Here it is, the fifth chakra of purification. The word Vishuddhi means Especially Pure: it purifies and harmonizes all opposites.
This chakra deals with right understanding and discrimination. This dual world gets to be accepted as it is, for what it is and we start to erase judgement as we start to accept both good and bad in life. Black and white melt into bliss.
In ancient hindu traditions, if the elixir of immortality or amrit (produced at bindu, another important energy point) reaches Vishuddi, it gets purified and can be processed and used in the body as a source of energy.
This energy center is located in the throat area and is related to communication and the sense of hearing. The associated element is Akasha, the ether or space. The seed mantra is HAM and it is symbolized by a light blue lotus flower with 16 petals (for their significance see Chakras, meditation and asana practice) and by a white elephant, symbol of right understanding and discrimination.
Hints for meditation
Make space for yourself, inside yourself.
Breathe deeply. I found that this chakra is stimulated positively by Ujjayi breathing, also known as the ocean breath or the psychic breath. Focus on your breath, after some time move your awareness to the throath, imagining that the air you are inhaling and exhaling is being drawn in and out from the throath and not through the nostrils.
A soft sounds of wind or waves, like the sleeping of a baby, should be produced if practiced correctly. Focus on that sound and on the passage of air through the respiratory tract as you continue breathing. Practice from 2 up to 10 or 20 minutes.
A shining blue lotus flower located at the center of your neck, enveloping the throat area, with a white little elephant inside. You can imagine the petals rolling as in a spiral around the center.
The sound Ham. While meditating on Vishuddi, you might benefit to listen to an mp3 or repeat in your mind the seed mantra Ham. Focus on it.
Be ethical, in full respect of others, realize this world is yours and of all the beings that exist here. But speak your own truth, in your own way.
Practice Jalandhara Bandha. Sit in a comfortable meditation pose, place the palms of the hands on the knees. Perform Jnana mudra if you like, joining the tips of thumbs and index fingers. This is the starting position. Inhale slowly and deeply with the nose and exhale completely emitting a strong sound. While retaining the breath out, bend the head forward and press the chin tightly against the chest. Strighten the arms and lock them in position, pressing the knees with the hands. At the same time, the shoulders go upward and forward.
Stay as much as you can retain the breath. If possible, before taking the next inhale, exhale a little bit more.
Release the posture slowly coming back to the starting position.
Asana practice
Halasana (Plough pose)
Lie on your back, legs straight together, feet together, arms on both sides of the body with palms facing down. Relax the whole body and close your eyes if you are practical with this exercise. In a single movement raise both legs together and pressing on the hands and using your abdominal muscles, raise also your buttocks moving the back from the floor. Lower the legs over the head. The toes should touch the floor; in case you do not reach, place under the toes a cushion or a block.
Close your eyes and relax in the position, feeling the gentle massage on the inner part of your neck. Maintain as long as comfortable, then raise the toes from the floor and start rolling the spine back down on the floor very gently and very gradually, followed by the buttocks and the legs. Engage your abdominal muscles.
Ardha Chandrasana (Half-moon pose)
Sit in Vajrasana, stand on the knees and lean forward with your hands. Place your right foot between the hands, the toes should be in line with the fingertips. Stretch your left leg behind and balance. Raise with your spine and place your hands in prayer pose at your heart center. Inhale and raise the arms up, keeping the palms together and arching the back and the neck as much as comfortable.
The foot of the left leg behind can be flat on the floor or to have better balance, you can tuck the toes under.
Maintain as much as comfortable. To release, inhale deeply and as you exhale lower the arms back in prayer position and then on the ground. Bring the right leg back in Vajrasana and repeat on the other side.
Supta Vajrasana (Sleeping thunderbolt pose)
Sit in Vajrasana. Place your hands on the floor behind the feet and start bending back, finding support on the hands first and then on the elbows.
Moving slowly reach the floor with your head and with your back. Place your hands on the thighs or by the side of the body, palms touching the side of the thighs.
