Fifth Chakra

5th Chakra

The Sanskrit word for the 5th chakra is "Vishuddha" which means "purity." This is the first of the chakras that focuses primarily on the spiritual plane. The 4th chakra is spiritual, but it is also the bridge between the lower chakras that focus on earth and the upper chakras that deal with spirituality.

The emotion for the 5th chakra is faith and understanding. Because the 5th chakra is located in the throat and governs higher communication, speaking, hearing and listening, it helps us to understand our inner truth and convey it with our voice to the outside world. The sense for the 5th chakra is hearing. Chanting, singing, speaking, reading aloud are all good for the 5th chakra. The vibrations of all these things affect the body down to the cellular level.

The glands/organs/body parts associated with the 5th chakra are:

• Thyroid, parathyroid, jaw, neck, mouth, throat, tongue, larynx

The element for the 5th chakra is ether/space. It is connected to the cosmos, which consists of these elements.

Deficient energy in the 5th chakra can cause neck and shoulder problems, jaw disorders, throat problems, an under active thyroid and a fear of speaking.

On the other hand, excessive energy in the 5th chakra can cause hearing problems, inability to listen, excessive talking and an overactive thyroid.

The color for the 5th chakra is blue, as the color of the sky.

The food for this chakra is fruit and prana (air).

Yoga poses that are good for the 5th chakra are neck and shoulder stretches, Camel pose, Bridge pose and Plow pose.