THE FIFTH CHAKRA

   This is called the Vishuddha or Neck Chakra or Throat Chakra. It is situated at throat level, between the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. It is linked to the thyroid gland, and associated with the element Space or Ether, and with the sense of hearing.

   This chakra relates to talking, communication, self-expression, creativity, the ability to guide others, and individualisation (i.e. developing one's own original characteristics).

   The Throat Chakra is a kind of "bridge" between our way of thinking/feeling and our impulses/reactions. It also outwardly expresses the energies/information coming from the other chakras. Through this chakra, we can externalise everything that is going on inside us: our laughter and our tears, our feelings of love and joy or anxiety and anger, our intentions and our desires, our ideas, our understanding and our perceptions from our inner worlds.

   We can only express what we have inside us, and the Throat Chakra gives us a capacity for inner reflection. To be able to reflect clearly, we first need to create some "internal detachment".

   The throat centre allows us to become more and more aware of our own mental and intellectual processes, helping us to see the difference between these and our physical and emotional perceptions. This means that our thoughts are no longer dominated by our feelings or our physical sensations, which would prevent us from gaining objective knowledge.

   The fifth chakra is associated with the sense of hearing: using this chakra, we can listen to the secret voices of Creation, and we can also hear our own inner voice. We can enter into contact with the spirit "animating" the voice, to gain inspiration from it.