The Fifth Chakra – Vishuddha (to purify)

Location:

Throat

Colour:

Bright Blue

Element:

Ether (sound / vibration)

Sense:

Hearing

Overview:

The Fifth Chakra is located in the throat. It is the gateway between head and heart, and the first of the “spiritual chakras”. Here we take what is inside us and turn it into language and images that shape our external world. It is the chakra of speaking and listening. We get our sense of self, self-expression, and confidence here – we find our Voice.

The throat is the narrowest part of the body – Anodea Judith calls it the bottleneck of the chakra system – it’s unsurprising then that this is where a lot of people complain about being blocked. The chakra develops between the ages of 7 and 12. Think back to this time – when you spoke were you listened to? Were you made to feel stupid for the things you said? Did your family have secrets that you had to keep? Were there lies? How freely were you able to express yourself? It’s easy to suppress the fifth chakra, it’s not so easy to open it up afterwards.

When the fifth chakra is balanced and centred, we are able to speak with confidence and truth because we are grounded and comfortable with our self (the lower three chakras). We no longer need to enforce our opinions on others. Moreover with the heart chakra open, we can speak gently with compassion and conviction, so that others do not feel threatened by our beliefs. We can communicate without fear of being judged & also speak without judgment. If the chakra becomes blocked in any way self-confidence & self-love are all squashed down & held back. We lose sight of our truth and begin to live by someone else’s version of it, causing us imbalance and pain. We cannot say “no” to others’ voices because we are no longer able to hear our own inner voice. If the chakra becomes over active we might speak too much and lose our ability to listen – listening is as important as speaking for the fifth chakra.

Body Associations:

Throat, neck, shoulders, thyroid & parathyroid, teeth & gums, ears.

Key Words:

Communication, creative expression, purification

Issues:

Finding your voice, truth, resonance, listening, communication, creativity, lies, discernment (knowing when to speak)

Physical issues:

Some sinus problems, issues with ears, nose and throat, metabolism, thyroid problems, gum disease, jaw pain and TMJ, voice loss, problems with the tonsils, toxicity, speech impediments

Balanced characteristics:

Authoritative voice, clear communication. Lives creatively. A good listener. Good sense of timing and rhythm. Always voicing the truth. Able to hear what has not been said. Inspirational communication. Confidence, conviction, no fear of judgement. Subtlety.

Deficient characteristics:

Fear of speaking, a weak voice. Difficulty putting feelings into words. Introversion, shyness. Tone deaf, poor rhythm. Withdrawal from emotions into the mind

Excess characteristics:

Talking too much, talking as a defence. The inability to listen. Gossiping. Dominating voice / interruptions. Speaking too bluntly. Cunning / deceit. Being overly critical

Possible addictions:

Opiates, marijuana

Essential Oils:

Eucalyptus, peppermint, clary sage, frankincense, sandalwood, lavender

Gemstones:

Lapis Lazuli, Sodalite, Turquoise, Quartz, Angelite, Aquamarine, Kyanite

Healing Practices:

Chanting and singing. Kelp, echinacea, bananas, wheatgrass, blue foods such as blueberries and blackcurrants. Dog Breath (clears toxins) and sitali breath. Sound therapy and gong baths. Working out your truth (what matters to you and how you view the world), developing your voice. Speaking kindly and being mindful of your words. Developing your communication skills. Talking therapies. Surrounding yourself with the colour blue. Expressing yourself in some way – journaling, dance, writing, singing, public speaking, social media, photography, craft and art etc. Purifying practises such as detoxing, cutting out unhealthy food, toxic people or habits etc.

Yoga Postures:

Cobra pose, neck rolls, shoulder shrugs & rolls. Shoulder stand and plow pose. Certain arm exercises (arms out to the side). Camel pose, pelvic bridge, back plank, tabletop. Fish pose. Neck lock (Jalandhara Bandha).

Seed (bij) Mantra:

Ham (pronounced Hum) – try humming as you exhale. Allow the sound to vibrate around the throat.