heat continuously scorching my chest.

Ven. Shi Ruyuan: So that's what opening the heart chakra and throat chakra feels like—a scorching chest! Five or six months ago, whenever I entered meditation (samādhi) during sitting, my chest and neck would feel like they had a fever, burning me to the point of sweating. Sometimes I felt a stuffy heat in my chest, and my whole body felt hot as if on fire, and I didn't know what was going on. After a while, my body felt neither tired but soft and supple, but since I didn't understand it, I didn't take it to heart. Only tonight did I see what Dharma brother Lan Tian said, and I realized my experience was similar to what he described. Does this mean I have also opened my heart chakra and throat chakra?

Assessment: When the Conception Vessel (Ren Mai) of the body has not yet been opened, due to blockage between upper and lower, fire cannot descend and water cannot ascend; water and fire do not merge, so there is fire in the body above the chest cavity. Moreover, when the qi channels move upward, they force the fire to rise as well, and symptoms of fire appear in the chest, throat, and head. Once the channels are passed through, it is fine. Everyone's physical condition is different, so when the qi channels pass through the seven chakras, the symptoms differ, but it is always very uncomfortable; once passed through, it is fine. As for whether you have opened your heart chakra and throat chakra, since there is no specific description, it cannot be determined.