The Chakra Way
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THE CHAKRA WAY W E E K S I X - W O R T H W I T H R O S A N N E N I E B O E R W W W . C H A K R A - W A Y . C O M WELCOME TO WEEK 6 THROAT CHAKRA - VISHUDDHA CHAKRA Section Page At a Glance 5 The Communication Chakra 8 The Expression Chakra 10 Vishuddha in Action 11 Endocrine system 14 Sound 15 Self Worth 18 Vibes 22 Listening 26 Collective Communication 30 Healing the Vishuddha 32 Symbols 35 Affirmations 37 Yoga Practice 39 Questions 40 THROAT CHAKRA V I S H U D D H A C H A K R A The FIFTH chakra is inextricably linked with our sense of self worth. As the chakra that deals with our communication, our voice, our self expression, we must work to uncover any beliefs that stop us from confidently expressing our needs. In order to express needs, we must feel that we are worthy of doing so. The goal of this chakra is 'purification' which can be seen as living in our truth. We want to be able to express our truth effectively so that our communications are understood and our self- expression is free. The demon of this chakra is lies. W W W . C H A K R A - W A Y . C O M THE THROAT CHAKRA REPRESENTS COMMUNICATION SELF EXPRESSION SELF WORTH INNER TRUTH SOUND VIBRATION VISHUDDHA CHAKRA AT A GLANCE LOCATION - Throat TRANSLATION - Purity CHARACTER - Communication COLOUR - turquoise blue CHANT - HAM ELEMENT - Sound SENSE - Hearing AFFIRMATION - I am worthy RIGHT - to express BODY PART - throat, neck, jaw, and mouth ORGANS - tongue and mouth GLAND - Thyroid and Parathyroid EMOTION - self-expression AGE - 29 -35 VISHUDDHA CHAKRA AT A GLANCE FOODS - Fruit, nuts, seeds MINERALS - Turquoise, aquamarine, celestite ANIMALS - Birds, wolves, whales PLANETS- Mercury PETALS- sixteen - representing all the Sanskrit vowels OPERATING FORCE - Resonance LOTUS SYMBOL - Sixteen petals with a downward pointing triangle at its centre. Within the triangle is a white circle representing a white elephant. PANTHEONS - Ganga (the river Goddess of purification), Hermes, the Muses, Apollo. PHYSICAL MALFUNCTIONS - Sore throat, stiff neck, colds, thyroid issues, hearing issues EMOTIONAL MALFUNCTIONS - Lack of purpose, fear of speaking, quiet speaking, inability to express self, criticism, gossip VISHUDDHA CHAKRA AT A GLANCE POSITIVE QUALITIES OF THE THROAT CHAKRA Easy, clear communication Inner worthiness Purpose and Artistry An awareness of internal communication with higher self and truths Self belief Honesty Healthy Metabolism Not being affected by others words Positive thought, word and deed SIGNS OF AN OVER ACTIVE THROAT CHAKRA Over active thyroid issues Critical and Gossipy Verbal aggressivness Stubbornness Dishonesty Overly opinionated Socially overbearing SIGNS OF AN UNDER ACTIVE THROAT CHAKRA Under active thyroid issues Stiff neck and shoulders Hearing issues Lack of purpose Fear of speaking, especially in public Inability to express emotions and thoughts Quiet speaking Inability to express self Social anxiety Keeping secrets Regular throat, sinus and upper respiratory infections can affect an over OR under active throat chakra. The Communicative Chakra This fifth chakra is directly related to communication. Communication is the principle that perpetuates life - from bird calls drawing a mate or warning of danger, to the nerve impulses that connect mind and body, to radio waves connecting continents, it is the way that consciousness moves from one place to another. Our world and our civilisation is dependant on communication. The Vishuddha Chakra has the monumental task of controlling, creating, transmitting and receiving all communications - internal and external. Deciphering and processing all incoming information in order to change, grow and develop. To learn and create, transforming old ideas into something new. We begin to move away from the physical realm in this chakra - we can begin to override physical limitations. We can call our cousin in New Zealand and chat for hours, we can watch live breaking news on a different continent, we can listen to recordings and watch film of people who have been dead for decades, read books and scriptures that were laid down thousands of years ago which still communicate their messages to us in this present moment. The Communicative Chakra Communication shapes our world and is creative - for example if I say "Please can I have a cup of tea?", I know that I have created a future for myself which has me drinking a cup of tea. If I say come and stay for the weekend I am creating a future where we spend time together, talking and communicating! From politics to board meetings to classroom lessons to book clubs we are creating the world at each and every moment. Communication is the physical manifestation of our feelings, needs and desires. The thought converts into