Throat Chakra (Vishuddha Chakra)

Symbol, Meaning, Stones, Affirmation

All Chakras | Root | Sacral | SolarPlexus | Heart | Throat | ThirdEye | Crown

We live in a reality in which communication plays a fundamental role. Regardless of the context, be it home, work or school, knowing how to communicate is very important.

Good communication skills allow anyone to express their ideas in the best possible way, but above all to be able to listen to those of others.

We spend our daily life communicating. And even though most of the time we use chats to do this, in the end the best tool we have at our disposal is our word.

Lack of communication, or poor and miscommunication, only causes a lot of problems. Think about what can happen at work if you don’t express your ideas as well as you can, or if you can’t say everything with your partner and end up keeping it inside.

When communication fails, most likely the cause is to be found in the closure of the fifth chakra.

In this article we will therefore see together what  Vishuddha Chakra is  and how to rebalance it.

The Sanskrit term for the throat chakra is vishuddha (विशुद्ध), which in a literal translation means “especially pure”, or “purification”.

This chakra is related to the element of sound. Through the throat, the sound propagates in the air, and its vibration is heard not only with the ears, but in the whole of our body. It is a very important tool of communication and expression.

The throat chakra is the first of the higher or spiritual chakras on the “chakra ladder”. It is found in the region of the neck and shoulders , and its color is blue .

The gift of this chakra is to accept your originality, to express your authentic voice and to be able to speak your truth.

The energy of this chakra allows you to seek the truest and deepest knowledge , beyond the limits of time and space, and beyond cultural and family conditioning.

The main challenge for the fifth chakra is doubt and negative thoughts. When you receive, acquire and verify your knowledge through meditation and direct experience, doubt and negativity are removed.

The ” way of the throat chakra ” is that of inspired creativity , as well as of seeking and sharing the truth . The fifth chakra allows you to stand up for what you believe in , to say no when needed, and to be open and honest in what you say.

• Do you have the courage to be creative ?
• Do you have the courage to open up to a life full of infinite possibilities?

The fifth chakra is also related to personal integrity and a sense of honor. As a center of communication , it not only allows you to express who you are and what you stand for, but also allows you to listen deeply to others.

If your visuddha chakra is open you are a good listener , allowing another person to enjoy the experience of being heard (one of the deepest needs of human beings).

What is Vishuddha chakra?

In the Sanskrit language, Vishuddha means pure . It is directly connected to the ether, which is the fifth element which is a symbol of purity and vastness . This meaning comes from the fact that the energy within this chakra moves from the bottom up.

This energy allows the chakra to purify itself and take shape in the two of the most important interactions of each person, namely communication and listening .

The Vishuddha is the fifth chakra and is also called the throat chakra  because it is right at the height of it. This position allows him to have full control of important organs that are in that area such as the trachea, the vocal cords and the nose.

Throat Chakra Meaning

The Throat Chakra is the first of the higher chakras. In Sanskrit it is known as Vishuddha (to purify). At this level we learn that only the truth can set us free.

The main developmental age for this energy centre is approximately ages 28 to 35 and the corresponding sacrament is confession. It’s the centre through which we express our creativity and here it really has the power to touch people’s hearts to help them heal, whereas creativity expressed at the sacral chakra level only is enjoyable but doesn’t promote soul growth the same way.

Positive attributes of Throat Chakra

• Contentment,
• good communicator,
• good at active listening,
• artistic,
• assertive,
• charismatic,
• truthful,
• self-aware,
• psychic,
• cannot be manipulated by other people,
• consistent views and behavior,
• speaks from the heart,
• thinks before speaking,
• engaging speaking voice,
• able to see both sides of an argument

Negative attributes of Throat Chakra

• Suffering from verbal diarrhoea,
• shouty,
• whiny voice,
• dogmatic,
• arrogant,
• judgmental,
• poor communicator,
• easily manipulated,
• lacking self-awareness,
• shy,
• unable to express their true feelings,
• dishonest,
• inconsistent,
• unreliable,
• fearful,
• ‘deaf’ to the opinions of others,
• monotone speaking voice

SPEAK YOUR TRUTH. The Wheel of Fortune corresponds to the expansive energy of the planet Jupiter and the concept of taking risks.

Speaking your truth often means taking a risk. The more you do it, the more your energy will expand in the world, allowing you to make your mark.

Meditate on the Wheel and how it corresponds to your throat chakra. Vow to speak your truth all day. Tie a blue scarf around your neck as a reminder.

Why Vishuddha Chakra is important

When this chakra is open you can express yourself clearly and limpidly, with tact, without offending. Your voice is calm and relaxed, you know how to listen to others and you always manage to express what you think and let yourself go.

They thus improve our personal relationships, allowing us to be much more inclined to communication and collective participation. This security that follows the absence of fear or dread makes it so that once we speak we do not care what others are thinking of us.

