It’s that time of year again when we are inundated with pink ribbons, races for “The Cure,” and campaigns to get screened for breast cancer. We hear the tragic stories of breast cancer striking young women. We see statistics stating that breast cancer affects one in eight women and is the number-two cancer killer of women. And we’re taught that to stay healthy we must be on a “seek and destroy” mission filled with tests, treatments, and technologies.

This is the traditional Western medicine approach. But this mindset, which works so well at solving acute problems, is singularly ill-suited at helping us live vibrantly healthy, disease-free lives—or helping us return to health after an “enemy” has been cut, burned, or poisoned out of us.

One reason that I truly dislike this approach is because our breasts and bodies are dynamic. They are always changing and have an innate intelligence toward achieving balance and health. That’s why you hear so many stories of spontaneous remission or breast cancers disappearing on their own.

As such, I want to offer you another way to look at your breasts and create breast health through the energy of your Fourth Chakra.

Fourth Chakra Energy and Your Breasts

Each chakra supplies life energy to its corresponding organs. The Fourth Chakra is all about nourishing and caring for ourselves and also others. When balanced, this energy keeps all of the organs of the Fourth Chakra healthy. This includes the heart, lungs, upper spine, shoulders, and of course, the breasts.

Breasts are the most fundamental form and representation of maternal love and nourishment.  But, the love that makes maternal nurturance so life-affirming must be replenished regularly—otherwise it leads to health problems in the organs of the Fourth Chakra, often the breasts.

When a woman puts her own personal and emotional needs on the back burner—or forgets entirely that she has them, which our culture has programmed us to do for millennia—the energy of her Fourth Chakra inevitably becomes diminished by resentment, anger, grief, longing, pining for contact, and pure fatigue. This is the energy pattern that invites breast, shoulder, heart, and lung problems. And diseases in those areas cause the majority of deaths and disabilities in women, including breast cancer and heart disease. But, male breast cancer is also on the rise.

Emotional Patterns of Breast Dis-Ease

While Western medicine focuses on the genetics of breast cancer, there are defined emotional patterns that contribute to diseases of the breast. The Fourth Chakra – also called the Heart Chakra — is your emotional center. If there are emotional patterns you are holding onto that are not supporting you, this can set the stage for illness in these organs. Conversely, when you are able to recognize these patterns and release them, you set the stage for health.

The emotional patterns that are associated with breast dis-ease include anger, resentment, grief, bitterness, over-caring for others, the inability or refusal to care for or nourish yourself, an unwillingness to forgive, not feeling you can trust others, or lacking hope. Of course, we all go through periods where we experience these emotions. But, it’s when they are held onto for a long period of time that these emotions, patterns, and beliefs create an imbalance.

My good friend and colleague Louise Hay attributed her cervical cancer to her own anger and resentment about being raped as a child. She healed herself by letting go of this long-held emotional pattern. By the way, the Fourth Chakra, or “high heart” and the Second Chakra – home to the female sexual organs, also called the “low heart” – are uniquely interrelated. While the energy patterns of breast cancer and cancers of the uterus and cervix are different, when the low heart energy is blocked through rape, abuse, or being taught that “nice girls” don’t enjoy sex, the high heart is also affected.

8 Ways to Heal Your Fourth Chakra

When Fourth Chakra energy is not flowing, everyone suffers. Fortunately, there are many simple ways you can increase your Fourth Chakra energy and promote healthy breasts and overall physical and emotional health.

Here are some ways to promote Fourth Chakra health:

1. Move your body. Exercises that contract and relax your muscles promote the flow of lymph. Dynamic yoga poses such as camel pose, Tai Chi, and other forms of Eastern movement can be good to add to your exercise routine. Passive heart opening exercises where you lay on a tightly rolled blanket (cylinder shape) placed under your sacrum along your spine to your head are also good.
2. Try massage. Massage is healthy for you in many ways. And whether you get a professional massage, exchange massages with a friend or lover, or simply perform self-massage, it is a wonderful form of self-care that can keep energy flowing. Some forms of massage actually work the energy points that correspond to specific organs. There are a number of these points that run through the chest. They often feel sore or tender to the touch, so you don’t need to rub hard. (You can find diagrams online to help you find these points.) Massage can also improve lymph flow. Of course, massaging your breasts is a wonderful way to establish a loving relationship with them. It’s also a great way to transform a breast self-exam if you do them, which I don’t recommend. (But if you do them, imagine that you have healing power in your hands.)
3. Go braless. Most women in the Western hemisphere put on a bra first thing in the morning and don’t take it off until they go to bed. Some women even sleep in bras. While I don’t believe that bras cause cancer, they can alter lymph flow in the breasts and armpit, and can be uncomfortable for sensitive breast tissue. I also believe they can block the flow of information to and from the breasts. Try going braless when and where you feel comfortable. See if you can feel any shift in your breasts or energy.
4. Offer gratitude. There is a saying, “Where your attention goes, energy flows.” When we resist the temptation to find fault in others, we bring positive energy toward us. For example, when your family leaves a mess for you to clean up, instead of criticizing them, you can take a minute to appreciate them and acknowledge the love they show you by trusting you to take care of things for them. (Then you can ask them to do their part of the chores!) And, remember, every time you feel annoyed or upset, it is proof that you are in a dynamic flow of energy with others and yourself.
5. Use affirmations, mantras, and mirror work. Positive affirmations can increase the positive energy of the Fourth Chakra. You can say any of the following: “I love and accept myself completely,” “I love and forgive myself,” “I am open to love,” “I am loved.” Or create your own affirmations. You can also write these down and put them around your home or office. Your bathroom mirror is a good place to post affirmations.  Then you can look at yourself while you recite them out loud.
6. Go green. Green is the color of the Fourth Chakra. You can increase energy to your Fourth Chakra by wearing green, adding more plants to your home, or imagining your heart center expanding with a soft, green light with every inhale. You can also imagine a golden light along with the green light, radiating gentle and powerful love.
7. Allow yourself to be loved. Being a martyr is a sure sign of imbalance in the Fourth Chakra and over time is associated with the energy pattern of breast cancer. The minute you decide that you are worthy of love and care, things begin to shift and you begin to ensure your health.
8. Practice forgiveness.Holding on to anger, grief, or hurt from the past establishes blockages in the energy flow of the Fourth Chakra. Similarly, holding on to or identifying with a diagnosis can make your healing journey more prolonged and challenging. Letting go starts with forgiveness. There are many resources, including professionals who can help you release past emotions, memories, beliefs, and behaviors that don’t support you.

These are just some of the many ways you can begin to bring balance to your Fourth Chakra. A healthy Fourth Chakra can set the stage for healthy breasts and overall true physical and emotional health. And, you can engage in these practices even if you get regular breast screenings or are recovering from breast cancer.

Are you over-caring? Do you frequently put your own needs last?  What are you doing to bring balance to your life? Please leave your comments below.