Introduction to Visuddha Chakra

visuddha = pure (wisdom)

This information has been collected from many books and Web sites, and from my own knowledge and experience from teaching Yoga for more than 35 years. It will help you to understand the meaning of Chakras and why it is important to know about them.

The Throat Chakra, obviously situated in the throat (in front of the cervical region, the larynx to be specific) is a gateway to the sound of the Chakras. Iyengar points to the pharyngeal region for this Chakra center.

“The throat center governs the expressive and externalizing mind, movements and mental forces—the transformation center.” —Sri Aurobindo

“The Blue Chakra is the gateway to the spiritual aspect of man. It is the center of the religious instinct, the devotional and mystical nature. When working in harmony with the yellow and red Chakras, there is peace and balance in body and mind. It is the home of the causal body—the root cause of your present condition of life.” —S.G.J. Ouseley, The Power of the Rays, The Science of Colour-Healing

Obviously, being in the throat region, this Chakra is all about expression and how we use our inner voice and sound in this world to communicate with others. Anyone with a spectacular singing voice has a strong throat Chakra. How we listen and hear sound also pertains to music and how we interpret it. Our ears are the organs of hearing and how we use that sense often comes through our voice.

As we reach even higher, this 5th Chakra hovers around issues that have to do with our personal expression, how others see us, our personality and how it shines out into the world, how creative we can be, or lazy. When this Chakra is blocked, it is not uncommon to see addiction and highly critical people. There is a lack of authority, intention, focus. There is more to come in Part 3 (see below) about blockages and how to unblock this Chakra.

 

ANATOMICAL DESCRIPTION OF CHAKRA LOCATION

The cervical is the region of the body that this Chakra is connected to. This includes the brachial, cervical and pharyngeal plexuses, the throat medulla center, larynx, thyroid gland, and behind the throat. This means that hearing, sound, and voice are all connected to this center.

The brachial plexus is a nerve plexus originating from the ventral branches of the last 4 cervical and the 1st thoracic spinal nerves, giving off many of the principal nerves of the shoulder, chest, and arms. It could also be included with the 4th Chakra, but I'm placing it here.

The cervical plexus is a nerve plexus formed by the ventral branches of the first 4 cervical nerves, supplying structures in the neck region. This Chakra is situated precisely where that little indentation is in the throat—the organ of the voice; the air passage between the lower pharynx and the trachea, formed by 9 cartilages: thyroid, crocoid, epiglottis, paired arytenoids, corniculate and cuneiform. Even a simple practice of cleaning the tongue daily can make a difference to the health of the larynx and this entire area in the throat (you can purchase tongue cleaners at most drugstores).

The thyroid is the controller here. Anyone who has a problem with their thyroid will do well to meditate on this area using all the helpers included in the list on the next page. It certainly can't hurt you, and it could help you. So, why not do it?

The thyroid controls the metabolic rate of every cell in the body. It also produces thyroxin, which regulates our metabolism. This is major stuff we are dealing with here, and the health of this area is vital. See below for what happens when it isn't working properly.

 

OTHER ANATOMICAL AREAS AFFECTED

The brachial plexus work with the neck muscles, shoulders, elbows, arms and forearms, wrists, hands and fingers, esophagus, heart and coronary arteries, bronchial tubes and lungs, and the diaphragm. The cervical plexus works with the scalp, base of the skull (occiput), neck muscles, diaphragm, and all of the areas of the throat.

PHYSICAL PROBLEMS OF THIS AREA

When this area of the body is not functioning properly, the following symptoms can appear: headaches (and migraine), dizziness, fatigue, head colds, vision problems, hearing loss, sinus problems, allergies, runny nose, sore throat, tonsillitis, hoarseness, laryngitis, stiff neck, cough, croup, pain in upper arm, tennis elbow, wrist, hand and finger numbness or pain, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, asthma, heart conditions, chest pains, heartburn, and chronic tiredness.

Other problems, which can be severe if one has hyperthyroidism (overactive), include a heart that beats too fast, loss of weight regardless of how much one eats, and a restless mind that cannot relax. Hypothyroidism (underactive) works in the opposite way with weight gain (which strains the heart) and causes a sluggish mind.

Obviously, this is another very important area of the body to keep healthy. This site will help you maintain these areas to make it easier to open your Chakras without negative experiences. If you practice all the how-to's provided on this site with caution and reverence, you will succeed. And if you do, please write and share that with me!

“The 5th Chakra particularly has to do with communication, and opens the more we recognize our free will and that of others. It is wisdom, and it's a key point that before wisdom and understanding comes love and compassion—first the unknowing leap, karuna before prajna.” —Jody Boyne (Jody has an article on Meditation in the Meditation series on this site. He is an eternal wealth of information for everyone who is lucky enough to get on his mailing list!)