Fifth Chakra – Throat (Part 5 of 7)

Your Fifth Chakra – The Throat 

 Your Fifth Chakra (the Vishudda in Sanskrit) lives in the throat, associates with the color blue, the ether/space element, and the mantra ‘I Speak Truth.’

Our choices are communicated with our voices, and a large part of how we express ourselves. Lying or not expressing true feelings can result in a “lump in the throat feeling” if not properly expressed. Those with a strong fifth energy center speak truth. Personal expression, creativity, honesty, and passion are all examples of a strong Vishudda.

Fifth Chakra Cheat Sheet:
Sanskrit: Vishudda
Color: Blue
Lotus: 16 Petals
Element: Ether/Space
Mantra: I Speak
Chant: HAM
Asanas: Shoulder stands, fish pose, breathing exercises (pranayama)
Mudra: Fingers interlaced, thumbs touching to create a circle with your hands
Scents: Mint, White Sage, Eucalyptus
Teas: Herbal teas, fruit teas, licorice root
Stones: Blue Turquoise, Celestite, Aquamarine, Lapis Lazulia

When Out of balance:
This area can manifest itself in addiction, criticism, inability to express oneself, inability to make decisions (have a voice), or excessive lying.  If over-active, this person may yell unnecessarily and inappropriately, or be verbally abusive.  If under-active, this person is easily misunderstood, not heard, “wishy-washy” or gives mixed messages.

Bring Back in Balance: 

• A simple way to connect with this space can be to wear the color blue, sit in a comfortable posture with eyes closed. Imagine bright Mediterranean blue all around you – the sky and sea on all sides.  Search for any feelings of  timidness, exhale them away, and replace them with feelings of humor and truth.
• Fresh and fun methods: Sing, gargling salt water, laugh, or yell for a moment.
  
  
• Sit in a quiet space and listen to sounds or chants associated with this center.            Tip: My favorite is to pull up a chant, song or singing bowls on YouTube – specifically targeted at the energy center needing balance. Search “fifth chakra healing” or “throat chakra meditation.”  Prepare a bit of tea and enjoy a small break, allow the sounds, scents, and tastes to wash over you.
• In meditation, you have the option to close your eyes and chant HAM or simply concentrate on the mantra I SPEAK TRUTH (poem below), with
  hands in the throat mudra or a yoga asana (posture).
• Turn on your favorite music and practice the yoga flow I outlined below.  5 to 20 minutes would feel amazing.
• All practices combined would be incredibly beneficial:  Prepare some  fruit tea and slip on something blue. Turn on fifth centered music, light eucalyptus incense, place blue turquoise stones nearby, flow through a ten minute Vishudda sequence, transition to a seated meditation chanting HAM (hands in the appropriate mudra, and imagining the blue sky, flowers, or seas), and  end the time with repeating the I Speak Truth mantra below.
• Chakra energy clearing massage or energy work by a professional.
• Incorporate the color blue into your wardrobe, wear the stones associated with this center in jewelry or place in your pockets (listed above), and place something blue in your work space, meditation area or bedside table (it acts as a simple as a reminder to pay attention to your truth intention – you will start to see the color blue everywhere.  It truly helps!).
• My favorite: Write out a card with the mantra quote below and place it on your desk at work or on your bathroom mirror at home – repeat it several times a day. Optional to place your hands on your throat while you close your eyes or simply smile.

Throat Yoga Postures: Asanas (postures) that aid in the strength, health and connection to this posture all aim to spread your throat open.  To warm up, try Standing  Pranayama ten times: interlace fingers together, thumbs against throat, knuckles under chin.  As you inhale through the nose for five-six seconds, allow your elbows to lift up like wings until they are shoulder height.  As you exhale through the mouth for five-six seconds, squeeze the elbows together in front of you as close as they will get without rolling your shoulder blades forward.

Try these yoga postures to connect, which will help balance your body’s energy (try all the postures together in sequence for a beautiful flowing  Vishudda yoga meditation practice):

Begin with three sun salutations to slowly open the body and throat
Pranayama Standing Deep Breathing (outlined above)
Supported Shoulder Stand
Camel
Fish
Plow
Savasana with right hand gently placed on the throat

Throat Mudra: Mudras are another way of capturing energy between mind and body, and used to heal and focus on certain afflictions in your mind and body. Just as powerful as the asana (yoga exercises), this movement of your hands removes blockages in the body and aids in focus in meditation.

• Find a comfortable seated position and sit with a tall, long spine. Pull your shoulders down and back to open up your chest. Interlace your fingers and touch your thumb tips together to create a circle with your hands. 
• Try this position for three deep inhales and exhales, concentrating on the sound ‘HAM,’ which is the Vishudda chant. If you are new to meditation or calming breath, challenge yourself to sit for one minute or longer.  The longer, the better effects.  Work up to 10 to 20 minutes.

Vishudda Chakra Essential Oil Therapy: The sense of smell is the most powerful tool the human body has to effect mood. It is the fastest thing to bring back memory or to lift your spirits. Use this in conjunction with a throat yoga sequence, mudra, meditation, and mantra, and your will have powerfully strengthened your heart energy and come back to the base of ‘I SPEAK.’

• When using essential oil:
• Dab a dot on your wrists and neck
• In a diffuser to enhance your home smell (amazing to use in-home and easily found online – in the meantime boiling a few drops in water will do the trick to infuse your home as well)
• Dilute into a spray bottle with a few drops oil the rest water to spray your space in yoga or at home
• Add few drops into your bath tub
• Rub on skin topically with a vehicle like coconut oil
• Examples of scents related to this area: Eucalyptus, mint and white sage.

Throat Mantra: “I speak the truth quickly and easily.  I communicate clearly and keep my word. I am understood by others and I understand others. I am a good listener and I surround myself with people who make me feel safe and listen to my ideas and thoughts.  I keep my word with love. I am proud and ask for what I want in life. I am creative, I am honest, I am free.  I express myself with love. I Speak the truth!”

*              *             *
Seven Chakra Overview – 

This seven part chakra series is designed as a tool to help you focus your attention and energy on yourself, in order to improve how you feel and react to the world around you.

If one of the descriptions in this seven part series speaks to you, or you feel a connection with the information, listen to that intuition and try a few of the exercises and test out how you feel. In daily life there are negative and positive events everyone must come across; however, negative energies can take a toll on our bodies, and areas can become “blocked” or “choked.”

These exercises are methods to break through those blockages and clean out the body to regain strength with peace of mind and body.

The spine is a very powerful and central part of the human anatomy. Along your spine you have tiny nerve endings that flow energy out to all different parts of your body to perform everyday activities. Just like exercise and stretching helps strengthen muscles and ultimately bones, the spine is in need of attention as well.

There are seven main energy points along the spine, each connected to very specific body and mind function. If one of these energy centers is off or unhealthy, both the body and mind become unbalanced.

Yoga and meditation practice are important to every day health, because they both allow constant unclogging of these seven energy points.

For more on each of the seven chakras:

First Chakra: Root Chakra – Muladhara 
Second Chakra: Sacral Chakra – Svadhisthana 
Third Chakra: Solar Plexus Chakra – Manipura Fourth Chakra: Heart Chakra – Anahata 
Fifth Chakra: Throat Chakra – Vishuddha
Sixth Chakra: Third Eye Chakra – Ajna
Seventh Chakra: Crown Chakra – Sahasrara

The light in me honors and respects the light in each and every one of you,
Azahar

~Next in Series: Sixth Chakra – Third Eye

Do you have any practices you like to incorporate into Chakra healing?