Does it seem like a couple of months since we were being green with Kermit? Did I ever say this Chakra exploration was going to be quick?
I have been enjoying some heart-chakra-opening pursuits of late, recharging my creative side and engaging in extreme self-love. Now I'm ready to climb the next rung of the Chakra ladder to tell you all about the fifth Chakra.
Vissudha, the fifth Chakra, glows bright blue in the throat and is all about - say it with me - communication. From Vissudha comes the desire, and the right, to speak and be heard. We're not just babbling on here, though. This is where we speak our truth, find our own voices and, also, listen as others speak their truths.
A healthy throat Chakra inspires honest, clear and positive expression of thoughts and feelings, through spoken or written words or through the arts. When what we say resonates with others, Vissudha is spinning freely.
Vissudha provides an way to express and release all the feelings and emotions that build up in the lower Chakras. When it's blocked, we find the quiet types who silently hold onto feelings of hurt, pain or anger. The shy ones, afraid of speaking out, clench their jaws and build tension and toxicity in their necks and shoulders as they swallow their words.
As in all the Chakras, we can have too much of a good thing. When Vissudha's volume is cranked up, we find the gossipers, loud folks we can hear over everyone else at a party, and people who never let you finish a sentence without interrupting. Listening is as important to communication as speaking, and an over-active fifth Chakra makes a poor listener.
When Helen Reddy started telling us to hear her roar, she was sparking a bright blue flame for women who, at the time, were just starting to add their voices to the previously all-male chorus of American society. We could all use a good roar every now and then to keep Vissudha balanced. Next time you're on your yoga mat, enjoy a "raaarrrrr" in Simhasana (lion's pose).
Stay on your mat a bit longer and try throat-stimulating Sarvangasana (shoulder stand) and Halasana (plow). A good neck roll to loosen up tension can open up the fifth Chakra as well.
Off the mat, we can chant, sing, scream or shout, tell jokes or stories - anything that gets sounds coming out of your mouth. We can also express buried emotions by drumming, dancing, or painting, or sitting quietly and letting them all pour into your journal. Keep listening skills working by listening to songs, stories or the sounds of nature.
Need inspiration? Sing along with Helen. Let's hear you roar!
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