We’re climbing ever higher up the 7-chakra system, and arriving at the amazing 5th chakra, the Throat Chakra.

Its element is Ether, the energy around it can be described as fine and “ethereal”. The ancient Sanskrit name for this chakra is Vishudda meaning: purification, clarity. The associated colour is Blue.

Something I find really interesting about this chakra is that it’s developed between the ages of 29 and 35, and again between the ages of 78 and 84. As the first of the upper three chakras, it starts to become more spiritually oriented, and its primary focus becomes authentic self- expression and life purpose.

The throat chakra is physically located in the neck and, more specifically, in the centre of the throat. A unique aspect of this chakra is that it points both forward and backward. It governs the region from the base of your neck up to your ears. This chakra affects the neck, jaws, mouth and ears, and it is associated with the Thyroid gland.

Some of the psychological and behavioural characteristics you can feel with the Throat Chakra include: Communication – whether it’s verbal or non-verbal and external or internal, realizing your vocation – your purpose, and expression – your ability to express your truth and to speak out. The Throat Chakra is highly about the expression of yourself.

A Balanced Throat Chakra

When your throat chakra is balanced, you can express yourself easily and effectively without fear of what others might think. You will feel communication come naturally, and often you will sound confident, strong and pleasant.

You may even express yourself by speaking in public, or through other creative forms like playing an instrument or singing, and you may feel drawn to expressing yourself through writing.

One of my favourite things about a balanced Throat Chakra is that you’ll understand yourself well and know what your needs are! And because of being in balance and the other facts I mentioned above you can express your needs in ways that are tactful, diplomatic, and most importantly, you will be able to speak from a place of authenticity and integrity.

Unbalanced Throat Chakra

As always, an unbalanced Throat Chakra can really throw us off our game and as usual, we will feel it physically and emotionally. Don’t worry though, even the best of us can fall into an unbalanced Throat Chakra; there are always ways to help heal.

A few effects you’ll notice with an unbalanced Throat Chakra include;
Having trouble making sense of feelings in any given life situation. It can especially be tough to speak up for ourselves in daily life. Some words may not match with the real feelings we have, and the way we express in communication may come across as being “incongruent”. A weak Throat Chakra is also a symptom of not communicating truthfully with yourself and stifling your truth.

Some physical effects we can feel are: ear, nose or throat problems, respiratory ailments, thyroid problems, some speech problems like stuttering, having a sore throat, and even neck pain.

An Overactive Throat Chakra

As every other chakra we’ve chatted about, it is definitely possible to have an overactive/ overdeveloped Throat Chakra.

It is easy to see and feel when the Throat Chakra is overdeveloped/overactive as the person will speak very loudly, talk too often and is a poor listener. You can hear the arrogance or self-righteousness talk. This person may use their words for more harm than good, for example, think gossip, lying, or sharing a friend’s secret.

Ways to Balance The Throat Chakra

As we know, there is always a way to heal and balance out the Throat Chakra!

A great place to start is with meditating and affirmations. It would be good to meditate once a day for at least 10 minutes, but you may see improvements even if you only practice a few times a week.

A couple affirmations to start with are:

• I am open, clear, and honest in my communication.
• I have a right to speak my truth.
• I communicate my feelings with ease.
• I express myself creatively through speech, writing, or art.

Other ways you can heal and balance your Throat Chakra is getting daily Movement and stretching. The Throat Chakra benefits the most from regular physical activity. Your neck is carrying the weight of your head (believe it or not, it weighs 11 lbs!), plus we are developing “tech neck” due to staring awkwardly at our screens for hours at a time. When your neck muscles tighten, the energy flowing between your head and body (and through your Throat Chakra) can become blocked and stagnant.

Try moving your head in a big circle clockwise, then counter-clockwise. Roll your shoulders forward and backward, and try to pull your shoulder blades downward. This takes the pressure off of your neck and dramatically improves your posture.

Deep breathing is another activity to throw into a daily routine! If you can, get outside and breathe in the fresh air. If you can’t close your eyes and picture the air coming into your throat, then being expelled from your throat. Deep breathing can help revitalize the Thyroid gland by allowing a better flow of life force energy (or “ki”).

Of course, with the Throat Chakra being a massive force of communication-Singing. I’m not saying you have to be Kelly Clarkson to give singing a chance, but try singing, even in the shower or car! Singing is a beautiful way to express yourself. Try even one of these and see if you start to feel more authentic, empowered and in-sync with your energies!

Last but not least, we have to keep communicating with one another through speech, writing, and/or our every day interactions. Put the electronics down and have a conversation at the dinner table, talk about feelings.

Human to human communication is a vital part of our lives, it is the meaning of life, and one of the biggest joys of living.

With love,
Megan J. Law