Speak your truth - the way you use your words is so important. This is how the throat chakra works

When you were a kid, did your mum often utter these fateful words? “This is the last time I’ll warn you about this!”  And did she follow through on that threat? 

When our words and actions don’t match up, that can signify an imbalance in the throat chakra, which is the energy centre concerned with communication. 

Spiritually, our words are very important because they connect us to the Universe, so making sure we don’t misuse them can really help us create the life we dream of. Essentially, what we say is a direct reflection of who we are and what we want. And if we can’t express ourselves well, that will adversely affect our relationships too.

While the base chakra’s adversary is fear and the heart chakra faces up to grief, the throat chakra’s challenge is lies. That’s because this energy centre is about how our words align (or not) with what we really mean.

Obviously speech is important when it comes to the throat chakra, but so is listening – which is a major component in healthy relationships, because when you think about it, all any human being really wants is to be heard. If you deny someone that right, ideally you would have a good reason (perhaps their words are detrimental to you, for example). 

When this chakra is in balance, you’re able to ask for what you want without apologising for it. You don’t need to yell or use a lot of words when you communicate with people. You listen – really listen! – to people instead of mentally preparing your response while they are still speaking.

The most common way an imbalance in this chakra shows up is when your words don’t match up with your behaviour – you don’t pay people when you say you will, you don’t ring them when you said you would... that type of thing. 

People who are deficient in the throat chakra might demonstrate these attributes:

* They can’t say no to anyone, even when they really want to

* They never say what they really think

* They have a quiet voice or an uncertain tone

* They give mixed messages (which is why nothing in their lives works out the way they want it to).

People who have excessive energy in the throat chakra might exhibit these qualities:

*They interrupt and talk over people

* They talk too much, for too long, and repeat themselves constantly

* They gossip regularly

(Image: the throat chakra symbol)

* They use bullying and overly critical words

* They are uncomfortable with silence.

To bring the throat chakra into balance, practise actively listening. If the energy in your throat chakra is deficient, finding ways to express your truth, such as journalling, can be beneficial. It if is excessive, undertaking periods of silence is said to help your throat chakra greatly.

Also, this sounds weird, but singing is actually really good for clearing the throat chakra, because it helps you find your voice. For yoga devotees, shoulder stands and plough pose target the throat chakra. 

If you’d like to work with me to heal any of the issues in this article, you can book energy healing sessions here. More information about how I work is available here.  

Salute to people who speak from their hearts

I've been thinking a lot about speaking our truth, and the potential ramifications of that. This is something that we've seen come up in the news lately, with Bruce Jenner's tell-all interview, and here in Australia, a sports reporter hit headlines for pointing out some uncomfortable – but valid – truths about war in a series of tweets. 

In the case of Bruce, his honest account of transitioning has earned him praise for his bravado. In the case of the sports reporter, he was slammed for being disrespectful to our armed forces and lost his job. 

In a completely different category, I recently read an incredibly candid first-person account of a young American girl living with herpes. Instead of hiding away, she has written a blog about the challenges of carrying a transmittable disease with such social stigma. Through her candour, she is helping to slowly rid the taboo around this condition, one reader at a time.

These situations are very different, but there's a common thread – a willingness to speak the truth, even though it’s uncomfortable and risky. It would have been easy for these individuals to stay silent out of a fear of rocking the boat, but for their own reasons, they spoke up and said what they believed needed to be said. In a society that worships conformity, this is an act of radical courage. 

In order to do this, they had to let go of expectation or fear about how other people would respond. They had to embrace the uncertainty of what consequences their truth telling would have. They had to decide that the cost of not speaking their truth was greater than any adverse effects of standing up for who they are and what they belief.

This is such a powerful thing to do. It isn't about forcing your opinions on other people, it's about being

authentic about who you are and what is right for you. It isn't, either, a licence to offend people or cause ill feeling. 

Being authentic is about not contributing to bitchy conversations your workmates are engaged in, that make you uncomfortable. Not sticking with a career that your parents expected you to do, but you’re bored with. Not going to the pub every Saturday night/Sunday morning with your mates when you’d rather be at home doing a jigsaw puzzle. You can speak your truth without being provocative or offensive. It takes practise and it takes self-belief but there are always people willing to show us that it's possible – and beneficial – to choose the path that honours your own light. If you don't, you're doing yourself an enormous disservice. Life is short, but it'll feel very long if you're committed to being someone, or everyone, else.