Chakra 5 - Vishuddha
Vishuddha is the fifth, or throat chakra. The name comes from the Sanskrit words vish, meaning poison, and suddhi, meaning pure. Purification and pure knowledge are the key aspects of this chakra. To honor this chakra fully, we need to consciously commit to expressing our truth, to being ourselves, and living with integrity.
It is located in the throat and neck. The color associated with this chakra is a deep turquoise blue. This is the color of creativity and self-expression. It is a mixture of the green of the anahata chakra and the indigo blue of the ajna chakra. It suggests the beauty of the sky and represents all forms of creative expression, communication, truth, and willpower. It is a color used to soothe the soul. Turquoise has a calming effect on the body and is said to be able to reduce blood pressure.
An image of the Vishuddha chakra is below. It is a turquoise lotus with sixteen petals. There are sixteen qualities associated with the petals, not psychological but connected to musical sound and certain bija mantras used to invoke divinities in the body. The sounds belong to the deities who govern the petals and when invoked, give energy to the qualities. It is said that in the eighth petal there is poison and in the sixteenth, there is nectar; which represents the destructive and constructive forces in the world.
image of Vishuddha chakra
On a practical level, the basic issues of this chakra are finding your own voice, communication with others, creativity, and your ability to listen.
The destructive emotion associated with this chakra is lies.
When this chakra is balanced, you would have a good sense of timing and rhythm, you would be a good communicator and listener, and have a resonant voice.
If this chakra is deficient, you would tend to have a small, weak voice; you would be shy, have difficulty putting your feelings into words, and have a fear of speaking.
If this chakra is excessive, you would be gossipy, unable to listen, talk way too much, and interrupt others.
If the Vishuddha chakra is out of balance, you can physically experience jaw tightness and have problems with the throat, ears, voice, and neck.
Not sure if this chakra is out of balance? View our Chakra Assessment.