Irene 
Hey-a Tribe!
I hope you had a good week! This past week was another doozy for me, but I’m looking forward to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday and a few extra days off from work! Our chakra this week focuses on our voice. So as we move up from the heart, our next stop is, the Throat Chakra!
Before we get started, grab your water, tea, or other healthy beverage of choice, get comfy, take a big, deep breath, and sigh it out.
Throat Chakra
- Sanskrit Name: Vishuddha
- Location: At the throat
- Color: Blue
- Element: Ether
- Sound/Mantra: HAM
- Lotus Petals: 16
Our fifth chakra governs our communication, ability to speak your truth, and express yourself. Its primary purpose is self-expression, integrity, and being able to communicate our visions, dreams, and purpose. The throat chakra also controls the laryngeal plexus and thyroid gland. The laryngeal plexus controls our throat, shoulders, arms, and voice. Our thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism and organ functions.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Are you having any difficulty expressing your feelings and thoughts?
- Are you having any throat, ear, or allergy issues?
- Are you shy, introverted, and afraid to speak up?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, chances are, you are experiencing an imbalance with your Throat Chakra.
When your Vishuddha is balanced, you may feel peaceful, loving, compassionate, and open. You may feel as if you could communicate and express yourself easily. Creativity and inspiration could come easily and overall, your interactions with others a positive experience.
When your Throat Chakra is blocked it may feel difficult to express yourself or speak out in general. People could misunderstand you and there is a chance that you are not listening as well as you could be. You could have problems either speaking too loud, too softly or expressing yourself in general. With any relationship, good communication is important. If you are having difficulty communicating with others, your relationships could suffer as well. If this chakra is blocked, you may want a stronger voice, the ability to speak up, to come out of your shell, and perhaps not being so shy or introverted. Other signs of imbalance include:
- Sore throat, colds, flu, coughing, or allergies
- Hearing problems
- Thyroid issues
- Stuttering
- Disorders with the ears, nose, tonsils, or throat
An overactive Throat Chakra can lead to feelings of jealousy or co-dependence. You could also feel you are self-sacrificing or giving too much. Maybe you’ve been told you’re too loud and you’re the one always doing the talking when communicating with others don’t do enough listening.
Since this chakra is so important to communication, it plays a big part in our lives. There is a chance that we may have, or are currently experiencing a block or imbalance with this chakra. Here are some simple tips on how to balance your Throat Chakra:
- Throat opening yoga poses – Camel, plow, bridge, and fish are great poses that open up our throat and activate this chakra.
- Sit outside – look at the beautiful blue sky and simply watch the clouds pass. This is a simple way to meditate by allowing yourself to be present in that moment and enjoy breathing in some fresh air.
- Talk it out – what better way to work through communication issues than to speak out. If you are not used to this, it may feel weird or foreign to you. Others may not be used to you speaking up so if you get interrupted, ask them to listen patiently as this may be challenging for you to express yourself. Maybe the opposite party is also experiencing a throat chakra imbalance.
- Write it out – don’t feel quite ready to use your physical voice yet? Write it out. Writing your thoughts and feelings can help you understand them more clearly. This is an easy way to help improve your mental health by gaining control of your emotions. If you struggle with stress, depression or anxiety, this could be a great practice to start implementing.
- See blue – wear blue or have blue items nearby. Imagine as you breathe, a beautiful blue light soothing your throat with each breath.
- Eat blue – eat all the blue foods and then some! Blueberries, figs, and kelp are good options. Anything soothing to the throat is another great option such as warm soups and teas.
- Repeat positive affirmations about communication – choose one of these healing affirmations that resonate with you to use in your yoga practice and/or in your daily life. These affirmations can help break old patterns and direct our behaviors in a new, positive direction.
- I have the courage to speak my truth.
- I express myself freely and respectfully.
- I am honest in my communications.
- I can say no when it is necessary
- I will think before I speak.
- I listen to my intuition.
- I hear and speak the truth and know when it is time to listen.
- I express my love and goodness each time I speak.
- I live in my truth, I communicate my truth, I am the truth.
- I love to share my experiences and wisdom.
- What I say matters.
For those of you that might be journaling, below are the Throat Chakra prompts. Choose one (or all) to write about!
Journal Prompts:
- Do I honestly speak what I feel is true?
- Do I accept differences in opinion?
- I express myself through…
- What part of my journey is the most difficult to understand and accept?
- If I step into my authentic expression, I am afraid…
- What judgement might I hold against those who are authentically expressing themselves?
- It’s hard for me to embrace my…
What state do you think your Throat Chakra is in?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments and I look forward to seeing you on the mat! 😊
Peace, love & light,
Irene
P.S. If you haven’t received this week’s calendar invite for our Wednesday yoga practice, email me at irenicjourney[at]gmail[dot]com!
Chakra Series Links:
