“If we cannot be heard we cease to exist in anything but our minds” ~ Anodea Judith
The throat chakra is located in the region of the throat and neck and also relates to the shoulders, mouth, jaw and ears. It corresponds to the elements of sound and ether, and is associated with communication, vibrations, and creativity (Judith, 2004).
The health of the throat chakra rests in our ability to communicate thoughts, feelings and intentions clearly and truthfully. It is about expressing our lives with authenticity. Authentic expression is not something that comes easily however. We may at times find ourselves saying what we think others want to hear instead of speaking our truth. We may refrain from speaking our truth for fear of what others may think, or out of fear or pride to show our true feelings. Fear of judgement or rejection from others can also hinder our truthful expression. To some extent this can cause us to live a lie; lying to ourselves through our actions as well as through our words. Repressing or constricting our true feelings and emotions means we are not fully expressing our individuality (2004).
Anodea Judith suggests one of the reasons for us being blocked from expressing our truth may stem from negative experiences in our childhood. If as children we were not listened to or encouraged to share opinions and thoughts by our parents, we may become quiet or withdrawn and find it difficult to communicate. Being shouted at, criticised or humiliated for our utterances in childhood teaches us to fear exposing our truths. We learn that what we have to say is unimportant, irrelevant, and an inner critical voice may manifest telling us that what we hold inside is somewhat flawed (2004). When family problems are apparent but not questioned or talked about openly, this can create ‘an unspoken rule to never speak about this reality outside the home’ (2004, p.309). As children, we may pick up on this as a reason to be ashamed and as the need to keep secrets. If the home atmosphere is unpleasant, we may find ourselves shutting out things we don’t want to hear from arguments or adverse situations. This may cause us to become defensive or our listening to become impaired.
Traumatic experiences associated with feelings of fear, guilt and shame can also cause us to hide behind our silence and close up the throat chakra. If we suffer a negative trauma or situation and we cannot talk about it or express how it impacts us, the impact, or the ‘vibration’, becomes stored in our bodies as tension and stress. We lose our resonance, our body becomes disharmonized and we become disconnected with the flow of life (2004). As identified by Swiss psychologist Alice Miller, ‘It is not the traumas we suffer in childhood that make us emotionally ill, but the inability to express the traumas’ (Miller, 1981 in Judith, 2004, p.305). As time goes on, it becomes even harder to break the silence over issues which have remained unspoken about for so long. By not being able to bring what we hold inside of us out into the outside world, we keep ourselves from opening up, we keep ourselves hidden and this may hinder our ability to be intimate with others, our ability to evolve and grow and our ability to express our innate truth (2004).
The throat chakra is very much connected with our need to be heard. Judith states that ‘if we cannot be heard we cease to exist in anything but our own minds’ (2004, p.330). We begin to question our own thoughts, our inner voice and our reality. Not being able to air concerns or feel heard in relation to our worries can cause a strain in our connection with others and in our relationships. If we are withholding something from someone, then we are not completely present in their company. This can create the elephant in the room and distance in our relationships. Judith believes that ‘the biggest withhold is love when unsaid things are in the way'(2020). When our feelings or opinions are acknowledged and heard by an attentive, empathetic listener it helps things to progress, improves connection and facilitates good communication, which is key for the survival of any relationship.
The throat chakra’s Sanskrit name is Visuddha, meaning purification. Purification in the sense of purifying the body of dissonant vibrations such as untruthfulness and inauthenticity towards ourselves. Just as important as it is to actively listen to others, is to listen to ourselves; to our body’s subtle sensations, to our feelings and to our intuitions. Savasana at the end of our yoga practice is a perfect opportunity to listen to the body’s subtle vibrations. Taking some time during our day to be quiet and to slow down, away from ‘toxins’ of the mind and distractions such as phone, computer and TV screens, also enables us to truly listen to ourselves. Judith makes reference to how uttering sound, singing and chanting also have a purifying effect on us (Judith, 2015). The vibration of our voice when we sing communicates with our core and touches something deep inside which can feel liberating and healing. Chanting a simple mantra, often a rhythmic repetition of a phrase or sound, helps us to subconsciously enter a meditative state and empty our minds of mental chatter and clutter (2004). The word mantra is derived from two Sanskrit words; the root man- which means mind or to think, and the suffix -tra which means tool or instrument. A mantra is therefore a tool for the mind which is designed to awaken consciousness (2015). One of the most universally recited mantras, the sacred syllable Om, is believed to be the sound of the creation of the universe according to Hindu metaphysics (Judith, 1999). When the sound Om is chanted, it vibrates at the same vibrational frequency found throughout everything in nature (Dudeja, 2017). It is just one of many bija mantras (one-syllable seed sounds) that, when chanted aloud, puts us into resonance with the chakras and creates harmony and balance in the mind and body. The bija mantra associated with the throat chakra is HAM. When chanted it is said to stimulate the healing of this chakra, freeing the inner gateway between body and mind, between unconsciousness and consciousness (2004).
Sound and rhythm surround us in life; from birdsong, to the sound of the wind, to the ebb and flow of the waves. Even our bodies have their own rhythmic movement; from the rise and fall of our breath to the pulsations of our heartbeat. Take a moment to stop and listen, tune into your feelings and intuition in order to hear the voice of truth from within. ‘You need only listen deeply to become part of this chorus of life singing the symphony of creation. You are part of this creation and your note is needed too. But like any musician who plays in an orchestra, you must first tune your instrument’. (Judith, 2015, pg.318).
References:
Dudeja, J.P. (2017) ‘Scientific analysis of mantra based meditation and its beneficial effects: an overview’, International Journal of Advanced Scientific Technologies in Engineering and Management Sciences, 3 (6), pp. 21-26. [Online]. Available at: http://www.ijastems.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/v3.i6.5.Scientific-Analysis-of-Mantra-Based-Meditation.pdf (Accessed: 23 July 2020)
Judith, A. (2015) Anodea Judith’s Chakra Yoga. Woodbury: Llewellyn Worldwide
Judith, A. (2020) Chakra Five: Sound; The Communication Chakra [Online]. Available at: https://anodeajudith.com/chakra-five/ (Accessed: 23 July 2020)
Judith, A. (2004) Eastern Body, Western Mind. 2nd edn. New York: Celestial Arts.
Judith, A. (1999) Wheels of Life: A User’s Guide to the Chakra System. 2nd edn. Woodbury: Llewellyn Worldwide
