This week, we take a closer look at the Throat Chakra. As I mentioned in last week's blog post, the Throat Chakra, called Vishuddha chakra, is the 5th chakra located at the base of the throat. It is associated with the Space element, our sense of hearing and governs physical issues in the throat, ears, nose, teeth, mouth and neck, as well as the thyroid and para-thyroid glands. Throat Chakra first develops around age 7 - 12, and represents our creative identity - how we express ourselves in the world. It is here as we move from the development of the lower chakras that we purify our limited beliefs about our personality, who we are in the world, as we begin to move towards more spiritual
Since I will be teaching a workshop at The Personal Wellness Center next month on the Throat Chakra, I decided to write a blog post about the Chakras! The word Chakra can be translated as "Wheel". These are energy centers located along the spine from our tailbone to our crown. In different traditions, the number of chakras vary. Some traditions speak of 12 chakras, which includes the traditional 6 lower chakras from tailbone to 3rd eye or forehead, plus 6 higher chakras, including the crown chakra and 5 more chakras connecting us to the Universe. Other traditions include a chakra center beneath the earth, connecting us to the ground beneath us. "It has to be noted that the earliest Sanskrit
Last Sunday, I completed my 800 hour training in Yoga Therapy with Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT) at Kripalu, and earned my 1000 C-IAYT certification as a professional yoga therapist. I have blogged a few times already about what yoga therapy is, and how it can help people struggling with chronic health concerns. (See "What is Yoga Therapy?" https://www.shiningwatersyoga.com/single-post/2016/02/08/What-is-Yoga-Therapy and "Yoga Therapy is a Practice!" https://www.shiningwatersyoga.com/single-post/2017/12/31/Yoga-Therapy-is-a-Practice) The IYT training includes advanced concepts in anatomy and physiology, conditions of the body as well as how to work with both the medical community and menta
