What is the Throat Chakra & How to Balance it
Did you know that there are over 100 chakras in the human energy system? Before we can truly unlock the power of the throat chakra, we need to understand the system in which it belongs.
To accompany what you’ll read here, I’ve recorded a free, 15-minute Throat Chakra Balancing Meditation designed specifically to activate your throat chakra. If you feel called, you can experience it here on YouTube.
Chakras, translated from Sanskrit as “wheels where many spokes meet together,” are energy centers within the body that correspond to different aspects of our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Chakras are also called psychic centers. Here, the term ‘psychic’ is used as “relating to the soul or mind,” or the unseen. Chakras are responsible for controlling, energizing, and proper functioning of the whole body. A blocked throat chakra doesn’t just silence your voice, it can show up as a chronic sore throat, thyroid dysfunction, hoarseness, even recurring neck pain and ear issues.
Each chakra is situated at the intersecting (or, conjunction) points of nadis, serving as focal points for the reception, assimilation, and distribution of prana throughout the physical body and consciousness. When the nadis are clear and prana flows harmoniously through the chakras, it fosters balance, vitality, and optimal well-being on physical, mental, and spiritual levels.
Ancient masters represented these chakras symbolically as lotus flowers, each with a different number of petals, characteristics and colors. There are seven Chakras:
The Seven Main Chakras
Location: Base of the spine
Color: Red
Element: Earth
Mantra: Lam
Characteristics: Grounding, stability, security, survival instincts, physical health, connection to the earth and material world.
It is our foundation. It develops in our first seven years of life and deals with survival and security needs. It's represented by the color red, and when out of balance, we may feel insecure, unsafe, and even disconnected from reality.
Location: Lower abdomen, below the navel
Color: Orange
Element: Water
Mantra: Vam
Characteristics: Creativity, passion, pleasure, emotional well-being, sensuality, intimacy, and connection with others.
It is all about creativity and sexuality. It's associated with orange and is formed in the seven years after your root chakra until age 14. (This seven-year timeline continues with each chakra as we get older).
Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura):
Location: Upper abdomen, near the diaphragm
Color: Yellow
Element: Fire
Mantra: Ram
Characteristics: Personal power, self-confidence, willpower, self-esteem, assertiveness, and ability to take action.
This chakra deals with confidence as well as overall self-worth and self-esteem.
Location: Center of the chest
Color: Green (sometimes pink)
Element: Air
Mantra: Ram, pronounced “rum”
Characteristics: Love, compassion, forgiveness, empathy, kindness, harmony, and connection with others and the universe.
It deals with our ability to both give and receive love to ourselves and others.
Location: Throat area
Color: Blue
Element: Ether or space
Mantra: Ham, pronounced “hum”
Characteristics: Communication, self-expression, truthfulness, authenticity, confidence, creativity, and the ability to speak one's truth.
It is all about expression and truth. When it's open, we can communicate our truth clearly and effectively. When it's blocked, we struggle to share authentically.
Location: Between the eyebrows (forehead)
Color: Indigo (dark blue or purple)
Element: Light
Mantra: Om
Characteristics: Intuition, inner wisdom, insight, imagination, clarity of thought, psychic abilities, and spiritual awareness.
It deals with intuition and our ability to move past our ego. When it's unbalanced, we'll feel out of touch with our intuition.
Location: Top of the head
Color: Violet or white
Element: Thought or consciousness
Mantra: Om (silence)
Characteristics: Spiritual connection, higher consciousness, enlightenment, divine wisdom, unity, and oneness with the universe.
It develops when someone has become evolved enough to tap into higher consciousness—something that can take a lifetime and doesn't happen for everyone.
Unfortunately, Chakras often remain dormant in most people. However, they can be stimulated with different yogic practices. With awakening, they can distribute pranic energy to different parts of the body more easily and quickly. But in order to truly understand chakras, we must first understand prana and the nadis.
