This is the fifth article in the series I’m writing on chakras.
In this article, I’m going to talk about how you can tell if your throat chakra is out of balance and I offer some resources, suggestions and lifestyle changes for fixing any imbalances.
All About the Throat Chakra
The throat chakra is located at the back of the neck, and is associated with the colour blue.
All forms of self-expression are centred at this chakra, including the expression of feelings, desires, beliefs, opinions, needs, intentions and thoughts. The throat chakra is the mouthpiece for both the heart and the mind, and it sits between the heart chakra and the third eye chakra, which governs the heart and the mind respectively.
This chakra also governs listening, teaching, and learning.
When the Throat Chakra Is In Balance…
When this chakra is in balance, we are able to communicate our ideas, thoughts, desires and feelings effectively, clearly, and confidently. We can communicate from the heart and assert ourselves verbally. We understand that our words have power and impact on others, and we choose them wisely. In addition, we are inclined to listen carefully to what others communicate.
When the Throat Chakra is Out of Balance…
When this chakra is out of balance, it can manifest as:
- An inability to be discreet and keep secrets
- Telling lies or embellishing the facts to make them more interesting
- Suppressing your opinions, beliefs, feelings and desires in order to keep others happy or avoid judgment
- An inability to listen to others and be present in conversation – this can manifest as behaviours such as constantly interrupting others while they are talking
- Talking to fill a silence; fearing silence
- Constant complaining
- Extreme secrecy: being unable to open up to anyone
- Sarcasm that permeates all one’s communications – this indicates resentment or bitterness sitting in the throat chakra
- Being a know-it-all; needing to be right about everything
- Dominating conversation so that others can’t get a word in edgeways
- Being unwilling to express needs and desires; expecting others to guess what we want and need
- Being judgmental and preachy; believing that we know what is best for others
- Two-faced behaviour – saying things about someone behind their back that you would not be willing to say to their face
Reasons for Throat Chakra Imbalances and Blockages
Sometimes it can take a person a whole lifetime (or more likely, many lifetimes) to learn the lessons of the throat chakra. These include learning to speak up for what we feel is right, claim what is ours, and assert our boundaries verbally, in addition to learning to speak our truth, regardless of whether it will be well received.
Every interpersonal conflict is an opportunity to honour ourselves through the throat chakra.
Here are some common reasons for throat chakra imbalances:
Domineering Family Members
Our family and background have a large impact on the development of the throat chakra, and this is useful on the soul level. Sometimes a soul may come into a lifetime with a primary life lesson around the theme of speaking one’s truth (such as authenticity or courage). The soul may purposely choose domineering parents and family members, in order to learn the importance of speaking up.
Living under a Political or a Religious Dictatorship
The society and political/religious climate in which we live affects the development of the throat chakra. Living in a society where freedom of speech does not exist is detrimental for the throat chakra.
Past Life Traumas
Some souls have a fear of being persecuted for speaking their truth, simply because this has happened in a past life. We may not live under political or religious dictatorships this time around, but many of us have in the past. The result of this may be that a person feels they are simply not allowed to speak the truth or talk about their views, especially in the face of opposition by someone they perceive to be an authority figure. This blockage can stem from past life events that the person only remembers in their subconscious mind.
Taking Too Much Responsibility for the Reactions of Others
Spending a lot of time around manipulative or controlling people who need you to behave in a certain way (i.e. to their liking) negatively affects the throat chakra. When one has to ‘tread on eggshells’ and cannot speak the truth with someone out of fear, this can cause a person to suppress their throat chakra energy.
Anger is a helpful emotion, as it gives us the courage and motivation to speak out and stand up for ourselves when we have been violated or dishonoured.
However, an unhelpful belief that exists in some cultures is that ‘nice’ people don’t get angry or express dissatisfaction in any way. This can lead to the bottling up of frustration, and anger tends to store itself at the throat chakra. It can come out in a variety of subtle ways, such as through passive aggression.
Living with Abuse
Being on the receiving end of verbal abuse as a child takes its toll on the throat chakra, as does being brought up around constant fighting, abuse and arguing.
Sometimes in the short term, suppressing the throat chakra is the necessary choice, especially when physical survival is threatened. In that situation, swallowing anger serves as a survival mechanism.
Suppressed throat chakra energy can often result in a chronic physical condition that does not disappear until we face the issue and resolve it. In my experience, throat chakra issues can manifest very quickly into a person’s physical body, resulting in an ache in the back of your neck, or a sore throat, for example. Another example of trapped throat chakra energy is when a person develops a persistent and ongoing cough that will not go away, but which seems to have no medical cause. I call this a ‘protest cough’ – a way of subconsciously protesting something in life that you feel unable to speak up about in any other way.
Below are some suggestions to balance the throat chakra, for those who are out of balance in this area:
- Take up an art form such as singing, dancing, acting, or music
- Take a public-speaking class or join an organization like Toastmasters
- Sing out loud
- Learn a new language
- Release anger by beating pillows and screaming
- Go into psychotherapy to work on any issues which affect your self-expression
- Release past life traumas around being harmed for speaking your mind
- Release annoyances by talking to yourself – someone cut you off in traffic? Go ahead and call them a $%@#@#$*&@# if it makes you feel better! In the privacy of your own car of course. Verbalizing any upsets helps to keep the throat chakra energy flowing. It’s okay to get annoyed and to let it out in any way that does not harm you or anyone else. You move on quicker that way.
- Use the fish and plow poses in yoga to open up your throat chakra.
Resources for Throat Chakra Issues:
For those who are interested in bringing more balance to their energy system, I offer a Chakra Meditation Kit which teaches you to read, heal, open, clear out and rebalance your entire chakra system. It’s a do-it-yourself guide that includes an audio meditation, eBook and a discount to the Intuitive Awakening Course.
Is your throat chakra in balance?
Thank you Anna. This is interesting. Often, I do not respond to people (sisters-in-law) making unkind comments or underlying threats to me because I dislike conflict and I’m afraid of “rocking the boat” because I fear that they will alienate members of my own family towards me. In particular, they limit my access to my nieces and nephews, with whom I have a great relationship. However, at times I feel like boiling over, when, in fact, I should question their comments/actions, but I don’t because of that fear, which they have acted on. It makes me feel controlled and now I try to avoid those people as much as I can, since I am angry at the injustice of it all.
Thank you, Anna. You touched on some new aspects of the throat chakra that I had not considered before. I especially love the part about how every interpersonal conflict can be seen as an opportunity to work on the throat chakra energies. How many times have I thought later, “I should have said *this*.” Or “What I really meant to say was *that*.” Perhaps if I wrote these scenarios out the way I wish I had handled them, I could train myself to think more clearly from a healthy throat chakra stance. Many things to think about… My Chakra “wheels” are turning! 🙂
Such a timely article. At this moment I am going to talk to a friend to say something that had been bothering me for quite a long time. Today is when he will be there.
This is also something I had tried not to say but in recent days, recurring thoughts indicate that it is something I want to say.
This article can be said to one of the signs that today is a good day to say it. That and that intuition says that he will be more receptive today.
Kathy – I can understand why you would bite your tongue but also how frustrating that must be. It is a difficult position to be in.