Now set your intention for this practice. To grease the wheels, here are some themes that relate to the fourth chakra: offering and receiving love with ease; trust; cultivating compassion; allowing for happiness and unalloyed joy; releasing the fear of getting hurt; letting go of old heartache; and cultivating humility. Feel free to use any of these or choose your own. As long as your intention feels true for you it has value.

Stimulate Heart Energy
As a preparatory practice bring your hands to Anjali Mudra at the heart and begin to lightly tap the sternum with the thumbs. Let it be a rhythmic and gentle tap. As you are tapping keep the spine long and the heart open. This is a great way to stimulate the heart energy. Spend at least 2 minutes tapping, more if you like. When you are done release your hands to your lap and take a moment to feel the resonant vibration at the heart.