The Throat Chakra is the fifth Chakra and it is located at the center of the neck at the throat. It is where energy passes between the lower parts of the body and the head. The function of the Throat Chakra is driven by the principle of expression and communication. It is where your voice of authenticity and creative expression resides. This Chakra is the home of your truth and self-expression. It encompasses accepting your originality, acknowledging your gifts, and comfortably sharing your true self.
As your communication center, the Throat Chakra allows you to dive into the center of your creativity, confidently speak your truth, and align with your authentic self.
The Throat Chakra is most commonly represented with the color blue; turquoise or aquamarine. The energy of the color blue is peaceful, serene and content. Cool blue colors create harmony and tranquility, and allow your uniqueness to shine through. Blue is the first of the three primary colors and it is the color that we associate with Heaven. It is pure, soothing, calming, and healing. Blue is also at the cooler end of the color spectrum, where things slow down. It allows you to take time to be still, to listen to your own voice, to listen to the stillness within, and to express what needs to be expressed. Blue energy is a guiding energy, enabling you to find a sense of balance, peace and truth.
On a physical level blue relates to the throat, esophagus, mouth, teeth and jaw. Mentally, blue is an energy of symbolic thinking. Symbols are used to express something – an abstract object, a concept or a feeling. Symbols are the building blocks of communication and consciousness. The spiritual aspect of the color blue is creativity and connection with the Divine. To develop a healthy Throat Chakra is to achieve creative expression, communication skills, and symbolic or abstract thinking.
The hallmarks of a balanced Throat Chakra are inspired creativity, artistic expression and absolute authenticity.
The Throat Chakra is about the expression of yourself: your truth, purpose in life, creativity. The Throat Chakra has a natural connection with the Sacral Chakra, a center of emotions and creativity as well. However, the Sacral Chakra is the energy of innate creation on a primordial and instinctual level. The energy of the Throat Chakra on the other hand, is conscious creativity. It is creativity at a higher-mind level. The Throat Chakra’s emphasis is on expressing and projecting your creativity into the world according to its perfect form or authenticity. When your Throat Chakra is open, you experience waves of creative energy, you receive flashes of creative insights and you are propelled to create. This is a conscious creation where you access the Divine and universal knowledge, and you integrate it with your personal truth. When you are expressing your truth, you are creating from the Throat Chakra.
The Throat Chakra is also linked to the neck, shoulders, and cervical spine. The gland associated with the Throat Chakra is the thyroid, which regulates the processing of energy in the body through temperature, growth and metabolism.
Imbalanced Throat Chakra Energy
When the Throat Chakra is blocked or imbalanced, energy flow is hindered and can lead to physical symptoms affecting the head, mouth, throat and neck. It is not uncommon to experience neck pain, headaches, hoarseness and a sore throat when the flow of energy through the Throat Chakra is disrupted. You may feel misunderstood, that no one is listening to you, or you are not getting the credit you deserve. This may keep you from sharing your true self, or cause you to hold things back or tell little white lies.
An overactive Throat Chakra will make you extremely opinionated, critical and judgmental of yourself and others. It can significantly impact your relationships and ability to function in life because it manifests as a direct conflict and contradiction to calm, creative energy. Speaking rudely, out of turn, or maliciously are common indicators that your Throat Chakra needs attention. You may even speak negatively about yourself or others to the point that it borders on verbal abuse. Being able to recognize Throat Chakra issues is key to cleansing and learning how to create balance this Chakra.
Balancing Throat Chakra Energy
Clearing the Throat Chakra involves learning to let go and trusting your inner voice. When you experience signs of physical discomfort, healing practices focusing on the upper body area, in particular your neck and shoulders, can bring relief and allow energy to move more freely. Working through and releasing all negative emotions, including guilt, hurt and resentment, can work wonders to restore energy balance in the Throat Chakra. Sometimes a good cry can also help clear a blockage. Exercising the vocal cords can dispel blockages and sound therapy can restore balance, such as singing about your feelings – yes, singing – even if it’s just in the shower. Practicing mindful speech, action and deeds can help you maintain Throat Chakra balance. Meditating on and incorporating the color blue into your life can also calm emotional turmoil.
Depending on the severity of the blockage, you may need to incorporate Chakra healing meditation, yoga or other forms of energy healing, from reiki to acupuncture and sound therapy – such as Chakra bowls or tuning forks. Aromatherapy is another useful tool for Chakra balancing. To heal the Throat Chakra, essential oils such as spearmint, spruce, eucalyptus and frankincense will assist in balancing the energy or increase movement and energy flow.
The use of Chakra crystals and healing stones for Chakra cleansing is also common. The vibrational frequencies of crystals can help restore balance when there is a deficiency or excess of energy leading to a blocked or overactive Throat Chakra. Like the Chakras, each stone has its own frequency. Although it is common practice to choose stones of the same color as their corresponding Chakra, it isn’t always necessary as long the stone has the same vibrational frequency as its associated Chakra. Some blue stones and other options for healing the Throat Chakra are turquoise, aquamarine and lapis lazuli.
When exploring ways you can restore balance to your Chakra system, consider adding healing foods to your diet. Just as each Chakra has its own vibrational frequency, color and function, there are also foods that help bolster individual Chakra function. When concentrating on the Throat Chakra, consider adding naturally blue-colored foods, such as blueberries, blue corn or blue cheese.
Many people don’t think about optimizing their energy or emotions using tea, but it’s also an easy and inexpensive way to create balance in your Chakras. Anise is a plant that has a licorice-like flavor and is helpful for protecting you from negative energy, which can cause you to either speak negatively or be afraid to speak. It will help sore throats, coughs and congestion as well as aid in digestion and reduce an upset stomach. Alternatively, you can make a strong tea and add it to your bathwater and soak in it while reading or meditating.
