Our journey across the Chakra system continues as we move to the first of the Higher Chakras – the 5th Chakra.
Let’s recap the discussion thus far:
- 1st Chakra: Concerned with our connection with the tribe and family; awareness of the body; key theme = survival
- 2nd Chakra: The center of emotions, sensuality and creativity; the beginning of awareness of ourSelves as individuals (separate from the tribe); learning about relationships outside the family; key theme = personal identity
- 3rd Chakra: We begin to exert our individual will in the world to get what we desire; key themes = Personal power and Self-worth (through achievement)
- 4th Chakra: Concerned with affinity for ourSelves and others; letting go of pain and hurt; key theme = Self-love (unconditional)
The 5th Chakra is located in the neck and is therefore also called the Throat Chakra. It is a multi-faceted and complex Chakra – it stores information connected to the spiritual, psychic, mental, creative and physical realms. As such, this Chakra is a harmonizer and often serves as mediator between opposing forces.
The 5th Chakra is one of the Higher Chakras and so it resonates with our Spirit Self. It houses various psychic abilities like Clairaudience (the clear hearing of spirit), Clairescence (the ability to smell something psychically) and Clairgustance (the ability to experience a taste as part of a psychic experience). These last two abilities while quite rare are definitely a part of our human psychic apparatus. The ability to recall our astral travel is housed here, as well as several other abilities that we are not consciously aware of.
The Throat Chakra, like the 6th and 7th Chakras, is energetically connected to the Pineal gland, which is considered to be our physical link to the Universal Life Force. The frequency that our Spirit vibrates at is attuned by the 6th Chakra, however, it is the 5th Chakra that announces or communicates the frequency of our vibration.
When we learn our spiritual lessons and become “lighter”, the Throat Chakra, together with the other Higher Chakras, calibrates our frequency and helps us to attract the corresponding experiences. This is one important way we have of manifesting our lessons and desires.
As detailed above, the 5th Chakra resonates with Spirit and our personal vibration, so when we receive guidance through the higher Chakras the Throat Chakra assimilates the information and gives us the impetus to channel the energy and take any necessary action. As such, some master teachers believed this to be our true power center.
For instance some inventors, composers, artists, writers, poets, etc. have described the experience of being channels. That is, they say that creative energy flows into them from a higher source and they are able to be the conduit to put it out to the world through their particular talent. This is a Throat Chakra ability, and its impacts can be quite amazing.
One saying that has stuck with me for many years – and one that I base my work on to an extent – is “The quality of your communication is the quality of your life”. Truly understanding this is a key to success and love.
The 5th Chakra rules our communication space. On a physical level, the Throat Chakra is literally the place between our head and our heart. You may be able to relate to experiencing conflict between what you desired (heart) and what you thought was practical / logical (head).
The way we speak to others, the choices we make in regard to the truthfulness of our communication and the vibration of our communication is recorded by the 5th Chakra. By this I mean the level of truth, beauty and love you engender in your everyday communications. Some of us are stuck at pain, and therefore our communications reflect this as we speak critically of others and see the worst in people. Some of us do not express our truth for fear of reprisal or of being “seen” i.e. we don’t “stick our neck out” and take any risks. Some of us only speak of mundane matters or only say what we think others want to hear – strategies for staying safe.
5th Chakra problems can manifest in the body as chronic neck, jaw and throat issues. Examples include sore throats, problems in swallowing, jaw tightness, and even neck and shoulder tension.
People with open and healthy Throat Chakras can express themselves through honest communication. They are able to nurture a talent like writing, singing, or even being attuned to hearing Spirit. They have a high propensity for integrity, and give honest and trustworthy guidance and/or feedback.
Blocked 5th Chakras show up as an inability to speak clearly, usually because the individual may be afraid of being judged by themselves or others. It can also appear as blocked creativity, and can even affect the hips and pelvic region. Sometimes a stoic attitude towards personal pain can also effect the functioning of this as well as other Chakras, as permission is not given to express the pain one feels.
If one doesn’t give oneself permission to speak of or feel the pain, it becomes difficult to process the experience and begin the journey of healing. Like stifling a scream, not much good can come of holding such intense emotional pain in one’s space! Sometimes damage can be done by not allowing a child to express emotions – for instance not being able to express joy or pain. This artificial control over the voice and the Throat Chakra can make for some pretty angry, unhappy people.
5th Chakras can be unblocked and balanced with emotional release work, by crying, by speaking to others, and by simply humming or singing. Swaying the hips can also lend itself to greater overall creativity as more life force energy is being activated to use in the Chakras.
If you can work with some energy tools to facilitate this healing, great. If not, simply hold an intention for such healing to take place. And give yourself permission – to speak your truth about a difficult situation and to express your feelings (this can be even to yourself and not necessarily to somebody else).
By actively healing this Chakra, we can take a magical journey toward learning and integrating our life lessons, of fully becoming the Selves we are meant to be and of announcing to the world the essence of who we are. We can truly claim our voice and use it for many purposes. And, finally the Throat Chakra can help us to create harmony between our head and our heart.
Next: the 6th Chakra!