The Throat Chakra

The fifth of the seven-chakra system is the throat chakra, which influences your communication and self-expression. Located at the base of the head, the throat chakra, or Vishuddha, is the first of your spiritual chakras. Therefore healing the throat chakra will improve our connection to the Universe.  

What is Vishuddha?

Coming from ancient Indian and Eastern traditions, the current-day chakra system carries a few remnants of their pasts. For example, while we may refer to the fifth chakra as the throat chakra, for a thousand years, it was known as Vishuddha. This Sanskrit word roughly translates to the phrase “especially pure.” It has come to mean a purification or a pure, genuine expression of yourself.

Vishuddha Chakra Through the Ages

While we take our current interpretation of the chakra energy systems from the Hindu Tantra tradition, the throat chakra relates to various other religions. These religions and philosophies have used the chakra system for several centuries. For example, Vajrayana and Tibetan dream yoga have some correlations with the Taoist mouth chakra and modern-day mystical interpretations of Kabbalah.

The throat chakra is the first of your more subtle realms of spirituality and intuition. It’s about living an authentic life by communicating honestly and with self-awareness. Moreover, a well-balanced throat chakra relates to feeling confident and speaking your truth. It also supports open communications. Further, it influences how you welcome life’s possibilities and sharpen your creativity. In brief, an aligned throat chakra removes negativity, self-doubt, and lack of integrity from your life.

This honest, forthright energy is associated with the color blue. It also resonates with scents such as frankincense, chamomile, basil, cinnamon, ginger, and lime. In addition, it is related to the Akasha element.

We’ve already mentioned that this energy center is about speaking your truth honestly and confidently. But Vishuddha also involves listening nearly as much as it relates to truth-telling. This is just one of the reasons this chakra is so important to interpersonal relationships and your emotional and spiritual well-being.

Physically, Vishuddha encompasses the mouth, neck, jaw, tongue, and larynx. It is also associated with sound and hearing. So the ears are sometimes included in the throat chakra energy wheel. Vishuddha also influences your thyroid and parathyroid production and regulation.

Imbalanced Throat Chakra

An imbalance in your throat chakra can lead to thyroid conditions, throat infections, neck tightness, and dental problems. It also can manifest as laryngitis and TMJ. In addition, the throat chakra can become partially or entirely blocked. In turn, this will lead to your energy center becoming underactive compared to your other chakras. On the other hand, people sometimes overstimulate, leading to further potential issues.

Here are a few hints that your throat chakra may be misaligned:

Underactive Chakra

• hoarse or sore throat
• reluctance to speak out, even if it means going along with others’ differing opinions
• lack of ability to convey your thoughts clearly
• disconnected from social situations
• social anxiety
• inability to see your place in the world
• stifled creativity

Overactive Chakra

• the compulsion to speak, even at inappropriate times
• inability to listen fruitfully to others
• stubbornness
• verbal aggression
• mean-spirited or gossipy expression
• lying or failure to communicate with integrity

Tips for Balancing The Throat Chakra

There are many everyday ways to open or balance your throat chakra. First, practice saying what you need or want out of life in a kind and caring manner. Affirmations can help with this, especially if your throat chakra is blocked. Further, in your day-to-day interactions, listen to what someone is saying to you. Most importantly, be present and attentive while the other person is speaking. These two practices can help you create honest, authentic, and, ultimately, more rewarding dialogues.

Remember that the throat chakra is the pathway for connecting your physically-associated chakras with your spiritual and intuitive head chakras. Thus, keeping this conduit flowing freely is essential. For instance, yoga, meditation, and mind-body practice can help you attain or maintain an aligned throat chakra.

Aromatherapy oils can significantly enhance your meditation or yoga experience. But, of course,  you need to choose the oils that affect you emotionally and physically.

Kundalini yoga poses and breath work are commonly associated with opening and balancing the throat chakra. These posses include, for example, camel, bridge, plow, and shoulder stand asanas. Moreover, the lion’s breath, Ujjayi’s breath, chanting, singing, and vocalization benefit breath and throat work.