physical vibrations which have the power to create reality. (Thank you for the cup of tea by the way!). With our skills of communication our consciousness has tools with which to express itself, to organise the world around us, to transport us to fantasy and alternate reality, to understand our actual reality and to manifest and create our own present reality. This chakra is therefore the precious gateway between the mind and body, a place of transformation, manifestation and expression. The Expressive Chakra At a more personal level the throat chakra is all about self-expression. It is connected to the sense of hearing and so encompasses both sides of communication – speaking and listening. Most importantly we need to consider the internal dialogue that we all have. The throat chakra lies between the heart and the third eye, mid point between our feelings and our thoughts. So, here lies the integration of those two. There is often a disparity between what we think and what we say! The mind will filter the expression of feelings through what it deems to be acceptable or relevant. The throat chakra is often seen as the centre of our will power. This is easy to comprehend when we ask ourselves who commands the will? Is it the heart or the mind? There are very distinct physical sensations that will let you know when your throat chakra is challenged and we have commonly used phrases – lump in the throat, tongue tied, choked up – to express them. These are all indications of emotions trying to be expressed but being suppressed by the mind. We need to undo the knots that bind the throat. Doing something as simple as smiling will physically release the tense muscles of the jaw. We hold enormous amounts of emotion within the complex jaw structure – slack jawed in amazement, twitching jaw in rage, clenched jaw in defiance, wide, soft and open jaw in laughter and fun. When we are aware of the restrictions in this chakra we can make sounds and the vibrations of humming, singing or chanting release the throat and sends soothing resonance around the skull and throughout the spinal nerves. Vishuddha in action The translation of Vishuddha is Purity. This implies a clear, clean authentic, truthful energy and this is indeed what we strive for when we start to work with the throat chakra. It is a fascinating chakra and its position is not easy. Here in our vulnerable throats, is the place where the mass of our body funnels in to a narrow channel underneath our skull and brain. Imagine the complexity and fragility of all that runs through our necks - all our blood, our spinal column and nerves, we have delicate vertebrae and small muscles holding up our heavy head. The neck also houses our trachea (respiratory tract) and our esophagus (digestive tract) and the critically important thyroid and parathyroid glands. Also, encompassed within the throat chakra are our palette, nasal septum and auditory canals. We can see that this chakra has an influence on the entire rest of the body! When we consider its' proximity to the brain we can understand that this chakra can easily be vulnerable to the winds of psychological tension. The chakra is a bridge between the head and the heart, thoughts and feelings, wisdom and compassion and this contrast can be challenging. Vishuddha in action When we start to look at the issues that arise here they become clear very easily and many people take a cursory glance at the energy held here and recognise issues that they hold instantly. Obviously, any problems surrounding the thyroid and parathyroid are extreme manifestations of issues in this chakra. Also hearing difficulties, including tinnitis, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ - which is pain in the jaw), grinding teeth, earaches, sinus infections, sore throat or persistent coughs, as well as stiff neck and shoulders all show up as throat chakra problems. As with all chakras these are the symptoms of issues that have probably shown up as emotional issues that have been left unresolved. In this chakra in particular it is easy to recognise the results of an over or under active throat chakra. Vishuddha in action Under active throat charka will show up as an inability to speak up, express the self and deep fear of speaking in front of people. It may also present as headaches, fatigue, speech impediments as well as serious issues connected with your thyroid and autoimmune function. An over active throat chakra will show up in someone who loves to talk non stop, but rarely listens; someone who loves to gossip. So far, so harmless, but this excess can slide up the destructive scale toward manipulativeness, lying and arrogance. We must not forget that our ears are a very important part of this chakra. They are our instruments of hearing and therefore listening.