Our ability to  concentrate  is also very high. Since we are very predisposed to listening, learning also becomes fast and effective

On the contrary,  if the chakra is closed leads to not being able to express oneself well or to listen to others. We are unable to say no, we feel extremely shy and awkward and we are no longer able to express our creativity, either through words or through artistic disciplines.

All this leads to a situation of  profound discomfort  that in the long run can make us close in on ourselves so much that we do not want or even be afraid to be together with other people. It goes without saying that our social relationships will inevitably fall apart.

Even on a physical level we can run into problems, first of all to the  thyroid , but also to breathing and related organs. Diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, mouth ulcers, speech disorders but also otitis and ear pains will appear.

When  the chakra is too open and works too much , we become talkative, never listening to what others tell us. What we say however is not what we really think but our conversations will be based on lies and manipulations.

We also feel too sure of ourselves and do not accept criticism, even when it comes from the people we love.

We are not sure of expressing ourselves at our best and we tend to avoid contact with others as much as possible, estranging ourselves and isolating ourselves. In addition to mental difficulties, we can also run into physical problems, such as sinusitis, colds, laryngitis and other inflammations of the respiratory system.

How to Recognize Imbalances in the Throat Chakra

If you would like to go deeper into the matter, and better understand if you have any fifth chakra imbalance , blockage or hyperactivity , here is a list of suggestions.

You may need to work on the fifth chakra if, in general:

• You find it difficult to embody your authentic self
• You find it difficult to be honest with yourself and others
• You struggle with communication problems in your relationships
• You feel anxious during conversations
• You tend to hide opinions and desires from yourself and others
• You get carried away by gossip
• You try to dominate the conversations
• You struggle to listen to others

From the standpoint of physical , you may:

• Suffering from neck pain
• Having thyroid problems and hormonal fluctuations
• Having a bad back
• Suffering from a sore throat
• Having a cough

How to balance the fifth chakra

When  the fifth chakra is out of balance , what we need to be able to do is bring out our creativity and learn to appreciate silence and listening.

It doesn’t matter if you have a  creative block . Try to fight it by painting, writing, dancing or singing, even if the result will not be the best! The important thing is to be able to let yourself go to your emotions.

You can also practice Asanas that affect the neck and shoulders, such as Matsyasana , also called the fish position.

I also advise you to do meditation,  focusing deeply on your breath , perhaps listening to the mantra of Vishuddha, the HAM , which you can listen to in the video below.

Here is a series of very useful exercises to rebalance the fifth Chakra.

Ujjayi Pranayama

You just have to focus on your throat. For 5 to 10 minutes you need to inhale and exhale deeply.

Try to contract your throat so that your breathing resembles that of a sleeping person. Once you can make the sound bring your focus to it and keep it.

Jalandhara Bandha

Begin this exercise by exhaling, then place your hands on your knees, bring your body forward and press the sternum with your chin.

What you need to do is hold this position until you feel comfortable. Whenever you feel the need to inhale, simply raise your head. This movement increases the flow of fresh blood.

Khechari Mudra

The Khechari Mudra is performed by rolling the tongue back and up to place it on the soft palate.

Throat Chakra Affirmation

If you want to restore energy to your fifth chakra, there are multiple tricks . Some are based on colors, others on exercises to do when you are with others, and some exercises focus on diets, wearing crystals, and so on.

An excellent method is that of affirmations , because they allow us to replace negative thoughts and beliefs with others that are more positive and useful for our evolution, happiness and inner peace.

Here are some affirmations particularly suitable for the fifth chakra, which you can very well repeat daily.

• I speak my truth.
• I am open, clear and honest in my communication
• I communicate my feelings easily
• I express myself creatively through speech, writing or art
• I have a strong will that allows me to solve my challenges
• I feed my spirit through creativity
• I live an authentic life
• I have integrity
• I love to share my experiences and my wisdom
• I know when it’s time to listen
• I express my gratitude towards life
• I listen to my body and my feelings to recognize my truth
• I take care of my physical body
• I am at peace
• I communicate with confidence and ease
• I feel comfortable expressing my opinion
• I am balanced in speaking and listening
• I am an active listener
• I express my true thoughts with ease
• I have set clear limits

Throat Chakra Meditation

There are various types of meditation , but all of them can help us feel better and know the deeper truths. There are the meditations of yoga , those of vipassana , those of mindfulness , those of zen , those of tantric , those of osho , those on “who am I?” , those on the merkaba , those related to qi gong , the Christian ones, those on yin and yang … and so on.

Typically, when meditating to work on the chakras, practices include visualization exercises, and often paying attention to the breath .

When you start meditating, unless it is a walking meditation , you are usually in a sitting position , but you can also lie down if necessary.

Mindfulness Meditation for the Fifth Chakra

The first meditation I propose to you is related to mindfulness and awareness . It can be done like this:

• Try to connect with your inner truth , and start by quieting your mind .
• Mindful breathing presents a way to calm thoughts by focusing attention on the breath.
• With each inhalation, think to yourself.
• So, with each exhalation, think about yourself.
• When thoughts or distractions arise , observe them and let them pass calmly.
• As simple as it may sound, our minds are constantly flooded with thoughts, and even a short 5 minute conscious breathing session is harder than it sounds.
• Mindfulness meditation becomes easier over time and brings stillness and space to our minds.
• Through this silence, we learn to connect more closely with our inner self and to open the throat chakra.

