Throat Chakra: Vishuddha

This week, we take a closer look at the Throat Chakra. As I mentioned in last week's blog post, the Throat Chakra, called Vishuddha chakra, is the 5th chakra located at the base of the throat. It is associated with the Space element, our sense of hearing and governs physical issues in the throat, ears, nose, teeth, mouth and neck, as well as the thyroid and para-thyroid glands. Throat Chakra first develops around age 7 - 12, and represents our creative identity - how we express ourselves in the world. It is here as we move from the development of the lower chakras that we purify our limited beliefs about our personality, who we are in the world, as we begin to move towards more spiritual concerns. Some of the core issues that can develop here if the throat chakra is out of balance include: difficulty coming to or committing to a spiritual practice, difficulty grasping spiritual texts and integrating their wisdom into your life, difficulty discerning between the personality and your true being, uncertainty on your spiritual journey, releasing attachment to people, things and limiting beliefs, finding balance in challenging times, expressing your core beliefs, taking things too seriously, being open to receiving, difficulty experiencing silence in meditation and daily living, difficulty accessing the bliss of your true nature. You may also experience blockages in the throat chakra physically as they may materialize as sore throat, tonsilites, neck pain, laryngitis, throid problems, hearing problems, metabolism and energy level problems. Opening the throat chakra can greatly help align your vision with reality and release pressure that may also affect the heart chakra that is located just below. You can balance the throat chakra through the pranayama, asana, mudra and mantra techniques of yoga. Also, singing, chanting, story telling, journaling can all be helpful to find your voice and open the throat. Praciticing silence can also be helpful, if you have a tendancy towards gossiping, talking too much and not listening to others. The key is finding balance. Join me on Saturday, June 9 at The Personal Wellness Center in Salisbury and learn techniques to help balance this chakra. Details listed on my website at: https://www.shiningwatersyoga.com/classes