Vishuddha, The Throat Chakra

Vishuddha is the energy center of communication, expression, and rationality. It is the fifth of the chakras and acts as a link between the heart and the head, between emotions and rationality. It’s colour is blue and it’s element is ether. In balance, it enables you to communicate with ease, honesty and to show the truest version of yourself.

When your throat chakra is out of balance you may find it difficult to communicate and have an inability to express yourself, which consequently puts one’s identity at risk. If it is too strong it could manifest itself in dominance, supremacy or manipulation and if too weak it may manifest as shyness, awkwardness or fear of conflict.

On a physical level, health problems with the throat neck or teeth could be down to a blocked throat chakra. Moving the neck and opening the shoulders are effective to open up Visshudha. So below are four poses I find help to strengthen this Chakra.

1. Neck Release. The median nerve runs from the neck all the way down the arm to the fingers. This stretch is great to reduce the chances of getting tennis/golfers elbow and reduce tightness in the neck. Using this pose below, making space in the neck, applying gentle pressure on the side of the head and lengthening the arm should tap into the median nerve. To deepen this you can flex your extended hand, point the fingers to the sky and also you could pop the hand against a wall, whilst maintaining the same neck tilt.

Neck Release.

2. Bitilasana. This pose is often used in conjunction with cat pose, Marjaryasana - moving from one to the other using breath as a guide. Starting on all fours, hands under shoulders, knees under hips, drop the belly button to the earth, tilt the tailbone to the sky and open your heart forward. To invigorate the cervical, upper spine, let your neck join into the movement so long as it is comfortable.

Bitilasana. Cow Pose.

3. Salamba Sarvangasana. If you are ready for an inversion, this is a fantastic pose to strengthen the spine, core, legs and neck. It activates Vishuddha, reverses circulation and sends fresh blood to the throat. Please warm up a little through the neck, back and hamstrings before trying a shoulder stand, it is a test for your posterior chain (back body). And it is VERY important to keep your gaze forward to the sky, giving as little movement to the neck as possible. You are compressing your neck so be mindful. Lying down, rock your legs up and back behind your head, take your hands to the lower back and draw your elbows towards one another for stability. Lift the feet to the sky, point the toes, activate the legs and draw your hips towards the top of your mat (your head), whilst keeping toes high. If you feel good, staying here for 2-5 minutes, taking deep breaths.

Salamba Sarvangasana. Shoulder Stand.

4. Karnapidasana. This is a fairly advanced pose and will stretch your posterior chain. Coming from lying down, rock your feet up and behind you. Begin by extending the legs long if the hamstrings allow and then bending the knees, guide them down towards your ears. To modify, keep your hands on your lower back to offer support. Like a shoulder stand, it’s so important to maintain a forward gaze with as little movement through your neck as possible. This pose stimulates the thyroid gland and activates the fifth chakra.

Karnapidasana. Knee to Ear Pose.

Be careful when trying the last two, take your time and warm up sufficiently!

Kiri xx

Muladhara, The Root Chakra

I am starting the year of classes with a strong theme of the chakras; the first week will be the root chakra, Muladhara. This is a combination of two Sanskrit words - “root” (Mula) and “base” or “support” (Adhara) and it is the first of the seven chakras. Although the chakras are part of the subtle body and not the physical, the area in which Muladhara is situated is around the coccyx, the pelvic floor at the base of the spine.

Traditionally Muladhara represents your basic needs; survival, safety, family ties, trust and it is the foundation and development of ones personality. When Muladhara chakra is blocked and out of balance, you will bounce from thought to thought, feel needy, insecure with feelings of laziness. When it is flowing freely, your basic needs are met; you feel safe, grounded and have inner peace.

In order to balance your root chakra, there are certain asana (poses) that release unwanted energy and also cultivate fresh energy. They tend to be grounding poses, where you can build a strong foundation so if you’re feeling a little frenzied, these should help. Most asana yoga practices will involve grounding poses targeting the root chakra, but by theming your practice you can draw attention to this which can enhance your time on the mat and usually allow you to feel differently off the mat too. So here are 5 poses that allow you to tap into it…

1. A good starting block is Sukhasana, a seated pose with crossed legs and a long spine. This pose gives you the ability to ground down through you sitting bones and feel a connection to the earth. As you begin to deepen your breathing, soften your jaw, your forehead and allow your fingers to curl in towards the palms (and allow your puppy to cuddle up next to you).

