Blocked Throat Chakra Symptoms & Healing Techniques

Do you ever get so overwhelmed or frustrated that you feel like you just can’t find the right words to express yourself? Like you literally feel a choking sensation trying to communicate? Then you notice some neck pain or shoulder pain?

When you can’t seem to get the words out and express your true voice, your true SELF, you often next feel like your voice doesn’t matter. This might result in low self esteem. All of this is just some of the physical symptoms – and also emotional signs – of blocked throat chakra. Here’s everything you need to know about blocked throat chakra symptoms and how to heal them.

Understanding the Throat Chakra

Vishuddha, or throat chakra, is the fifth chakra of the main chakras. It comes after the heart chakra but before the third eye. It’s like the “bridge” between the upper and lower chakras. So, while the heart is the fulcrum where the energies of upper and lower integrate, the throat is the bridge that allows them to communicate.

I have an entire course on the throat chakra within the Uplifted membership. But let’s have a brief overview.

Here Are Some Basics About The Throat Chakra (Vishuddha)

Physically

The throat is actually the easiest chakra to feel in the physical body. Maybe because it’s in such a smaller space, or maybe because it controls big energy 🤷‍♀️. Regardless, this is one chakra I KNOW you’ll be able to feel.

As with all the other chakras we want to look at the energy center’s physical location to see how it affects the human body. 

The throat chakra resides in the throat area, obviously, and affects the surrounding areas. I mean, there’s a reason it’s called an “ear, nose, and throat” doctor right? Because all of those areas are interconnected and have a profound effect on each other. When any of these areas feels clogged or sore it effectively stops your communication. I know I don’t want to talk if I’ve got a sore throat or I’m crazy congested 🤒.

Emotionally

This is the place where energy is refined. You have the opportunity to really purify your energy through this space so that your feelings can be beautifully expressed. So that your thoughts and ideas can be expressed out into the world whether that’s through your voice or any artistic means. This chakra is just as much about self expression as it is communication and purification.

Spiritually

Spiritually the throat chakra is associated with truth and clarity. This is the space where you find your voice, internal and external. It’s about hearing as well as speaking. Being able to LISTEN to the spiritual energy that you are connected to and bring that message down, then COMMUNICATING the messages of the lower chakras back up to that higher power.

Throat Chakra Blockage Symptoms

The heart chakra lets people just “be,” instead of “achieve.” The throat is not just about trying to be heard but being able to hear other people (including yourself). When the throat chakra is blocked you might find it hard to HEAR what other people or your intuition is trying to say. 

This is where I remind you that the seven chakras all work together and, again, you should work with the system as a whole. For example: you take something in through Svadisthana (sacral chakra) and it creates feelings, you then express those feelings through Vishuddha. Even though these two chakras aren’t right next to each other, they still work together directly.

Your throat energy is affected by all the chakras. Think about how Vishuddha and Manipura are connected when speaking. Singers say to sing from the navel. You anchor yourself in your core before speaking to a group and project your voice. Or how when your safety is threatened in some way (Muladhara) you suddenly lose your voice and feel like you can’t speak. Can you see why I said this is the easiest chakra to FEEL?

Work to align all seven chakras with this class: The 7 Chakras Alignment Guided Meditation for Beginners | Chakra Balancing and Healing (30-min)

As you know, you can have symptoms of an overactive throat chakra, a blocked throat chakra and even both at the same time. There can be physical symptoms, emotional symptoms, and behavioral symptoms. So let’s look at how blocked throat chakra symptoms can manifest:

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A post shared by Brett Larkin 🧘‍♂️Uplifted Yoga (@larkinyogatv)

Physical Symptoms

Emotional Symptoms

Behavioral Symptoms

Throat Chakra Healing Techniques

Seeing as how the throat chakra is a narrow bridge between two energetic highways, it can easily get supercharged or clogged. It’s important to effectively discharge from a blocked throat chakra to keep the energy center open and feeling light. The throat also happens to be one of the best ways to discharge energy. 

In case you’re wondering here are the four ways to discharge energy and release tension: 

• Arms: punching, shaking the arms
• Legs: stomping, bouncing
• Throat: toning, sounding, singing, chanting, yelling, shouting
• Genitals: through orgasm

When communicating with another person if they are discharging from vishuddha onto you, it doesn’t feel great. It can affect your INNER voice and trigger negative inner self talk. Because this chakra is not just about how you talk to others, but also how you talk to yourself. 

