Throat and Thyroid

​The throat chakra gets a lot of attention these days because everyone is talking about something! Located directly in the throat, Vishuddha Chakra also includes the mouth, tongue and ears. This reminds me of something my mother liked to say when we were kids: “We have one mouth and two ears so we can listen more and talk less.” Wouldn’t that be nice?!

The throat chakra assists us with communication of all kinds, more than just talking, but singing, creating, making art, disseminating information, etc. We can ask ourselves these questions: What information are we sharing? What information are we consuming? Is it helpful or harmful? Truthful or duplicitous? Are we using the best means possible to communicate with others?

The endocrine gland associated with the throat is the thyroid. Its main role in the body is to regulate metabolism by monitoring how quickly or slowly the body converts food into energy. A slow metabolism can cause one to gain weight and feel lethargic, while a fast metabolism makes it difficult to put on weight while feeling anxious and cold. 

Fortunately, there is evidence that yoga postures—like all forms of exercise—help to balance the metabolism. A balanced metabolism is able to speed up or slow down appropriately according to what is eaten, the activities undertaken and the time of day. Here are some yoga practices to consider when working with the throat chakra:

√ Breathing that emphasizes the throat, such as humming and victorious breath. To practice humming, simply take in a deep breath through the nose and breathe out with a long, closed-mouth hum. Do this 7-10 times. For victorious breath, take in a deep breath through the nose and breathe out through the nose while moving the breath over the back of the throat. The sound will be like a breathy “haaaaa.” Do this 7-10 times, take a short break and do 7-10 more.

√ Movement that stimulates the metabolism, like Sun Salutations, flowing Cow/Cat/Child pose repetitions, or flowing Plank/Upward-Facing Dog/Downward-Facing Dog repetitions.

√ Postures that move the throat, such as neck stretches and rotations, tilting the head up in Warrior 1, Camel pose and Fish pose, turning the head to the side in Warrior 2, Triangle, Side Angle and Balancing Half Moon. Tucking the chin in Bridge pose, Shoulderstand and Child pose.

√ Calming the nervous system in a restorative pose such as Savasana, supported Bridge pose or Legs-up-the-wall.