The Vishuddha, or throat chakra, gives voice to the lower chakras and deals with our ability to communicate and express ourselves. According to spiritual icon and guru Deepak Chopra, when the throat is balanced, it can give us the confidence that we’re capable of communicating our needs—but when it’s not, we often feel like we’re not being heard.
“In order to feel alive and empowered, it’s important that this energy center is clear,” Chopra previously wrote for mindbodygreen, adding that blockages in this area are often associated with thyroid problems or chronic neck pain.
And according to naturopathic doctor and reiki master Erica Matluck, N.D., N.P., the throat chakra is essential for creating the life you want (AKA manifesting) because it is the conduit that connects your inner world to the outer world.
“This is why it is so critical to work through the lower chakras before attempting to fully open the throat—the throat chakra transmits thought and intention into the material world via language,” Matluck explains, noting that many people are too weighed down by guilt to use their throat chakra effectively.
“When the throat chakra is not free to transmit our truth into the world because of guilt, our ability to create the lives of our dreams is limited. To heal this wound of guilt, we must move from the shadow state of the throat chakra into its gift,” Matluck says.
