Chakras. Colors of the rainbow. Spinning pinwheels. Energy centers from the base of the body to the crown. Kundalini’s dance.
What might they look like? Glowing orbs, lotus flowers with varied numbers of petals, radiating suns or stars, mandalas, a totem pole inscribed with symbols?
Some may think the idea of the chakra system is ancient, obsolete esoterica, yet what’s ancient is often still relevant and carries wisdom through the ages. The evolution of science runs parallel with the concepts of chakras. Not only is each chakra a region along the spinal column corresponding with nerve ganglia, but every single one has a counterpart in the endocrine system, such as the adrenal glands, the butterfly-shaped thyroid and the pituitary gland. The soft sciences, as well, link to this system, aligning with our thoughts, our behaviors and our very human concerns and qualities such as survival, sexuality, communication and cognition. As such, each of these centers within each of us resonates with symbolism. As is the case with symbols, they may be archetypal, cultural or regional, or individual and deeply personal.
The fifth chakra: voice and listening
Let’s focus on one particular chakra here, the fifth: the throat chakra. Very much about voice, this area is also about communication, which means that listening is also key. It is always relevant, and perhaps especially so in times of grief, loss and change, when we are asked to both speak up and listen well.
How do we make sense of what we hear? What might we take in and thoughtfully consider? When might we need to sift through apparent contradictions or read between the lines? How can we tell our stories and convey our opinions meaningfully? Is your voice genuine? How can we listen compassionately, with intent to understand?
Let’s start simply. The ears, mouth and throat, these vehicles of communication, are situated between the heart and the brain. Both speaking and listening can be balanced by awareness of emotions and focused thought. The trachea travels through the throat to our lungs. Breath, of course, is central.
Would you like to try now? Taking in a deep breath, feeling the air flow through your throat, literally and energetically, do you notice what you feel? Bringing attention to your ears, what sounds do you hear? What do you notice when you pause to listen?
Vishuddha: purification
The name of this chakra in Sanskrit is Vishuddha (spellings vary). Translation: purification (translations vary, too).
In The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, Swami Vishnu-devananda tells us this “center of spiritual energy” is the color of “pure sea water,” is represented by the principle of ether, and has sixteen petals, each one with its own vowel sound.
Patricia Mercier’s Chakra Bible describes some of the images found in a visual representation of Vishuddha: a silver crescent, symbol of the cosmic sound nadam; a downward-pointing triangle; the full moon, representing our psychic powers; and the elephant, the animal guardian who carries the sound mantra.
Meredith Zelman Narissi, in her book 7 Veils, includes Vishuddha in her discussion of the blue veil of integration, the invitation to calibrate the disparate parts of ourselves into a meaningful whole, the way a well-played symphony or a beautifully choreographed dance creates harmony.
Similarly, in Eastern Body, Western Mind, Anodea Judith brings attention to the many voices within us, and to how inner dialogue helps us become more integrated. Consider how you speak to yourself, with yourself, within yourself, and the effects of that. She explores reasons we might struggle to express our truth, such as being denied our feelings or thinking we need to say what we believe people want to hear, and suggests that authenticity arises from being in resonance with one’s own being. Creativity is often associated with the second, sacral chakra, but Judith describes creativity in the fifth chakra as a consciously willed process: through our actions, expression and communication, we are literally making our world. Ask someone to come closer and you create intimacy; ask them to go away and you create solitude.
What the science suggests
Dr. Lloyd Sparks, in his article “The Neurophysiology of Chakras,” explains that although the vocal cords are controlled by the vagus nerve, the diaphragm is controlled by the phrenic nerve, which arises from the cervical plexus. This suggests how key the breath is when it comes to what we say. Anatomically, the thyroid, which regulates metabolism, and the parathyroid glands, which influence calcium levels and bone health, reside in the throat region. Sparks observes that Vishuddha is unusual in that nothing it governs, whether communication, bone health, breathing or metabolism, actually happens in the throat itself.
What we might deduce from this, thematically, is that the throat is very much an avenue, and a healthy flow through this area is hopeful for our health physically, emotionally, mentally, communally and spiritually.
A practice for the throat chakra
Now, you might want to sit with these concepts for a time. How does it feel to tune into Vishuddha? To feel the flow of breath here? To soften, relax and open this passageway? To listen to what is within or around you?
If you feel like adding movement or a sound, that works. If you choose to sit very still, that works too. Maybe a visualization arises, a blue-winged butterfly perhaps, poised to fly. Or something else. Maybe sensations, memories or words you need to acknowledge surface. Maybe an idea.
You might want to feel the continuity of the chakras, rooting through the soles of your feet or the points of your sitting bones, aligning hip points, ribs and heart. Then pause with focus on your neck, throat, jaw and mouth, your tongue and lips, your ears. Feel the energy rise as you breathe in to the seat of intuition at the third eye, to the crown chakra. Feel the energy flow downward, toward your roots. Up again, revisiting Vishuddha, and so on.
Breathe deeply. Take in all the sounds you might hear, in nature and in spirit. Welcome this opportunity to listen to yourself and to others, and to communicate with authenticity.
References
- Gannon, Sharon and David Life. Jivamukti Yoga. Ballantine Books, 2002.
- Iyengar, B. K. S. Light on Yoga. Schocken Books, 1965.
- Judith, Anodea. Chakra Yoga. Llewellyn Publications, 2015.
- Judith, Anodea. Eastern Body, Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self. Celestial Arts, 1996, 2004.
- Mercier, Patricia. The Chakra Bible. Sterling Publishing, 2007.
- Narissi, Meredith Zelman. 7 Veils: Mystical Secrets of a Feminine Path to Enlightenment. Balboa Press, 2017.
- Sparks, Lloyd, MD. “The Neurophysiology of Chakras.” Medium, 2019.
- Swami Vishnu-devananda. The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga. Three Rivers Press, 1960, 1988.
