While this chakra is known for standing up for what you believe, saying no when needed, and being open and honest in what you say- these are just the surface interpretations.  The Fifth chakra goes much deeper than that.  It's not just about honesty, it's about speaking your highest truth and in order to do so you have to be able to listen and listen with compassion.

The Sanskrit name for this chakra, Vishuddha, means pure or purification and it is the first of the 3 spiritual chakras.  It is associated with the color blue and is located in the throat and governs the thyroid, jaw, neck, mouth and tongue.  Visualizing the color blue during meditation as well as using blue stones and crystals such as blue tourmaline and lapis lazuli can be used to balance the throat chakra. 

Known as the communication center, the fifth chakra is essentially about accepting your originality and being able to express it.  In order to be able to do so, authentic listening is required.  Only when you are able to listen with calm attention to the world around you do you have even the remotest chance of discerning what is true for you.  When you cultivate the habit of attention, you can decide and filter out your truth from the larger noise.  If you cannot listen, you cannot understand and without understanding, you cannot know your true heart and voice.   True listening, which is the key to this chakra, requires compassion and tenderness because who you are is so integrated in your being that it doesn’t shout off the rooftops.  It’s your soul and bones and the house of you- it just stands and is still and is waiting for you to hear it. 

The famous sufi poet Hafiz said “The words you speak become the house you live in.”  The words you speak, when they come from the person that shows up according to the rules of culture, society, habit or fear mean your house is a mirage.  I want my house to be strong, built on a good foundation and sturdy enough to be able to weather what may come.  So I work on my listening and my attention and when I speak or express in any way, it’s from my soul.

Affirmations for the Fifth Chakra:

My thoughts are positive and I always express myself truthfully and clearly

I am able to speak my truth with ease

My truth is love

I am comfortable in silence

I am balanced in speaking and listening