So, my own throat chakra feels a bit tight, and I’m panicking.

The throat chakra is the place of free, fearless self-expression.  When open, it hums.  When closed, it squeaks.  It’s the 5th chakra, and it’s no coincidence that the number 5 in Tarot is taut with complexities.  Adventure, freedom, openness, breakthroughs.  Chaos, destruction, imbalance, the “in-between.”  What walls must come down, the 5th chakra asks.  What must I say that grants my freedom? It’s not just about the throat, you know.  The weight is felt in the chest, stomach, spine—when what you’ve said bottoms out and relies on the strength of the chakras before it (heart: trust, compassion, love; solar plexus: self-empowerment, willpower, esteem; sacral: creativity, pleasure; root: safety, survival).  “I am enough.”  “My voice matters.”  These are the antidotes to a shell-shocked expression.  “Even if I feel uncomfortable for voicing my opinion, I love and accept myself.”

For me, the throat chakra is hardest one to honor.  It closes without my notice.  I must breathe into it every day, so that it feels comforted enough to speak up.  How are others supposed to hear your needs, if you aren’t announcing them?

Apply it to one chakra at a time.  Becoming aware of fears allows you release them.  Asking questions on how self-expression could be useful to you in these areas opens a new door to freedom.

Root/Base:  How does my self-expression put me in danger?  Why am I afraid to speak up?  What safety will I sacrifice by being honest with myself and others?  What security would I or others gain, if I chose to voice my opinion?  How might others feel accepted? 

Sacral:  Am I uncomfortable with expressing what I find sensual?  Conversely, what might cause me pain (instead of pleasure) by communicating my needs? Am I unsure of how I express my creativity?  If I said what I felt, how would freedom of expression in these areas energize me with joy and peace? 

Solar Plexus:  Do I feel that my expression is unworthy or invalid?  Is there something that makes me look weak, when I am honest about my needs?  What would I have to express to myself and others in order for me to feel empowered?

Heart: What if my expression hurts someone?  What, then?  What am I not expressing that might cause myself or someone else to feel loved?  

Fear is only powerful if we feed it.  After taking an evaluation of your fears, pose them in ways that ask, “So what if I [whatever it is you fear]? I’ve been through worse, and made it out okay.”

Examples.  “So what if expressing myself makes me question if others will like me?  I know that I appreciate it when people are honest with me.  They deserve my honest feedback, too.”

“So what if what I said was inappropriate for work?  I do my best every day, and I trust that my employers will see that.”

“You more than anyone deserve your love and affection.”  -Buddha.