Fifth Chakra - Authentic Self Expression
Also known as Vishuddha, our throat chakra is a gateway between our head and heart, and our mind and body, which makes it quite an important pathway. This is the doorway through which we express ourselves - where our energy gathers, and is then birthed into manifestation in the world outside of ourselves. When this energy center is healthy and balanced, we are able to express ourselves with honesty and kindness guided by the wisdom of love from the heart below and intuitive knowing from the third eye above.
Description
Vishuddha holds the energy of purification: it is typically depicted as a bright blue lotus flower with 16 petals around the center, containing a white full moon within a triangle. Blue and white represent purity, wisdom and higher consciousness. The moon is a symbol for the element space / ether, which is another sign of higher consciousness. The inverted triangle symbolizes Spirit connecting down to the heart center, then expanding outward and upward. The 16 petals typically hold the Sanskrit vowels, symbolizing sound as the beginning of creation. Ultimately, Vishuddha is a symbol of awakening through purification and harmonizing of the body, mind & Spirit.
Physical signs of an energetic imbalance
The throat chakra energetically reacts with the thyroid and parathyroid gland, the throat, mouth, ears, neck, shoulders and head. Blocked or overactive energy in this center will result in physical manifestation of health issues in this area including head, neck and shoulder pain, thyroid, hearing or vocal issues or illness.
Mental signs of an energetic imbalance
We live in a culture in which many of us grew up with messages to repress our authentic expression such as, “Children should be seen and not heard.”, “Boys don’t cry”, etc. Therefore it’s not surprising that this important gateway is often and easily blocked. How many times have you had the experience of words getting caught in your throat, you did not feel heard, or were simply afraid to express what you felt? These are thoughts indicative of blocked energy in the throat chakra. Similarly, fear, self judgement, shame and shyness all serve to decrease the flow of energy here in this energy center. Experiencing a creative block is another indicator of blocked energy. Harsh communication, verbal abuse, dishonesty and manipulative tactics are all signs of an imbalance in this chakra. Difficulty listening can be a further sign of imbalance.
Open and flowing Vishuddha
This energy center serves the energetic flow of all of our creative abilities, not just verbal expression. In addition to talking, the throat chakra is the gateway for singing, making music, writing, dancing and all forms of creative expression. Therefore when the throat chakra is open all areas of creative expression are more fluid, easy, and harmonious. We have a greater sense of confidence in our ability to express the energy that we feel, in all possible forms of manifestation, be that verbal expression of our thoughts or feelings, or expressing emotion through tears, touch, movement, etc.
Situated just beneath the spiritual powerhouses of the sixth and seventh chakra, Visshudha receives spiritual guidance from above and connects directly with the heart center below. The heart center receives the flow of energetic messages from the lower three personality chakras and infuses them with unconditional love before delivering them to the throat chakra for expressive connection into the outer world beyond the self. This is our center for purification, it is in the throat chakra that the ordinary is infused with ether / space and changed into non-ordinary, or infusing what was a human emotion or reaction, with a higher spiritual frequency thereby raising the consciousness level of the output. If this sounds complicated, the important message here is that this energy center matters, so pay attention to the cues you are receiving. You’re going to love the feel of having your throat chakra open and flowing: life feels clear, your expression flows easily and feels guided by love and wisdom, there’s a significant sense of being in alignment when Vishuddha is open.
Working with your Throat Chakra
In addition to the basics of surrounding yourself with the color blue (sky blue to peacock blue, silver and white), bringing your awareness to this place in your body (throat center) and breathing light into this chakra for cleansing and clearing (see our meditation page at sacredhealingjourney.com), as well as toning are powerful techniques for getting the energy open and flowing in your throat chakra, see more on toning at Chakra Toning Chopra Center - YouTube.
Use of a Mantra is also an especially powerful tool for the throat chakra as it is another technique that uses the special gifts of Vishuddha - vocal cords. Although all mantras are good, significant ones for the throat chakra are “Hum” or the mantra “So Hum”. Learn more about the mantra So Hum at So Hum Meditation - YouTube. To use a mantra, simply pause life for a moment, breathe, close your eyes, get centered, and repeat the word or phrase with your exhale aloud, you can amplify the effects by silently repeating the word with the in-hale.
Essential oils to help cleanse and invigorate throat chakra include rose, lavender, sandalwood, cedar, rosemary, and lemon.
Therapeutic techniques that help open chakras include Heart-centered Hypnotherapy, which is a great way to get to the root of long held energetic blocks, as well as Integral Breath Therapy.