Throat Chakra

What the throat chakra governs

In the middle of the throat, this chakra is - as its position suggests - linked to our ability to communicate in words. As well as voice and throat complaints, any symptom involving the teeth, gums and mouth around that area can signal a blockage at this energy point. Blockages or imbalances here can show up as dominating conversations, gossiping, speaking without thinking and difficulty putting what is in your mind into words. It sits at the base of the neck and is linked to the ether element; it is connected to the ears. Love, hostility, shyness, fear and passion are represented by ether. The ether element's quality is selfhood and its nature is emptiness; when it dominates in the body, the wish for solitude and the act of thinking emerge. It vibrates in blue. This chakra is linked to the planet Mercury and to the signs Gemini and Virgo; its yantra is a circle and the principle it stands for is vibration. When it is balanced, a person speaks openly and easily, expresses their feelings and thoughts freely and is honest with themselves and others; when it is active they can say no when they need to.

Signs it is out of balance

Mind-body communication breaks down; a person withdraws and cannot express what they feel, or else talks constantly or misleads others. Physically the classic complaints are: voice and throat complaints and problems around that area such as the teeth, gums and mouth.

Working with it

The traditional approach combines posture work, breathing, meditation and stones: jade and citrine are the crystals most often used for the throat chakra. None of this replaces medical treatment - it sits alongside it.