Week five of my Introduction to the Chakras and we are beginning to make the transition from the physical body to the spiritual body. Vishuddha chakra is known as the throat chakra and it is located in the neck, throat and jaw area of the body. This chakra is the starting point of udana prana which is the air current and energy in the area of the throat and face. The associated colour of vishuddha chakra is blue/turquoise, its element ether and the endocrine gland the thyroid and parathyroids. Vishuddha translates as pure or purification and so this chakra can be aligned to purifying the body in order to experience the upper chakras, the third eye and crown chakras. The vishuddha yantra is made up of sixteen petals, a full moon, an inverted triangle, a silver crescent and a white elephant.
– The sixteen petals – represent the 16 sanskrit vowels, a mantra or a musical note. The first represents the universal sound OM/AUM, the next seven are mantras and the last eight are seven musical tones
– Full moon – represents the mind
– Inverted triangle – purity
– Silver crescent – symbolises the cosmic sound which in turn represents purity
– White elephant – the same white elephant used in the muladhara yantra and represents service
When the throat chakra is healthy it gives an unlimited feeling of happiness and freedom which allows skills to develop. Calm and balanced thoughts prevail. The throat chakra is described as the bridge from the heart, raising consciousness and energy from the root to the crown. It is the chakra where we use our voice to express our love for our friends, family and the world, vocalising the unconditional love manifested in the previous chakra. Life is affirmed in the way we express ourselves when in balance. Those times when you feel confident in your speech, expression and creativity are signals to being in balance. Due to this focus on expression this chakra also helps us understand others better, giving us a greater understanding of the world and its situations. When it is overactive though it can manifest itself in excessive talking, cruel bitter words, an inability to listen, hearing deficiencies and stuttering as all the energy is turned inwards. Blockages of this chakra can also result in anxiety, lack of freedom, restriction, thyroid and throat problems. Not being drawn into the daily grind and focusing on letting your voice be heard is a great way to combat some of the blockages. Focus on expressing yourself with truth and love as often as possible.
Physical ways of identifying an overactive or deficient throat chakra can be in the physical symptoms of ear and throat problems, speech impediments and problems with swallowing. Neck stiffness, shoulder tension, teeth grinding and a fear of speaking are also other symptoms. If these symptoms are felt then the focus of a practice should be on healing the throat chakra. A little tip as an easy way to clear the throat chakra is to mindfully tap it three times with your fingertips!
Asanas to help the vishuddha chakra focus on creating space in the throat and neck and releasing tension in the neck and shoulders. An active asana for this chakra would be bow pose and a passive asana would be seated forward bend. Due to the pressure being on the abdomen in bow pose it helps to move energy from the abdomen area up into throat chakra as well has quickening the breath which in turn increases the flow of pranic energy up into the throat chakra. Paschimottanasana or seated forward bend also helps to move the energy upwards through constricting the abdomen, from a physical point of view though it is just the best hamstring and glute stretch! Other poses that are good for this chakra are camel pose, bridge pose, plough pose, fish pose and legs up the wall. Supported shoulder stand can also be used to help connect with the breaths rhythm.
Focusing on the breath is a great way to connect to your throat chakra, really feeling the breath fill your entire lungs and focusing on the length of each inhale and exhale. As well as bringing that focus to your general asana practice it can also be done on its own. Sit crossed legged, close off the eyes, bring the hands comfortably to the abdomen and feel that breath, the life force that flows through your body filling it to the brim and then let it flow out into the world without you. Try this for ten minutes and I promise you will feel more centred, quieter in the mind and have a sense of purity
Namaste