If you need to, separate the knees. Keep the position as long as comfortable, closing your eyes and focusing on your breath.
To release, inhale and slowly start to raise the head and the back, again finding support on your elbows and your hands. Return to Vajrasana.
If you can't reach the floor at first, start practicing on your hands or on your elbows. Reach wherever you can and use supports as cushions. Also, after practicing the sleeping thunderbolt pose is recommended to practice child's pose to re-balance the arching of the back.
Tolangulasana (Weighing scale pose)
Sit in Padmasana. Carefully lean backwards with your back, forming a 45° angle with the floor, using the hands and elbows to balance. Place the palms of the hands underneath the buttocks. Engaging your abdominal muscles raise the legs in padmasana so that the whole body is supported by the buttocks and the elbows and forearms. Perform Jalandhara Bandha or throat lock. Remain in the position as muchas comfortable with you, then release the Bandha and slowly lower the legs in padmasana back to the floor.
In this position also Moola Bandha or pelvic lock can be practiced, but in this case it would stimulate Mooladhara, the Root Chakra.
Virabhadrasana (Warrior I)
Stand in Tadasana, take a step forward with your right knee and adjust the position of the left foot behind so that the pelvis remains facing forward. The left foot should be slightly rotated at about a 25° angle. Keep both heels in one line. Bend the right knee so that a 90° angle is formed between calf and thigh.
Inhale and raise the arms up above the head, palms of the hands together. Carefully bend backwards with the back, arms and neck. Balance and gaze up, maintaing the position as long as comfortable. To come out, come back to a straight spine, lower your arms and return to Tadasana to repeat with the left leg forward.
Viparita Karani (Upside-down)
Lie on your back, legs straight together, feet together, arms on both sides of the body with palms facing downwards. Inhale and raise the legs straight as for Halasana. You can stay in this position or raise the buttocks and the lower part of the spine, supporting the weight of the legs and buttocks placing the palms of the hands on the lower back for support. Elbows stay on the ground and are in a straight line with the shoulders.
The neck is bended forward so that the chin almost touches the chest. Keep the position for as long as comfortable, then release the position releasing the arms and slowly lowering the buttocks first and then the straight legs.
This position can be practiced with the legs on the wall especially in the first case with the buttocks on the floor.
Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand pose - queen of the asanas)
Lie on your back, legs straight together, feet together, arms on both sides of the body with palms facing downwards. Inhale and raise the legs straight as for Halasana. Raise the buttocks, bend the elbows and place the palms of the hands on the lower spine for support as you keep raising with the spine until you are supported by your elbows and the shoulders. All spine should move from the floor except the shoulder's area. The chin should be locked on the chest. In the final position you are supported by the elbows, the arms, the shoulders, the neck and the back of the head. Legs are straight up, feet cam be relaxed or pointing up. Keep the position up to 5 minutes. Remember to breathe normally while practicing.
To come down, the back of the head and the neck remain on the floor, slowly and carefully start to lower the upper back down followed by the lower back, the buttocks and the legs, which remain in a straight position all throughout the practice.
Padma Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand with legs in lotus pose)
Sit in Padmasana, lean back supported by the elbows. Lie on the back and relax completely.
As for Sarvangasana, start to raise the buttocks and the whole spine finding support in your elbows. Raise until the whole spine is away from the floor. The only parts that touch the floor are elbows and upper arm, shoulders, back of the neck and back of thehead.
Hold as long as comfortable. Return to the starting position in padmasana, carefully lowering the spine back to the floor, release the legs and repeat with the legs crossed the other way.
The position is the same as Sarvangasana, but legs are folded in lotus pose. In the final position legs can bed backwards. It is also possible to do a spinal twist, but be careful to leave the neck in place.
As we raise through the chakras, we get more aware of ourselves and of the world around us. Vishuddi deals with lies and truths. Find what is true for you, from your deeper core. Start listening to your intuition while we move forward to Ajna chakra, the third eye energy point.
If you practice with an open heart, following your inner truth, you will find out extraordinary things about your life and about other lives. Be yourself.
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