I’ve never considered myself to be woo-woo. I’m starting to dabble though. For example, just last week I had my first Reiki session and the other day I found myself telling one of my besties to pay attention to her throat chakra.

Seriously. I used the words throat chakra in a sentence. And with conviction.

This is not normal for me.

I first learned about the throat chakra at a sacred women’s circle.

The event was run by a holistic therapist friend of mine. On a Saturday afternoon this summer, a small group of women gathered in a circle around a sacred-looking cloth on which a sacred-looking candle sat burning with sacred-looking crystals all around it.

If it sounds like I’m making a mockery of the circle, I’m not. I just want to be honest with you. I wasn’t feeling the vibe.

Truth is, I would have been happier sitting on a comfy sofa with a glass of red wine in one hand and a bowl of popcorn on my lap, but that’s just me. So, I made a point of not reading too much into the setup and just immersed myself in the flow of the circle.

For two hours, we talked about communication.

We thought back to times in our lives when we had wanted to be heard but felt our words and opinions hadn’t been granted the space we would have liked. In other words, our words (and therefore we) had been dismissed, shut down, poo-pood if you prefer.

Such experiences, I learned that afternoon, can block the throat chakra, i.e. the energy centre associated with communication, truth, and self-expression. This, in turn, can stifle your creativity, rattle your confidence, and prohibit you from expressing your authentic voice and speaking your truth.

Whether you buy into this whole chakra business or not, it’s hard to argue that communication issues can damage far more than the relationship between the parties involved.

Think about it; when you’ve spoken your truth only to be judged and ridiculed by someone, you’re going to be more hesitant to express that truth to anyone going forward, aren’t you? And that includes yourself, so go ahead and kiss authentic expression goodbye.

Luckily for me, my throat chakra appeared to be intact.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation — both listening and participating — nothing major came up for me. By that, I mean it didn’t evoke memories of any particular person or situation prompting me to feel oppressed or silenced.

Fast-forward a few weeks and I was chatting about something pretty heavy with a friend. The conversation was a bit more one-sided than I would have liked. I tried to even out the playing field but to no avail.

As I became aware of how my role had shifted to that of listener only, I felt a pair of (imaginary) hands close in around my throat. To say it felt unsafe to talk would be a stretch. More like, it felt redundant and unwise. I noticed a very tangible loss of freedom.

Dare I say it, I felt my throat chakra closing.

The conversation from that sacred women’s circle came back to me. This is what they were talking about, I thought. My voice doesn’t matter. My opinion doesn’t count. I’m not allowed to take up space.

In the days that followed this event, I noticed I was feeling unusually insecure. By that, I mean even more insecure than my usual insecure self.

I was unable to write. Even if I could string words and sentences together, I was convinced nobody would want to read them. I thought about shutting down this blog that I have poured my heart and soul into for two years. All of the creative ideas I’d been nurturing over the past few months suddenly felt utterly stupid.

And then it came to me. I knew what I needed to do. I needed to restore balance.

“When your throat chakra is balanced, it gives you the ability to be inspired, project your ideas, and align your vision with reality.” [Source]

That’s what I want for myself. To be inspired and project my ideas, without compromising my authentic self.

— Related reading: Throat chakra healing for beginners (Katherine Hurst) —

The notion of chakras may be new to me, but the notion of balance isn’t.

When I’m questioning every decision I make and feeling ill at ease with myself — that’s when I know I’m off balance. Now, for the first time, I’m looking to my throat chakra for the solution.

Honestly, I would never have made the connection before. How could one individual dismissing my opinion from time to time contribute to creative stagnation? It seems utterly ridiculous, yet I’ve joined the dotted lines and there it is.

As I suggested to my dear friend, please …

Pay attention to your throat chakra.

If there’s someone putting you down, don’t minimize the impact their words may be having on you and your ability to live fully and authentically.

Make no mistake; you’re entitled to take up space, so liberate your voice and make some noise. The world wants and needs to hear what you have to say.

With love,

Viv for today xo

(Originally published October 1, 2019)


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