The 5 Types of Prana
Prana, translated from Sanskrit as “breath,” "life force," or "vital energy," refers to the universal energy that sustains all living beings and animates the body, mind, and spirit. It is the subtle essence that flows through the breath, nourishing and enlivening every aspect of existence. Prana is our life force, our breath, our vital energy. It’s a sanskrit word that literally translates to “ breath, life force, vital energy”. There are 5 different types of prana:
Prana (Inward Breath): Prana is the life-sustaining force responsible for the intake of energy and oxygen into the body. It governs the functions of respiration, circulation, and vitality. Prana is associated with the inhalation phase of the breath and is responsible for bringing energy and nourishment into the body. It flows through the nostrils and travels through the body's energy channels (nadis), distributing life force energy to every cell and tissue.
Apana (Outward Breath): Apana is the downward-moving energy responsible for elimination and cleansing processes in the body. It governs functions such as exhalation, digestion, elimination of waste, and reproductive functions. Apana is associated with the lower abdomen and pelvic region and is responsible for releasing toxins, waste products, and negative emotions from the body. It plays a crucial role in maintaining physical and emotional balance and detoxifying the body.
Samana (Digestive Energy): Samana is the balancing energy responsible for digestion, assimilation, and metabolism. It governs the functions of digestion, absorption, and distribution of nutrients throughout the body. Samana operates in the region of the navel (solar plexus) and is responsible for transforming food into energy, extracting nutrients, and eliminating waste products. It ensures proper digestion and assimilation of nutrients, fostering physical strength, vitality, and overall well-being.
Udana (Upward Energy): Udana is the upward-moving energy responsible for speech, expression, and upward movement of energy in the body. It governs functions such as speech, swallowing, and the movement of prana upwards towards the head. Udana operates in the throat region and is responsible for communication, self-expression, and the manifestation of thoughts and ideas into the external world. It facilitates the flow of energy towards higher states of consciousness and spiritual awakening. When the udana is diminished, it affects the throat chakra.
Vyana (Circulatory Energy): Vyana is the expansive energy responsible for circulation, movement, and coordination of bodily functions. It pervades the entire body and operates in all directions, facilitating movement and communication between different parts of the body. Vyana governs functions such as circulation of blood, lymph, and energy throughout the body, as well as coordination of movement and sensory perception. It ensures harmonious functioning of all bodily systems and supports overall vitality and well-being.
What Are Nadis?
Nadis, translated from Sanskrit as 'Channel' or 'Tube', are the subtle energy channels that form the intricate network through which prana, or life force energy, flows within the body. These channels are said to number 72,000, with three main nadis emphasized: (1) Ida, (2) Pingala, and (3) Sushumna.
The Ida Nadi is associated with lunar energy. The word ida means "comfort" in Sanskrit. Idā has a moonlike nature and feminine energy with a cooling effect. It courses from the left testicle to the left nostril and corresponds to the Ganges river. It is associated with calmness, receptivity, introversion, the right (creative) side of the brain, and the left side of the body. When activated through yoga and meditation practices, Ida Nadi helps to balance the mind, soothe emotions, and cultivate a sense of inner peace and tranquility.
The Pingala Nadi is associated with solar energy. The word pingala means "orange" or "tawny" in Sanskrit. Pingala has a sunlike nature and masculine energy. Its temperature is heating and courses from the right testicle to the right nostril. It corresponds to the river Yamuna. It is associated with vitality, action, and dynamism, extroversion, the left (logical/linear) side of the brain, and the right side of the body.
The Sushumna Nadi is the central and most important channel. It connects the base chakra to the crown chakra and runs along the spine, intersecting with the other two nadis at various points (the 7 Chakras). It is considered the pathway for spiritual awakening and higher consciousness, facilitating the ascent of Kundalini energy.
These nadis play a crucial role in regulating the flow of prana throughout the body, balancing the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of existence.
What is The Throat Chakra?
The Vissudhi Chakra (Throat Chakra) is the fifth energy center and gives voice to the lower chakras. It deals with our ability to communicate and express ourselves authentically and creatively. It is represented by a 16 petalled blue coloured lotus. In the center of the lotus is a white circle representing the ether element. It normally develops between the ages of 29–35. The Vijra mantra Ham, pronounced “hum” is used to activate this mantra.
It is located at the base of the throat, in the center of the larynx, and at the height of the thyroid gland. It controls the vocal cords, thyroid and parathyroid glands. It is related to the ears and mouth due to its association with hearing and speaking. The malfunctioning of this Chakra leads to ear, nose, and throat problems.
