The front of the 5th chakra
Remember that all chakras are spinning vortexes or wheels of energy. When the throat chakra is spinning correctly, it is anticlockwise in women, and clockwise in men – remember that if you are facing the person, this spin is from the viewer’s perspective. The throat chakra is one of the easiest chakras to feel and work with in yourself, along with the heart chakra. The front, in general, in the chakras relates to your outward expression, and the back is more orientated towards receiving, and internalising cosmic energy.
Communicating and Throat Health
The front of the throat chakra, or Vishuddha, plays a crucial role in your communication and self-expression, bridging your internal thoughts and feelings with the external world. It manifests your ability to speak your truth, express your desires, and connect with others through sound and speech. Spiritually, issues with the front of the 5th chakra often relate to challenges in these areas, signaling deeper conflicts around self-expression and authenticity.
It is important to know that the throat chakra is also closely related to your cognition and thought patterns. Whenever you mentally use words to think and conceive of reality and our place within it, the throat chakra reflects the truth and integrity of your thoughts. it is directly balanced by truth, and closed or distorted by falsehood.
If you have 5th chakra issues, you may find yourself navigating themes of communication, truth, and self-empowerment. Your 5th chakra is a center for identifying, thinking, and expressing truths.
Choosing to Speak and Finding Your Voice
In the journey toward spiritual enlightenment, actively engaging with the 5th chakra involves discerning truth from untruth, and direct and accurate thinking from distorted misrepresentations of yourself and reality. it also involves making conscious choices about how we communicate and express ourselves. This might involve confronting fears of judgment, overcoming shyness, or healing past traumas related to speaking out.
In fact, since a lot of trauma involves distorted representation of yourself and of reality (gaslighting, secret-keeping and other forms of falsehood), working with the 5th chakra is often a key to healing from trauma and from both low or exaggerated narcissistic self-esteem. This is because trauma and a false sense of self are both often related to falsehoods and misrepresentations.
Gently experiment with truthful and untruthful affirmations or statements, while carefully feeling and listening for the different sensations associated with each. You may be surprised by how strongly your body responds to these statements. And as you go along through the process, you may recognise some thoughts that you have been having for many years that close or hurt the throat chakra. These can be reframed until the throat and chest feel open and comfortable.
Spiritual practices such as chanting, singing, or mindful speaking can help heal and activate the throat chakra. These practices encourage a flow of energy that supports clear and confident self-expression.
The back of the throat chakra
Surrendering to the Divine
The 5th chakra is paired energetically with the solar plexus chakra. And like the solar plexus, it is related to issues of power and the sense of self. The 6th and 7th chakras connect us to the world of heaven and mystical higher realms. The 5th chakra is related to bringing this awareness into integration with the self in the physical world. So it is not just about truth relating to everyday life, your biography, and the clarity of your thoughts. The 5th chakra is also directly affected by, and expressive of Truth with a capital T.
At this level of consciousness, the throat is healed by surrender to the Divine. Bending the neck in bowing opens and activates the rear vortex of the throat chakra. Receiving inspiration, guidance and insight from the realm of heaven – the causal realm.
I got distracted from this blog by spending hours trying to find one of my favorite Rumi quotes. Here is a paraphrase as I can recall it:
Oh my brother, you must not merely kneel in prayer.
You must bow down completely to be beheaded.
Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī 1207 – 1273
This reminds us that we are spiritual beings and that connection with the Divine transcends life and death. That surrender is complete.
The other side of this is of course the paradox that a perfectly balanced 5th chakra goes with a perfectly balanced uprightness – which is the pose of self-reliance, independence, pride, integrity as an individual. So surrender has to be totally in sync with your own choice and freely-made decision, in integrity with your entire self. It has to be Conscious to be complete.
Mental and Emotional Throat Issues
The Throat and the Body
The throat chakra’s influence extends beyond the throat itself, impacting the ears, mouth, teeth, and the neck’s musculature. This chakra’s energy flow affects and is affected by not only our ability to speak but also our ability to listen and understand others.
The Chi of the Throat
Vital energy, or Chi, flows through your throat chakra, influencing our overall vitality and ability to manifest ideas into reality. The throat chakra is intimately connected with our hands and arms, symbolizing the transformation of thought into action. And of course the throat chakra is directly connected with posture and health of the spine.
The stomach, small intestine, large intestine, bladder, gall bladder and triple heater meridians all flow through the neck so when the throat chakra is blocked it can affect any of these meridians.
The throat chakra is also directly connected with the ears, the mouth and the jaws. So symptoms and sensations here can often correlate with 5th chakra imbalances or blockages.
Correspondences and Attributes of the Throat ChakraThe throat chakra corresponds with the ether element, symbolizing the expansive nature of sound and communication. It is associated with the color blue, representing clarity, truth, and serenity.
Herbs for Throat and Respiratory Health
- Licorice Root (Glycyrrhiza glabra):
- Uses: Soothes sore throats, reduces inflammation.
- Activates personal power and helps with drawing healthy boundaries
- Cultivation: Europe, Asia.
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia):
- Antiseptic, good for shock and trauma,
- balances the throat chakra
- Very gentle containing soothing energy
- Cultivated in Europe, South Asia, Middle East and Africa
- Peppermint (Mentha piperita):
- Uses: Relieves throat discomfort, clears nasal passages.
- Opens the throat chakra
- Cultivation: Europe, North America.
- Slippery Elm (Ulmus rubra):
- Uses: Soothes mucous membranes, alleviates throat irritation.
- Cultivation: North America.
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale):
- Uses: Warms the throat, and relieves congestion.
- Cultivation: Southeast Asia, Africa, Caribbean.
- Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinal is):
- Uses: Soothes mucous membranes and relieves throat discomfort.
- Cultivation: Europe, Western Asia.
- Thyme (Thymus vulgaris):
- Uses: Antimicrobial, soothes coughs, support respiratory health.
- Cultivation: Mediterranean region.
- Sage (Salvia officinalis):
- Uses: Antimicrobial, soothes sore throats.
- Cultivation: Mediterranean region.
Recognizing 5th Chakra Imbalance Physical Symptoms
- Voice and Speech Issues: Hoarseness, stuttering, or loss of voice. A loud harsh voice, or an inaudible one
- Throat Discomfort: Chronic sore throats or a feeling of tightness in the throat. Chronic tonsillitis
- Hearing Problems: Difficulty hearing or ear infections.
- Emotional Symptoms: Fear of speaking, feeling unheard or misunderstood.
- Jaw problems: TMJ, tooth abscesses
- Endocrine system: thyroid and parathyroid issues
By recognizing and addressing imbalances in the 5th chakra, you can enhance your ability to communicate effectively, express your true self, and foster deeper connections with others. This healing journey often involves a combination of spiritual practices, mindful communication, and vibrational medicine remedies.
The mind affects the chakras and the chakras affect the mind. if you have 5th chakra issues, work very carefully with your thoughts and words, and your relationship with Divine will to help bring healing. And try experimenting with singing or using your voice as a healing instrument.