We now enter into the 5th chakra - the bridge between the heart and mind, our seat of communication and self-expression.
Its right is to express and be heard.
Its element is sound.
Its color is bright blue.
Communication and Self Expression
We only know what's going on inside someone, inside their head and heart, when they are able to communicate and express themselves clearly. Communication is how we exchange and transfer information. Usually done through the voice via the words we speak, but we also communicate with our body language, energy, facial expressions, hand gestures, written and visual media.
Finding our voice is important and for many reasons, we may have lost the ability over time to do so. Fear for starters. Fear of rejection if what we say isn't accepted by our peers or loved ones, fear of judgment, fear of criticism, fear of not being listened to. Perhaps we were taught to be quiet " children should only be seen not heard", to only say what is nice and acceptable "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all", taught to keep secrets "no one needs to know our family business" or taught that our opinions didn't matter "no one was asking for your two cents". Over time, we may find we become quieter and quieter until we start to lose our voice altogether. We begin to swallow our thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
However, as social beings we must communicate somehow, hence - the quiet introvert begins to express themselves through painting and art, or the one with nothing much to say creates beautiful mythical fantasies through storytelling, or the mute child expresses their emotions by acting out in fits and tantrums. Somehow, someway, we express ourselves eventually. Sometimes, as with artists, we find healthy outlets for self-expression. Creativity is also a way of communication. However, when we are not able to find a healthy channel for sharing what is going on inside of us, we might act it out, project it onto others or suffer the consequences of miscommunication. We all know how detrimental poor communication can be in regards to relating with another whether it's at work, with family. a partner, or even a pet. We all need to be able to clearly communicate our needs, opinions, and desires, and we all need to be heard.
Every human being needs to feel they are being heard, that they matter, that their feelings, experiences, and/or opinions matter. If we are not heard, we are not validated. This is why active listening is an essential part of communication. To share the information we are attempting to communicate, someone needs to be there, actively listening, and understand what we are sharing. Oftentimes, however, we are too distracted with our own thoughts, ideas, biases, experiences, or external stimuli, that we aren't actually very good listeners at all. And if we haven't been listening, then we most likely won't understand and things can get misunderstood.
“Most people don't listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” –Stephen R. Covey.
This goes for being a good listener to ourselves as well. For how will we know what to express if we can't be still enough, quiet enough, nor attentive enough to listen to what is actually going on within? Being a good listener is the foundation of good communication.
Authenticity and Truth
In all the noise of social media, Google, and marketing, it can be harder than ever to decipher our own true voice, likes and dislikes, ideas of beauty and taste, our identity, and even our own beliefs. We are very impressionable, us human beings. That is both good and bad. It is good for keeping society, culture, and community strong. We understand and adopt certain behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes that make us 'fit' in with our surroundings. However, never before has the ability to persuade someone and manipulate their beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes been so easy and so prevalent. Have you seen the Social Dilemma? A documentary that shows how the likes like Google, YouTube, and the social media giants can seriously alter the way we think and behave. They even play a big role in our political choices and help spread misinformation that can be dangerous, like conspiracy theories. Whether we like to admit it or not, we are under the influence of the influencers if we are using these platforms.
Here is a light example. Recently whilst deciding which kitchen counter to go with for our new kitchen, I was completely convinced that I loved this white marble look with grey streaks running through it. I loved it all the way until we got quoted the price, which, just for the stone, cost more than the entire kitchen itself! I then started to question, do I really love it? Or do I just love it because every picture I have looked on Pinterest for kitchen remodeling ideas showed one similar? Do I really love it, or am I under the influence of an Instagram influencer? What if I don't love it anymore in 10 years? This stone is meant to last longer than the kitchen, or maybe even my wooden house itself. I began to seriously reconsider. We discussed it with the family and told them our idea of going with an imitation countertop, but we were met with strong opposition. Clearly, they believed the stone countertop was worth the extra investment - and clearly, we were impressionable. We now how a marble countertop on order! So, whilst I may have been mindful of my impressionism, it was pretty hard to know my truth. Do I really love it? Or am I just being told over and over again that I do? This is basically how marketing works. They tell us, over and over and over and over again, that we really like something. The more time we see a brand or an image, the more we begin to like it, trust it, and eventually feel we need it. We trust it more than our own judgment.
Sure, buying a kitchen counter, that is beautiful anyways, isn't a big deal. But what is, is when we are persuaded on bigger topics like government, health, faith, hate, discrimination, and so on. It is a big deal when we put filters on our faces that completely change how we look, to fit a false perception of what is beautiful. It is a big deal to say things that will please an audience, even if it isn't genuine. What is super important, is being true to who we are. To taking time away from social networks, and spend more time getting to know ourselves away from the noise. It's important to expose ourselves to as many different perspectives, ideas, beliefs, cultures, and people as possible to broaden our perspective. What is important is finding our truth.
"Believe those who are seeking the truth, doubt those who have believed to have already found it." - Eastern Body, Western Mind
The bridge between heart and mind
When we are seeking our own truth, all we need to do is look within. This chakra is so special because it is the bridge between the heart and mind. We can just follow the heart, but without any logic, foresight, or structure, it may be difficult to get anywhere, and it's dangerous to follow the mind's insight without the grounding of the heart. Both need to work together for separate, they can only do so much, together they can do anything. When we meditate, we create space for resonance between the two, and in that space - our truth is revealed.
Sound and Resonance
It is through the throat in which we create a sound or a vibration when we speak, so it is through this sound and vibration that we can open and purify this 5th chakra. Sound creates a frequency, and frequency is a set of waves that go up and down in a rhythmical way. All life is ultimately rhythm. The very atoms that make us up are all dancing and vibrating to a special rhythm. " Resonance is a state of synchronization among vibrational patterns.....and we experience this resonance in many ways. When we listen to a chorus of voices or a troupe of drummers, we are immersed in a field of resonance that vibrates every cell in our body. Such a field influences the subtler vibrations of consciousness and we feel pleasure, expansiveness, and rhythmic connection with the pulse of life itself." Eastern Body, Western Mind. When we are in resonance, we are coherent, in harmony, and we feel whole and complete.
Chanting is a superb way to enter such resonance. When we chant a sound, mantra, or affirmation continuously, we move into an entrancing rhythm. That rhythm replaces the rhythm of our thoughts and we eventually are able to surpass the thinking mind into the more unified field of consciousness and bliss. It is even more powerful when done in a group, like a chorus.
The mantra sound for the 5th chakra is Ham (hahm)
or you can chant the vowel sound Eeee as in sleep.
Have a look below to see what are the signs and characteristics of a deficient, balanced or excess fifth chakra.
The good news is, there are many ways to find balance again. Have a look to see all the ways we can find resonance in the fifth chakra again.
That's it for now! Stay tuned for the 6th chakra, the third eye chakra, next time :)