The throat chakra is essential for creating the life you want (aka manifesting) because it is the conduit that connects your inner world to the outer world. It transmits thought and intention into the material world via language. When the throat chakra is not free to transmit our truth into the world, our ability to create the lives of our dreams is limited. Someone with an open throat chakra can change the world with their words, tone, and vibration.
To download this table, click on the image.
An imbalanced throat chakra can manifest in physical issues (sore throats, thyroid issues, ear infections, neck and shoulder pain, jaw pain, TMJ disorders, dental disorders, earaches, hearing issues, mouth ulcers, hoarseness); emotional issues (indecisiveness, unwillingness to accept criticism, constant fear of being out of control, feeling uninspired, creative blocks); behavioral issues (excessive talking, arrogance, dishonesty, gossiping, poor listening, timidity, fear, manipulative behavior); and, communication issues (poor listening, feeling unheard, disconnect between thoughts and speech, inability to ask for what you need, gossiping).
How to Activate & Balance the Throat Chakra
You can complete a combination of practices to unblock, open, and heal your throat chakra. There are several practical ways to bring your Throat Chakra into balance, including mudras, bandhas, asanas, pranayama, creative expression, mantra chanting, and meditation.
Mudras
Mudras, translated from Sanskrit as "gesture" or "attitude," refer to psychic, emotional, spiritual, or artistic gestures or attitudes. Mudras are energy-flowing postures that connect individual pranic force with universal or cosmic force. Mudrās are used in conjunction with pranayama and in meditation to stimulate different parts of the body and mind, and to affect the flow of prana in the body.
There are hundreds upon hundreds of mudras across all disciplines, which can be divided into two types: hand and body. Below are some mudras that can be used to bring balance to the Throat Chakra.
Vishuddhi Mudra (Throat Chakra Seal): Interlace the fingers, leaving the thumbs extended and touching at the tips. Bring the hands in front of the throat, with the thumbs gently pressing against the area of the thyroid gland.
Gyan (Gesture of Knowledge): This mudra promotes wisdom, intuition, and inner knowing.
Udana Mudra (Upward-flying Energy Gesture): Promotes the upward flow of prana to the throat.
Shunya Mudra (Heavenly Void Gesture): This mudra is believed to relieve throat-related issues and enhance communication skills.
Shankh mudra (Conch Gesture): Helps with voice disorders like: stammering, sore throats, tonsillitis, and thyroid problems
Matsya Mudra (Fish Gesture): This mudra encourages openness, receptivity, empathy in communication, and the release of emotional tension.
Bandhas
Bandhas, translated from Sanskrit as “locked” or “closed,” are energetic locks or seals used in yoga to harness and direct the flow of prana (life force energy) within the body. When engaged during yoga practice, bandhas help to deepen concentration, stabilize the body, and facilitate the flow of prana through the nadis (energy channels). There are three main bandhas:
Mula Bandha (Root Lock)
Uddiyana Bandha (Abdominal Lock)
Jalandhara Bandha (Throat Lock)
Throat lock, or Jalandhara Bandha, is practiced in yoga poses, like Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana) or Plow Pose (Halasana). To perform Jalandhara Bandha, one gently lowers the chin towards the chest, creating a subtle contraction in the throat area while maintaining a steady breath. This lock helps to regulate the flow of energy in the throat chakra, enhancing communication, and promoting a sense of inner calm and focus.
Asanas
Yoga Asanas, or postures, are physical poses designed to cultivate strength, flexibility, balance, and awareness in the body, mind, and spirit. They incorporate mindful movement, breath control, and alignment principles to promote holistic well-being and inner harmony.
There are several poses that can help activate and balance the Throat Chakra. These poses focus on stretching and opening the neck, throat, and chest area, facilitating clear communication and expression. Here are some examples:
Fish Pose (Matsyasana): This pose opens the throat and chest, stimulating the throat chakra.
Camel Pose (Ustrasana): Ustrasana is a deep backbend that stretches the throat and chest, stimulating the throat chakra.
Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana): Sarvangasana is an inversion that stimulates the throat chakra and improves circulation to the thyroid gland.
