As we move onwards on our journey through the chakra system we now reach the throat chakra. As you would guess this is located in the neck and is all about communication. Whereas the lower chakras are all governed by various elements, earth, water, fire and air the upper chakras are governed by spirit. However I like to think of this chakra as governed by sound as it is the seat of our communication and vocals. Without communication life would be very difficult indeed – especially nowadays. We are bombarded with information continuously through each day but I’m not only referring to external media, internet, TV and radio communications. Our bodies are in a constant state of communication as well – each cell communicates with the brain and the bodily systems so communication really is key to life.
Whilst the throat chakra is mainly known for communication issues it is also a seat of creativity. Yes I know the sacral chakra is listed as the creative chakra but the throat chakra also plays a valid role in creativity too. If you cannot express your ideas then your creativity will be diminished to a certain extent.
The Sanskrit name for this chakra is Vishuddha which literally translates as “purification”. To achieve balance in this chakra we must have gone through some self-development and purification. On our journey so far we have learned about our right to be here and how to balance our base chakra and stay grounded. We learned that we have a right and a need for pleasure and we learned how to open and balance our sacral chakra. Moving upwards we learned about the fire of our own personal will in our solar plexus and then the softer touch of spirit as we moved into the air governed heart chakra. This development and balancing of our lower chakras allows our heart chakra to open which in turn helps to purify us and allow us to lovingly express ourselves via our throat chakra.
The throat chakra resonates with bright blue and disorders of this chakra can manifest as throat or thyroid problems. We have all had a lump in our throats at some point in our lives when we couldn’t get the words out. This “lump in the throat” is a symptom of a blocked throat chakra. It is important that we always speak our truth lovingly and with compassion and kindness. Words cannot be taken back and a harsh word can do a lot of damage.
It is important therefore to always pause before reacting especially when faced with negativity or harsh words from others. Likewise a good habit to develop before speaking is to ask yourself – are my words needed? Are my words true? Are my words kind? Meditation and mindfulness can help with cultivating this habit of briefly pausing before you speak out or react. How often have you received an email from a colleague and furiously typed a heated response only to realise later that you perhaps misread the email or misinterpreted the tone?
Our world is full of sound and sound is a vibration. Within ourselves, and produced by ourselves, there is a self-born, indestructible sound – constantly repeating itself in companionship with our breathing. Sound has enormous power. One might in fact say, that it has the power to create an entire universe. According to ancient Indian (Asian) belief in the beginning there was sound. This sound reverberated as “Om” – and from that sound everything came into existence. Even in the Christian bible we are told “In the beginning there was the word”.
Sound is a vibration of the air around us. We interpret, via the medium of our hearing equipment, and our brains, the vibration of the air as “sound”. Scientists are beginning to recognize, just as the Ancient Sages did, that a vibration exists in the universe, which reverberates ceaselessly throughout the cosmos.
Words are formed when letters and syllables come together. Our spiritual and mundane lives are possible only because of words. Without language, we would not be able to carry out any of our daily activities. Each word we use has its own power, and produces its own reaction.
It was ironic that when I sat to write this article I really suffered writers block – I was struggling to get the ideas out of my head and on to the paper. It occurred to me that my throat chakra was obviously not in balance. To help restore balance you can try any of the following ideas: –
Surround yourself with bright blue – wear blue clothing, wear blue coloured glasses or carry blue crystals. Good crystals to use for restoring balance to this chakra are sodalite, angelite, lapis lazuli or turquoise. Simply carry them with you or place them on your throat and visualise a bright blue ball of light emanating from your throat chakra. Listening to chakra balancing music or singing can also help restore balance.
Chanting is also a brilliant way to bring about balance in the throat chakra. To quote Judith Anodea’s article from her article on the throat chakra at “http://www.llewellyn.com/encyclopedia/article/256” : –
“Chanting is an activity that increases the overall resonance of our being, allowing all our internal systems to enter into a rhythmic harmony. When chanting is practised as a group activity, it enhances resonance and communication with the group as a whole. From Zen monasteries to rock concerts, this is a powerful tool for enhancing collective consciousness.”
Try mantra meditations where you repeat a word or phrase while meditating. Using “Om” is a good way to start and it can help focus your mind and bring about much needed balance and relaxation to our hectic lives.
Next time we will take a look at the brow chakra which is all about vision and light.
Love, light and blessings to you – thank you for taking the time to read this article.
