Tongue tied?! This chakra lets you speak your truth with clarity. Think about it-where does your voice come from? What provides the energy and inclination for you to speak?
Associated with the colour blue, it’s centre is right in between your collar bone, and it spreads down towards your heart and up to the centre of your eyes. Being above the heart, the throat chakra is connected to the compassion and love you have for yourself and others.
When it’s balanced, you’ll be able to clearly speak with love, kindness, and truth. You’ll will know exactly which words are appropriate for each situation. And speaking with a balanced throat chakra will enlighten and inspire those around you.
When it’s overactive…In the past you may have spent a lot of time trying to make your voice heard- feeling ignored or invalidated when you express yourself, you may have tried to overcome this by giving yourself a louder voice, and as a result will often interrupt others, often be told they have a loud voice or “love to hear themselves talk.”
Bearing that in mind we can also have an underactive 5th Chakra: Being ignored and invalidated so much that we react in the opposite way – we shut down our voices and never speak our truth. People may say you are shy or quiet, finding it hard to express your emotions or struggling for words when you try to speak your truth.
IN A NUTSHELL: Physical signs of imbalance: throat pain, frequent infections, cavities or mouth ulcers. Digestive issues, if underactive because energy diverted away from the throat chakra often ends up being “swallowed” or sent down to the 3rd chakra.
Balancing an over active Throat Chakra: This one sounds pretty easy hey? But may be harder in practice…Think before you speak. Just like your mama always said (and Buddha!)…before you say anything, ask yourself: IS IT TRUE? IS IT NECESSARY? AND IS IT KIND?
Energizing your 5th chakra: Speak your truth! Even if no one is around to hear you, practice expressing your emotions and truths when you’re alone. It’s very common to think that we should only speak when someone else is around to hear it, but if you’re trying to energize your third chakra, it doesn’t matter if it’s received by any other ear than your own.
My fave Yoga Pose to stimulate 5th Chakra: Matsyasana-Fish pose, nice to do after plough and shoulder stand and lovely for the heart too. Good for the respiratory system and thyroid. You can do a lovely visualisation here too-imagine a blue swirling light radiating from the throat. I enjoy this pose but it can be a weird one! If you have issues with your neck it’s best to avoid it and do some yummy neck rolls in seated instead.
Pranayama (breathing exercises) we can do to stimulate: CAT/COW/LION (what a combo!) After a few rounds of cat/cow, begin to introduce Lion’s Breath on your exhalations. Inhale through the nose in Cow pose as usual. On your exhalations, let your Cat roar as you tone the back of your throat and exhale forcefully through your mouth, sticking your tongue out toward your chin. Move through several rounds of Lion-Cow to open your throat.
Other info on the throat Chakra:
Calming scents: Lavender, Hyacinth
Energizing scents: Patchouli, white musk
Meridians: Lung, Large intestine, heart constrictor