Anahata - the heart chakra

Translation: anahata = unstuck sound
1 Line Summary: the spiritual centre of the heart ie the state of your being - you access the higher realms of consciousness and hone your perception of your outside environment
Colour: green with a pink core, the colours of a lotus flower. Green represents healing, inner balance and harmony, nature/forrest, idealism, dependability, help, generoicty, clarity, self acceptance, understanding and calmness and it is halfway between red and purple. Pink symbolises love, passion, affection, forgiveness, beauty, gentleness.
Location: thoracic cavity, energetic centre of the heart, heart, ribs, sternum, front of spine, shoulder blades, thoracic spine, shoulder blades down to bottom of rib cage. Try to ensure the heart is not compressed, contracts us physically and locks up our emotions.
Represented in the Physical Body by: thymus, heart, shoulder, chest, breast and lower lungs, skin, circulatory system, respiratory system
Symbol: 12 petaled lotus
Element: air (determines what and how you feel as well as physical perceptions eg hot/cold, moist/dry, touch)
Sense: touch (the way the air moves determine if something feels smooth or rough, hot or cold etc)
Gemstones: emerald, jade, rose quartz, flourite
Purpose: your personal soul (jiva atman) resides in this chakra. This chakra is the merging point/union between jiva atman (the material/lower 3 chakras) and param atman (the spiritual, inspirational,intelectual and universal spirit). It is the point where your external world (eg social groups) connects with your senses and sense of self, harmony is created between the internal and exteral, physical and spiritual, external life mirrors internal values. You become self aware and escape the confines of your ego. The forces of the lower 3 charkas transform into energies associated with energies to achieve higher goals. You feel unconditional love/fulfilment ie you listen to yourself instead of others. This chakra deals with social awareness, being open to the world, peace, forgiveness, kindness and joy. It is about the state of your being.
Analogy: I feel the stimulation, healing, peace, balance, unconditional love and connection with all life and everyone in my life, both physically and spiritually, that awakens understanding and compassion. My heart opens with a love is far greater than just limited to my immediate 'self'.
Emotion/feelings: compassion, love, freedom, openess, fulfilment, harmonious, in balance, complete, loving, overly emotional, dramatic, smothering, judgemental
Asana: find the correct balance between backbends that provide opportunity for extrovertion and energy with forward bends that provide intrspection and calm. This chakra provides the opportunity to work on balancing both parts of the body, both parts of life (physical and spiritual). Cat/cow, bhujangasana, cresent virabhadrasana, sasaghasana, ustrasana, dolphin, parovritta janu sirsasana, anjaneyasana, matsyasana, urdva dhanurasana, matsyendrasana
Bandha: uddiyana
Questions/Feelings: can you find the meaning in your life, can you relate to others, are you overly emotional, do you need others to fill your emotional needs, do people disappoint you easily?

References: My own words and thoughts as well as "Chakra Yoga" by A Finger & "the book of yoga" by C Brown