“They were here for us during the tornadoes, now we’re going to be there for them during the hurricanes.” With these words, many Oklahomans offered their money and services to those affected by the two recent hurricanes. I had to catch my breath when I heard the stories and saw the images of the Humane Society bus able to care for lost and injured animals and the linesman and fire fighters ready to rescue and restore power.

Here is a profound example of living from the heart chakra.

What activates the heart chakra to make it possible for us to love people, animals and places we have never met before?

We remember. Like the woman collecting food, water, sanitizers and diapers for folks in North Carolina, we remember when someone else loved us and cared for us. This memory fans the fire of the heart and makes it burn to do something—anything!—to alleviate the pain of another.

In the Yoga tradition this need to care and share the love is connected to karma. Karma simply means “action,” but it goes much deeper than simply doing something. In yogic philosophy karma is like roots that reach back into the past and move through our ancestral lines. Those same karmic branches have the potential to move into the future too. In the middle between the past and the future is all of us living our lives in the present moment.

We meet opportunities to act every moment of the day.

When we get caught up in discussions about karma being “good” or “bad,” we truly miss the more important point: Now is the only moment in which we can act. Now is the time to care for people, animals and the land. And there is no doubt that the good actions of so many people will ripple for months and years so that others will also say, “They were here for us when we needed them, so we will be there for them.”

Our series on the chakras continues with the fourth chakra at the center of the chest. Its name in Sanskrit is Anahata, which means “unstruck sound.” The music of the heart is unique to each person and we only share it with those we trust to hear it.

The heart chakra is associated with love, compassion and empathy. It is activated when we live with passion and according to our purpose for being. When we connect heart to heart with someone else—person, animal or Nature—we see the truth of our unity. We know we are One.

I recently had a visit from a friend I hadn’t seen in a while, a kind man who has deep love in his heart. In fact, he changed his name to El Earth. The El is L for Love. He shared with me some new commandments for Love which include Love Yourself, Love Others, Practice Forgiveness, Protect Nature, Embrace Diversity and Promote Peace.

This week I encourage you to take some time to write your own new commandments for Love. Contemplate them deeply and make the effort to live according to at least one of your commandments each day.

You might also enjoy this yoga posture which can open your heart physically and energetically. Find a quiet place to practice and put a blanket or yoga mat on the floor. You might also like to get a pillow and two more blankets to support your body in the pose. Fold a supportive blanket lengthwise so you can lie down on your back with the blanket under your shoulder blades (adjust the height up or down according to your flexibility and comfort). You might like to place a blanket under your head if your neck is overstretched. And if your lower back is unhappy, place a rolled blanket or bolster under your thighs at the back of the knees. Relax deeply into the supports and keep your breath even. Stay here for 5-10 minutes. At the end, remove the blanket from under your shoulder blades and let your back rest in neutral on the mat for another minute. Continue to contemplate Love.