Plow Pose (Halasana): Halasana is a forward bend that stretches the neck and stimulates the throat chakra.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana): Setu Bandhasana opens the chest and throat, stimulating the throat chakra.
Pranayama
Pranayama, the practice of conscious breath control in yoga, involves a variety of techniques aimed at regulating the breath to enhance vitality and balancing the mind. It involves controlling the timing, duration, and frequency of your breath. It also supplies your body with oxygen while removing toxins. There are several pranayamas that can bring balance and activation to the throat chakra.
Ujjayi Pranayama (Victorious Breath): Constrict the back of the throat slightly to create a soft hissing sound during both inhalation and exhalation, promoting a sense of focus, concentration, and clarity in communication.
Kapalabhati Pranayama (Skull Shining Breath): Perform rapid and forceful exhalations through the nose while keeping the inhalations passive, stimulating the throat area and promoting purification and energization of the throat chakra.
Bhramari Pranayama (Bee Breath): Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale slowly while making a humming sound like that of a bee, which resonates in the throat, promoting relaxation, stress relief, and harmonization of the throat chakra.
Sitali Pranayama (Cooling Breath): Curl the sides of the tongue and inhale deeply through the mouth, then exhale slowly through the nose, promoting a cooling and soothing effect on the throat chakra and calming overheated emotions.
Creative Expression
Creative Expression refers to the act of conveying thoughts, emotions, or ideas through various forms of art, such as writing, singing, painting, music, or dance. Creatively expressing allows you to strengthen the throat chakra, by slowing down and giving yourself a break and healthily expressing what you unconsciously stuff down. Singing, dancing, journaling, even cooking can all be ways to creatively express yourself and balance your throat chakra.
Positive affirmations, or positive statements that you repeat to yourself to describe your goals and wants as already real, are a powerful way to express yourself creatively as they involve creative writing and resonant speaking. When writing positive affirmations, you can follow the 3 P's rule: present tense, personal, and positive. Here are some examples of positive affirmations related to the throat chakra:
I listen to my own inner knowing.
I speak my truth.
I let my voice be heard.
I trust my conviction and act on my truth.
I do no harm with my words.
I speak with authenticity, grace, and courage.
I express my creativity with ease and joy.
Mantra Chanting
Mantra Chanting involves the rhythmic repetition of sacred sounds, words, or phrases, such as mantras, to cultivate focus, uplift the spirit, and harmonize the body, mind, and soul. While positive affirmations focus more on the material world, mantra chanting centers more on the immaterial world and higher callings of connection with the supreme soul and universe.
Mantra Chanting, particularly the repetition of the ham seed mantra (pronounced ‘hum’), serves as a powerful tool to activate and balance this energy center, as the vibrations produced resonate in the throat area, stimulating the throat chakra and promoting clarity of communication, self-expression, and alignment with one's authentic voice. The ham seed mantra is particularly associated with the throat chakra and used to balance and heal this energy center.
There are two types of mantra chanting: Jappa (with sound) and A Jappa (without sound). Additionally, There are 4 key things to remember when mantra chanting:
Repeat
Visualize
Resonate
Focus
Meditation
Meditation is a non- doing action that unfolds via focused attention, breathwork, and relaxation techniques. It is a way to cultivate present-moment awareness, mental clarity, emotional balance, spiritual growth, physical health, and euphoria.
Opening the throat chakra through meditation involves focused awareness and visualization in techniques aimed at clearing energetic blockages and promoting balance related to this Chakra. Practitioners may utilize specific meditation practices, such as guided visualizations or chakra-focused meditations, directing attention to the throat area while envisioning a bright blue light or spinning wheel of energy representing the throat chakra.
By cultivating mindfulness and deep relaxation, meditation helps to release tension and stagnation in the throat chakra, allowing for the free flow of energy and facilitating clear communication, authentic self-expression, and alignment with one's truth.
Balance Your Throat Chakra Today
Ready to unblock your voice and step into your truth? Experience our Throat Chakra Balancing Meditation, which uses breath, visualization, and sound healing to remove energetic blockages in the throat center.
Press play, get comfortable, and begin your journey back to clarity, confidence, and calm.
