Having trouble speaking your truth? Your throat chakra could need some tuning up. Here’s how.

The throat chakra

The throat chakra – or Vishuddha – is home to our communication – both speaking and listening – and self-expression. It extends from our throat to include our neck, jaw muscles, and thyroid, and physical ailments in these areas can be the result of a blocked throat chakra.

When our throat chakra is blocked, we find it difficult to speak our truth, maybe out of fear. We also have a harder time actually realising what our truth even is. We lie more than usual, sometimes without even thinking about it very much first. Insecurity skyrockets, and we feel unable to connect with those around us on a deeper level. We feel just a little bit out of alignment, like something isn’t quite right.

When its balanced, on the other hand, we can express ourselves clearly, eloquently and confidently. We live with our actions aligned with our beliefs. We know what our truth is, and we stand purposefully in it.

Sounds good, right?

So – What causes imbalance and how do I fix it?

Holding back

If you’re afraid to be yourself share your opinions and thoughts with your loved ones out of fear, that won’t make the throat chakra too happy. So don’t hold back! These people are your friends for a reason, right? Find at least one person who you can completely be yourself around. This is a life-changer. If this person isn’t in your life yet, don’t worry! You’ll find them. Maybe at your next yoga class 😉

Gossip

Look, we’re human. Gossip is an easy habit to fall into, and an easy way to create a ‘connection’ with someone else. And if the person we’re talking about doesn’t hear what we’re saying, then it doesn’t really matter, right? Not so much. Gossip hurts us, even if the subject of our gossiping has no idea we’re talking about them at all. The next time a friend initiates a gossipy conversation, try to kindly and lovingly change the subject, or simply remove yourself from the conversation politely. You don’t need that kind of energy in your life, and your throat chakra will thank you for it.

Lying

Your throat chakra thrives when you speak your truth. And while we might not think that we lie very often, it can be amazing what happens when you start to pay attention to it! And lying doesn’t have to be as clear-cut as deliberately deceiving someone. We lie when we deny who we are, what we want, and what we really think. We lie to ourselves just as easily as we lie to other people. Sometimes a lie just slips out, and when it’s not one we deem particularly serious, we tend to just forget about it. But our throat chakra remembers, and it definitely doesn’t like it. Try to take a bit more time to think before you speak, and make sure that what you’re saying aligns with your beliefs and your truth. If you make a promise, keep it. If you arrange to meet a friend, try your very best to follow through.

And lying isn’t just a vocal thing. We can lie through our actions too, when what we do doesn’t line up with what we believe. This can be anything from where our clothes are made, the products we use to clean our homes and bodies, the plastic we use, the food we eat. Make sure – to the best of your ability, this is a journey after all! – that what you do, what you say, and what you truly believe are all in alignment. Developing a meditation practice is great to help us stop lying to ourselves. This can be confronting, but it’s so worth it.

Posture

Yep, sometimes the reason for a blockage in the throat chakra can be as simple as the way we hold ourselves every day. Maybe it’s sitting in front of a computer with your chin caving in towards your chest. (Whoops, just had to check myself for that one!) Maybe it’s a lack of confidence that makes you hunch in over yourself, blocking your throat chakra off from the world. Maybe it’s a fear of vulnerability that causes you to unconsciously cover your throat with your hand when you speak. All of these actions can cause blockages in the throat chakra. The solution? Power pose! Stand tall. Elevate your chin slightly. This can feel really uncomfortable at first, but after a while it’ll become second nature.

Some other ways to bring the throat chakra into balance

 Colour

The colour associated with the throat chakra is a clear blue, so do your best to surround yourself with this colour. Wear blue clothes, eat blueberries, light a blue candle when you meditate. I wouldn’t recommend going full-on smurf, but you know, they must have been a pretty enlightened bunch.

Mantra

Unsurprisingly, the throat chakra loves sound, especially sound of its own creation. The mantra associated with the throat chakra is Ham. Chanting this mantra helps you connect with and clear your throat chakra. If Sanskrit chanting isn’t really your style just yet, no worries. Belting out your favourite song (your real favourite song, even if it’s a Disney number) in the shower will have similar effects!

Asana

Fish Pose (Matysasana) is a beautiful way to open up the throat chakra. Lie down on your yoga mat, keeping legs straight and feet together. Place your hands, palms down, underneath your thighs. Inhale and arch your spine, dropping your head back in the direction of the floor – maybe top of the head comes to rest on the floor. Exhale, keeping your weight on your elbows. Breathe. Any discomfort in the neck, keep your neck in a more neutral position or come out of the pose entirely. For a more restorative version, a block between the shoulder blades feels really good, and you still get all the same throat chakra opening benefits. Camel Pose (Ustrasana) and Legs up the Wall are other lovely options.

I hope you found this post helpful 😊 Now go out there and speak yo’ truth!