Sukhasana, Easy Pose

2. Vhirabidrasana means ‘fierce warrior’ and is a grounding and strong pose. It allows you to dig deep into yourself for strength, determination and patience.

Virabhadrasana, Warrior 2

3. Malasana. This pose brings you close to the earth, opens your hips and strengthens your back. Take your hands together into prayer and nudge the insides of your knees with your elbows to open the hips a little more.

Malasana, Low Squat

4. Anjaneyasana gives your psoas and quad muscles a deep opening. These are the largest muscles in the body and are associated with your fight or flight response. Keep your hips active but draw your weight forward and down whilst maintaining breath.

Anjanyasana, Cresent Lunge

5. Balasana, childs pose. This pose gives you a feeling of surrender; no need to hold up your body, but allow it to be supported by the earth. Breathe into your back body and relax your heart towards the mat, softening through your hips.

Balasana, Childs Pose

Come and join me on the mat this week to tap into the first energy chakra, Muladhara. It will be a strong but grounding practice. Book here to attend my yoga class in Tunbridge Wells.

LHB x

A Beginners Guide to the Chakras

Have you ever stepped onto the mat feeling frenzied or worried and after the practice walked off feeling a little lighter? Biologically speaking, you will have mustered up some endorphins to improve your mood (since it feels pretty good to move your body) however, ancient yogis and many teachers would reason this to how yoga and breathwork can unblock channels and pent up energy, allowing it to flow freely.

Chakra is a Sanskrit word that means ‘wheel’, and it refers to the areas in the subtle body where energy flows. The main seven chakras are: root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown. For ease, imagine that they travel from your coccyx (the root) up the spine to the top of your head (the crown). They are a complex network of energetic channels, each relating to a different element (earth, water, air) and each associated with their own colour.

The reality is that most classes flow through the chakras (if planned well). When we practice, we move in such a way to collect prana (energy, life-force) to enliven the chakras and to stabilise the mind so that they can come forward or open up. I know at first it can all seem a little far fetched but I now understand them as second nature which can really aid my self practice. So lets go through them…

1. Root Chakra - Muladhara
   Located at your perineum or coccyx, it represents being grounded, safe and having survival needs met. Associated with the colour red and the element is relates to is earth. If it is out of balance and your basic needs are not met, you tend to have self destructive behaviours with low self esteem. But if it is balanced, you will feel confident, secure and safe.

2. Sacral Chakra - Svadisthana

   Located at your sacrum, it represents pleasure, fluidity, creativity, fertility and sexuality. Associated with the colour orange and the element it relates to is water. Out of balance you might be hard on yourself and feel guilty, but in balance you should feel deserving of living an abundant pleasurable life.

3. Solar Plexus Chakra - Manipura

   Located by the belly button, it represents will power, that ‘gut feeling’, strength and assertion. Associated with the colour yellow and the element it relates to is fire. In balance you have self esteem and confidence and unbalanced you lack courage and become inert.

4. Heart Chakra - Anahata

   Located at your heart, it of course represents love, unconditional love, compassion and intuition. Associated with the colour green and the element it relates to is air. When it is balanced you will be able to forgive, to love unconditionally and when it is closed you may have dysfunctional relationships and you may become possessive or codependent.

5. Throat Chakra - Vishuddha

   Located at your throat, it represents communication, truth and reliability. Associated with the colour blue and the element it relates to is ether. In balance, you will be able to communicate with patience, no judgement and truth. If blocked, you may think your voice is the only truth and you may struggle to communicate and listen to others.

6. Third Eye Chakra - Ajna

   Located in between your eyebrows or in your brain, it represents wisdom, imagination, intuition and the ability to analyse truth in the world. Associated with the colour indigo and the element it relates to is light. In balance you can trust your inner wisdom with life’s challenges, but unbalanced you are cynical and close minded.

7. Crown Chakra - Sahasrara

   The final chakra doesn’t really have a place on the human body, but it is located just above your head. It represents a higher consciousness than yourself, helping you understand that you are far beyond the physical self. Associated with the colour indigo or white and the element it relates to is cosmic energy. When the chakra is closed, you believe that happiness comes from the outside but balanced you feel free and are able to find happiness within.

I hope that didn’t confuse you too much but gave you a general understanding of the chakras so you might be able to think if perhaps they need rebalancing or some time given to certain areas of body.

Please come to yoga with me in Tunbridge Wells to get a deeper understanding of them within your asana practice. Here is my timetable and for the next seven weeks we will be moving through a chakra based practice, focusing on one each week, beginning with Muladhara, the root chakra.

Peace.