Singing for the Fifth Chakra

• The song is a particularly important practice for a chakra healthy and open throat.
• If you’ve never tried chanting before, I especially recommend giving it a try.
• When you sing, the energetic vibrations can be felt on a physical level . Then, you can experience the actual feeling of releasing the blocks. Try to think of it as a massage , working on knots or tensions in the energy structure of your being.
• The vibration of the seed, or bija mantra of the throat chakra is “Ham” .
• If you think about it, this mantra sounds exactly like the action used to remember the sound of a throat opening.
• You can try to connect to the kundalini energy of your higher chakras by placing your hands on the fifth chakra energy center , covering your throat and allowing your palms to absorb the kundalini vibrations as you hum.
• Close your eyes to connect more deeply to this powerful spiritual buzz.
• If you’d like to try another fifth chakra mantra, or an Italian mantra, try these:
• I tell the truth, lovingly
• I’m not afraid to ask for what I want
• I am fearless, I am free.

This exercise can be done alone or in a group . Let yourself go, and have fun!

Meditation for Letting Go

The third meditation that I propose to you can help you in your daily life and to let go of some situations that you have not been able to digest.

• Sit comfortably with your back straight, and relax your body. Feel happy, relaxed and free.
• Inhale and exhale deeply for a few times, and through this relax more and more.
• Try to remain thoughtless , and imagine nothing. Be aware only of yourself and say to yourself: “I want to relax completely”.
• Relax your jaw, lips, eyelids, forehead and cheeks. Try to relax your face muscles completely.
• Relax your shoulders, arms and hands.
• Relax your back muscles, abs, legs and feet.
• Relax your whole body from toes to head and from head to toes.
• Now direct your attention to the center of the chest, the Anāhata Chakra . Stay completely relaxed.
• Analyze your thoughts without condemning anything. Be totally aware of your thoughts; watch their coming and going; do not reject anything and do not cling to anything
• Now direct your consciousness to the breathing process . Feel the breath flowing in and out, allowing it to flow freely.
• Place the index and middle fingers of the right hand at the base of the throat between the collarbones. Do not apply any pressure with this (if your arm gets tired you can change hands).
• Relax your head and neck . Look slightly down as if you were reading a book . Stay completely calm, with no expectations.
• Just watch and let what comes come.
• Breathe a little deeper than normal and watch your breathing. Feel the warmth of your fingers and your whole body.
• Now immerse yourself in your inner space and visualize your present life so far as if it were a running movie. Be honest and mentally follow the course of events. Every image, every memory should evoke exactly the same feeling as when you actually experienced the situation.
• This exercise arouses painful but also beautiful sensations within us. Let it be as it is and just observe everything.
• Go back as far as you can remember. Negative experiences generally arise first in consciousness. Continue without wavering. Remember, feel and experience the pain , disappointments and fears of that time again with full awareness.
• What did you suffer for? Today, yesterday, the day before yesterday, last week, in the last month. You can go back from the present time to the past or progress from your childhood to the present day.
• Many insignificant events cross your mind, but suddenly there is a point where you falter. Stay there with full awareness and dive deeper. Experience events clearly again .
• You feel that you are not alone. Do not be afraid , you are protected and accompanied.
• Go deep inside and experience what you have suffered from.
• After doing this exercise for about 15 minutes , place your hands on your knees, lean forward slightly and press your chin against the sternum ( Jālandhara Bandha ).
• Feel the breath flowing through your throat.
• Bring your consciousness back to the experience you have been dealing with.
• With the inhalation imagine that you have received what you needed at that moment (care, comfort, help, love …)
• With the exhalation, release everything that caused you pain at that moment.
• Breathe out dark and painful memories and breathe in light , happiness, and liberating feelings.
• Release the painful experiences , because giving freedom means obtaining freedom.
• Then slowly raise your head and sit relaxed.
• Let the practice continue to take effect and observe your inner world. Time has passed, but the feelings and wounds of past times are still always deep within you.
• Don’t hold back anything ; look inside yourself without fear . Try to understand your life .
• Why was I born? What am I supposed to achieve in this life? What is my life’s work, my Dharma?
• Through concentration on the vishuddha chakra , the answers to these questions open up for you.

Conclusions

We have seen together how this chakra affects our communication skills in an important way, but also negatively both on communication and on our organs, causing physical problems.

Complete Guide to Chakras

Root Chakra (Muladhara)

Sacral Chakra (Svadhisthana)

Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)  

Heart Chakra (Anahata) 

Throat Chakra (Vishuddha Chakra)

Third Eye Chakra (Ajna Chakra) 

Crown Chakra ( Sahasrara Chakra)