Fifth Chakra - Throat

Sanskrit Name; Meaning : Vissudha; Purification
Location : Throat
Affirmation : “I speak.”
Central Power : To speak and be heard
Element : Sound ^[1]
_{Note: Chakras five through seven ascend beyond the physical elements}

As we ascend into the higher chakras, we are first presented with the fifth chakra. This is the first in the line of the “upper chakras” (five through seven) and thus is one of the first that extends just beyond the physical elements of earth, water, fire, and air. As the first of the ethers, an element that is believed to fill the upper regions of space, we best associate this chakra with its own epicenter for spoken word: sound (which actually breaks down into vibration!).

This chakra is empowered by the ideals of communication, listening, and creative expression. Someone who may find themselves balanced in this chakra will have a resonant voice and be a good listener; clear communication includes both the speaker and the listener, and we serve both roles at different times during our lives. It’s also associated with the concept of timing and rhythm. Someone who is often timid or shy and doesn’t speak up often may experience issues in this chakra. Similarly, someone who talks too much, gossips, or dominates conversations may also be someone who has issues in this chakra.^[2]

At the level of the fifth chakra, our attention moves from the physical plane into the subtler etheric fields. Commonly known as the aura, this etheric field is generated by the totality of internal processes - from the energetic exchange of subatomic particles to the digestion of food in our cells, from the firing of neurons to our current emotional state, and on to the larger rhythms of our outer activities… Our etheric body is highly sensitive to emanations around us, even without awareness. In the fifth chakra, we work to refine our vibration so that we can tune into this subtlety. The name for this chakra, vissudha, means “purification.” Purification is a vibrational refinement that takes place as we rid the body of toxins, speak truthfully and authentically, and as we work through the issues of the lower chakras. Purification prepares us to enter the even more refined energies of the chakras above.^[3]

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In areas of grief, sorrow, or trauma, have you ever found it difficult to express yourself? Have you ever felt that “rock” in the throat that is holding you back from speaking? Because of its physical location being right over the throat, the fifth chakra specifically relates to physical issues around the throat, ears, voice, and neck, to include the larynx, the pharynx, or the tongue. It can also be associated with tightness in the jaw.^[4]

Because of its association with purification, there is also a subtle connection with general toxicity in the human body. Consider when you go to someone for emotional support and you need to “get it off your chest”? When you speak up about past experiences, past traumas, and past issues, this allows the body to find an equilibrium by removing otherwise toxic elements from the totality of the human energy field.

The fifth chakra is the etheric body. It is the first in the spiritual realm and as such it is the beginning of one’s Godlike abilities. The etheric body is, foremost, the template for our physical body. In other words, it is the perfect body, the “light body,'' which underlies our physical form… Because the etheric is the template for all physical reality, the power of time (especially in the sense of knowing the perfect time for doing something) and the power of speech and self-expression are also under the dominion of this body. Because the etheric is perfect, our concepts of justice, of truth, and of perfection itself are all contained within this body or level of consciousness.^[5]

As we ascend into the “upper chakras” (five through seven), we have moved ourselves into the world beyond just the physical. Even its associated element of “sound” is not typically heralded as an element in our scientific world! We are stepping out of the comfort zones of the familiar physical and into the “something more” that is beyond our immediate comprehension. This is why if you read about the fourth chakra, you will see this transformative chakra as being necessary for growth into the higher chakras. In fact, some people never develop into their fourth, fifth, and beyond, chakras because they get stuck in the “lower chakras” and never heal them.

When you step into the world of the fifth chakra, it is best to remember an old adage: “Be careful what you say about yourself, because you are listening!”

[1] Judith, A. (2006). Introduction: Sacred Centers of the Self. In Eastern body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra system as a Path to the Self (pp. 10-11). essay, Alchemy.
[2] Judith, A. (2006). Chakra Five: Vibrating into Expression. In Eastern body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra system as a Path to the Self (pp. 286-287). essay, Alchemy.
[3] Judith, A. (2006). Chakra Five: Vibrating into Expression. In Eastern body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra system as a Path to the Self (pp. 295-296). essay, Alchemy.
[4] Judith, A. (2006). Chakra Five: Vibrating into Expression. In Eastern body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra system as a Path to the Self (pp. 287). essay, Alchemy.
[5] Bruyere, R. L. (1994). Wheels of Power. In Wheels of Light: Chakras, auras and the healing energy of the body (pp. 46). essay, Simon & Schuster.