So, if someone is verbally discharging on you, don’t take it personally, just let it float past you. It has nothing to do with you, they just have a lot of pent up energy they need to discharge. Actively listen and empathize. Mirror their feelings back to them, “what I’m hearing is, you feel xyz…”. But how? It can be hard to stay calm when someone is yelling at you or when you feel like yelling. Here are some tips:

1. Notice when you feel that extra charge happening. Whether it’s in you or coming from someone else.
2. Pause. Reflect on the big feelings happening and tell your partner you need 5 minutes. Take a short walk or eat something.
3. Reflect. While you’re paused, reflect on your feelings, fears, and needs to determine where this charge is actually coming from. Get to the bottom of what is driving these big feelings.
4. Relate. Once you’ve had your “time out” and you’ve figured out the source of your charge you can then explain to your partner where you are coming from calmly.

Notice how whenever you discharge energy from your fifth chakra you feel lighter, calmer, and not so much in your head. That’s because you’ve cleared the traffic and energy is flowing up and down freely.

Other healing techniques:

Yoga Asanas

Pranayama (Breathwork)

Ujjayi breath, or victorious breath, activates Jalandhar bandha, also known as throat lock. In doing so, your throat becomes a filter for the oxygen you breathe, removing impurities before the air arrives in your lungs and this chakra is all about purification in addition to communication.

Affirmations

Look here for a larger list of throat chakra affirmations. But here are five of my favorite affirmations for the throat.

• I am the truth, I speak the truth, I saw the truth
• Through clear intent, I am healing
• I express myself truthfully with words and actions
• I speak my truth freely and authentically
• My honesty attracts the people I want to keep in my life

Visualization & Meditation

Who says meditation needs to be quiet 🤫. Making sound sheds the density of the body. It is the best way to unpack or lighten this chakra. Whether excess or deficient chanting is going to help. Add chanting to your meditation. You don’t even have to chant anything super specific if you don’t want to. Just using your voice is going to help.

A regular meditation practice is going to help with overall well being too and not just a blocked throat chakra. I encourage you to make this a part of your daily routine.

This post has a great meditation for your throat chakra. 

Energy Healing

As mentioned earlier, practice methods to discharge blocked energy before speaking. This energy center is the easiest place to feel excess or clogged up energy. Don’t believe me? Think about getting up on a podium to speak in front of a room full of people. What would happen in your body? You might start sweating, feel like you need to run to the bathroom(cuz it’s going to come out one end or the other 🤢) and maybe even tremble. Use those methods mentioned above. Try journaling on your feelings or practice some somatic exercises.

It’s always a good idea to look into working with a professional energy healer as well. Someone who has a deeper level of understanding how exactly to assess these energy centers and how to overcome obstacles to bring energetic and spiritual healing.

Even adding healing crystals to your tool kit is a great idea.

Healing crystals to maintain throat chakra balance include blue gemstones:

• Lapis Lazuli – Builds confidence and represents inner truth
• Sodalite – promotes clarity and encourages confidence
• Amazonite – represents the courage to speak truth
• Turquoise – harnesses creativity and encourages honest expression

Add a little something extra with essential oils too. Lavender and mint can be great options for this energy center.

Prevention and Maintenance

Lies are the demon on this chakra, so remember to always communicate from a place of truth.

Fake it till you make it. This phrase holds true when it comes to the throat chakra. Start speaking like who you want to be and eventually that’s who you will be. It might feel weird at first, but it WILL make a difference.

Communication tips:

• Get grounded: remember the connection between vishuddha and manipura when speaking. Anchor yourself in your chore and get embodied before you speak to get stay calm and grounded. 
• Discharge first: shake the hands, stomp the feet, or punch the air or a pillow. This discharges any extra energy, or anxious energy so that you can go into a conversation clearly.
• Stay in “I” language. When you do this you stay in your own experience and keeps you from vomiting on someone else like “you always xyz”.
• Anytime you aren’t sure if you should say something to another person ask yourself these questions:

1. Is it true?
2. Is it kind?
3. Is it necessary?
4. Is it timely?

If three out of four are true then you should tell the other person.

Final Thoughts

A balanced throat chakra allows you to freely express yourself. You exude self confidence because your internal communication is just as strong as your external communication. A blocked vishuddha chakra affects self esteem and can slow spiritual awakening. You don’t want to keep those negative emotions swirling inside you and block your crown and third eye chakra from the lower ones.

Talk openly with those you love, have difficult conversations with clear communication so that your true feelings are understood. Let the energy flow freely through this fifth chakra space and you’ll FEEL those negative beliefs and social anxiety start to melt away.