In Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditional belief, the human body has ‘chakras’ or focal points of the subtle body. The chakras are in our physical body but they originate from our mental and spiritual selves. We believe that the body’s chakras are connected to certain electromagnetic fields. For a yogi, it is important to understand the concept of the chakras in general and the throat chakra in particular.
The 7 chakras
Though certain ancient texts refer to five chakras, we generally understand that there are 7 chakras within the human body, from 1 to 7: the root or muladhara chakra, the sacral or swadhisthana chakra, the solar plexus or manipura chakra, the heart or anahata chakra, throat or vishuddhi chakra, the third eye or ajna chakra and the crown or sahasrara chakra.
We generally understand the chakras as being spinning energy centres in the body. When these chakras are properly aligned we enjoy good health, contentment and peace of mind. When the balance of the chakras is disturbed, so is the flow of ‘pran’ or the body’s life force. This then results in illness, disease, anxiety, sadness, low energy levels and other problems.
Importance of the throat chakra
The throat chakra or vishuddhi chakra is thought of as one of the most important chakras, because it is the link between the earthly or physical chakras and the spiritual chakras. This chakra is the link or the gateway to spiritual healing, which is why it is called the vishuddhi (purification) chakra. This chakra also governs aspects of our lives such as communication and expression. This chakra is related to the vibrations produced by sound, so it impacts the ears as well as the rest of the body.
Difficulties in life, negative emotions and the presence of negative energy people around can cause blockage in the throat chakra or cause it to become unbalanced. When this happens, it can cause physical ailments such as sore throat, headaches and even a stiff neck or neck pain. A person may start to feel under-confident, anxious and may have difficulties in their relationships as well. An unbalanced throat chakra could also cause a person to become arrogant, manipulative and aggressive in the way they talk and behave.
How to balance the throat chakra
Many experts recommend meditation to try and restore the balance of the fifth chakra or throat chakra. Meditation can help to calm and center the mind and restore mental peace. It can also help a person attain greater self-awareness; particularly of faults that lie within and can also help increase empathy towards others. Conscious breath control and positive visualizations (of beautiful places, situations that make one happy) while meditating can be a powerful way to restore balance of this chakra.
Singing and music therapy is also seen to help restore the balance of the throat chakra. Gentle throat massage is recommended to help physically ease the muscles as well as the energy of the subtle body. A person also has to make a conscious effort to develop a more positive outlook on life and to create affirmations that help them become more positively aligned with the universe.
Specific yoga aasans can also help to restore balance of the throat chakra and remove blockages. Matsyasan or the fish pose can stimulate the throat chakra, stretch the neck and strengthen muscles in the area. Halasan or plough pose stimulates the thyroid gland, stretches the throat and spine to activate the fifth chakra. Parvottanasan or upward plank, kapotasan or pigeon pose and child pose or balasan are also known to help.
Restore your throat chakra to live your best life: become a better communicator, enhance your interpersonal relationships and even overcome your fear of public speaking. Nurture your inner energy to improve your physical health!