12 Uplifting Ways to Support Your Throat Chakra & Express What's in Your Heart
Is your energetic wheel of communication feeling a little stuck?
Several years ago, I was diagnosed with a rare but fortunately treatable condition called idiopathic subglottic stenosis. It’s a condition in which scar tissue builds up for no medically known reason in the trachea (the windpipe) just below the vocal cords.
What’s especially strange about this disease is it almost exclusively affects women— about 98%. By the time I was diagnosed a few years ago, my trachea was 50% closed.
Even though in relatively good physical condition, I’d get winded simply walking up and down the stairs in my house. I couldn’t walk and talk at the same time without losing my breath. When I spoke, it felt as if I was gasping for air. I was always tired and couldn’t seem to get enough sleep.
I’m deeply grateful for the pulmonologist who followed a hunch and ordered an MRI to determine if I had this unusual condition. And I’m doubly grateful to have found an ENT in the Kansas City area who specializes in SGS and was able to help me.
Last week, I was chatting back and forth with other women in the SGS online community and someone asked about holistic (mind-body-spirit) approaches to managing the condition. In addition to focusing on exercise and an anti-inflammatory diet, I mentioned that I’ve been supporting my throat chakra in a variety of ways to help manage my diagnosis from an energetic perspective.
As business owners, it’s imperative to keep our energetic center of communication in tip-top condition.
What are the chakras? If you follow New Age philosophies or practice yoga, you’ve likely heard of the chakra system.
But if you aren’t familiar with the chakras, they’re energy wheels or energy centers in the body, first mentioned in the Vedas, sacred spiritual texts originating in India between 1500-1000 B.C.
While there may be as many as 114 different chakras, most of us are familiar with the seven main chakras in the body, beginning at the base of the spine through the crown of the head.
Each chakra (a Sanskrit term meaning circle) is associated with a number and color. When a chakra is blocked, it can manifest into physical and emotional heath issues.
Signs of a blocked throat chakra.
When the throat chakra gets blocked it can manifest in issues like jaw pain, TMJ, thyroid issues, sore throat, neck and shoulder pain, laryngitis, and problems in the mouth.
From a communication perspective, it can mean we have trouble expressing ourselves with confidence. We may feel dismissed or unheard. We may also feel blocked when it comes to writing and creativity.
People with blocked throat chakras may also struggle with listening and tend to dominate conversations. The words they use may be misunderstood or come across as hurtful or lacking compassion.
What causes blockages in the throat chakra?
Gossiping, lying, smoking, substance abuse, people-pleasing, insecurity, guilt and shame are said to cause blocks in the throat chakra.
Some people also believe that having your voice suppressed, disregarded or ignored during childhood can cause blockages in the throat chakra. It can also happen if you feel unsafe expressing yourself at any point in your life.
I suspect there’s an ancestral link as well.
Women, in particular, have historically not only been condemned and banished for being different or for speaking up for what they believe but they’ve been put to death for it too — the witch trials are an excellent example. In Europe, it’s believed that as many as 80,000 women were put to death for the crime of witchcraft between 1500-1660.
12 ways to support your throat chakra, express yourself with confidence and get back to writing if you feel stuck.
Yoga. Numerous poses in yoga support the throat chakra, like cat/cow, child’s pose, shoulder stand and fish pose. Poses that open the heart also benefit the throat. Try cobra or camel pose which helps release stuck emotions. Want some support? Here’s a Yoga with Adrienne video on YouTube that will take you through a supportive throat chakra practice.
Practice breathwork. Breathing meditations can be supportive. I especially like “Lion’s Breath” because it can be done or off the yoga mat. It’s an excellent way to release stress and tension in the face and throat. Here’s a quick tutorial.
Journal. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I love to journal 2-3 pages every morning.
This practice can be a great way to release the words stuck in your throat. The pages are a great place to rant and rave about the injustices in the world, allowing you to approach problematic people and situations in a more regulated, proactive way.
Break sh*t. Anger is a normal emotion and also one many of us have been conditioned to tamp down. If you think suppressed anger might be to blame for your inability to express yourself, try (safely) breaking something rather than taking your anger out on the road or on an innocent bystander.
In Kansas City, there’s a place called Rage KC where you put on your safety gear and then smash glass, pottery and dishes to your rage-y heart’s delight.
Try energy work. Reiki and other types of energy work can be supportive ways to care for your throat chakra. If you make an appointment with a reiki practitioner be sure and let them know this is an area of concern for you.
Go blue. Blue is the color of the throat chakra. Blue stones like lapis lazuli, sodalite, aquamarine and turquoise are thought to be supportive stones to wear on necklaces or bracelets. You can also place these stones on your desk.
Essential oils. Peppermint, sage and lavender essential oils are beneficial for the throat chakra.
While I like diffusing essential oils, I especially love using essential oil-infused soaps and blends that I can wear. My friend Jodi Crutchfield, owner of 7220 Mercantile in Colorado, makes amazing-smelling small-batch, handcrafted soaps that are also environmentally friendly. Check out her peppermint soap and spearmint & sage soap. I also love her lavender-mint hand salve.
Flowers. Plant a wellness garden with irises, asters or bluebells (depending on where you live) or collect blue and purple flowers for a sweet, soothing bouquet for your dining room table or desk.
Speak up. Mantras can help unblock the throat chakra. Here’s one I like: “I speak my truth, always.” And repeat.
Talk therapy. Talking to a therapist can help you feel listened to. A good therapist will push back if they feel like you aren’t speaking your truth.
Have a heart-to-heart with a horse. Working with animals can also be therapeutic. My friend Kim Beer is an Equine Gestalt Coach who (among many other things) helps her clients work through emotional blocks while walking alongside a horse as their guide. It’s amazing how a horse can sense when you’re not speaking your truth, and it’s a fascinating way to unearth and unblock throat chakra issues.
Practice expressing yourself. At no other time in history have we had such freedom to express ourselves. But that doesn’t mean it’s free from risk and that risk is what sometimes stops us in our tracks.
There are lots of reasons why we don’t express ourselves online. Maybe at one time you had a good rhythm going, but then stopped because it felt like no one cared. Or maybe you just needed a break. When you’re ready to start back up, it can sometimes be daunting, especially if you’re an overthinker.
To get yourself unstuck, just share one thing. Do that again the next day. As you practice sharing your thoughts and sharing your work, the block can begin to dissipate on its own. (And by the way, social media is a great testing ground for trying out new content and seeing what engages your audience.)
Choose one or two of these supportive throat chakra-clearing steps— and I bet you’ll start feeling that gentle whorl of communication spin freely once again.
Nervous about what you’d like to express and want a second pair of eyes? I offer editorial feedback. Fees vary depending on the scope of the work. Contact me to schedule a discovery call.
Last Saturday, I attended the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) and Book Fair in Kansas City. What an inspiring place to hang out for the day—among books, publishers and creatives.
In the photo below I’m standing in front of Pen America’s wall of banned and challenged books.
Keep reading and voting on behalf of all of the books and their authors, my friends. A world without literature that represents our many diverse voices and experiences is a fractured world devoid of empathy and connection—and certainly not one living up to democratic ideals.
And speaking of books, here’s a cool photo my mom shared with me. This a photo of my great-grandparents, who owned a publishing company. They are meeting the German Chancellor at the famous Frankfurt Book Fair, which my great-grandfather helped start.
Until next time,
Christa xo
What a great post! I love love love it. And yes, totally agree about the ancestral, cultural and social pressures on women to not rock the boat verbally and in all other ways. I am definitely sharing this post!