Emotional blocks and the heart chakra?

Last night's session got a little strange. I was considering the circulation of sexual energy around my body (eg. the micro-cosmic orbit), and as I focused on what might be my heart chakra, an unclear desire to express emotion felt like a natural next step. I'm not sure if this was some internal wisdom rising from within me, or whether it was just an expectation I was imposing on the situation, because that's what I thought I should do.

It seemed to "work" when I did focus on being more emotionally expressive, but I don't know if I can separate that from the placebo effect, since I've found belief itself is a powerful enhancer.

Sensations in my belly soon followed, so I'm inclined to think I hit on an interesting roadblock (if you put credence in the direction micro-cosmic orbit follows). It also makes sense to me, since I'm a very emotionally-guarded person in day to day life. I go through life poker-facing everything as it happens, then processing it later in private (in what ever form that takes).

Am I being too metaphorical about the "heart chakra", or does it actually manifest as emotional expression? I always considered it a purely physical thing, but now I'm not so sure.

I'd also like to throw the discussion open to emotions in general, since I'm interested in what other people's experiences are.