The element that is assigned to the neck chakra is ether. In the doctrine of yoga, the fundamental element is considered from which the elements of the lower chakras are formed by compaction: earth, water, fire, air. But the ether is also the bearer of sound, of the spoken word and of the creator's word; it is, in short, the transmitter of information on all planes.

Thus, the communication of our inner life to the outside occurs predominantly through the spoken word, but also through our gestures and our mimicry, and through other creative manifestations, such as music, graphic and interpretive art, the dance, etc.

 

The creativity that we found in the sacral chakra joins in the neck chakra with the energies of the other chakras, and the forming power of the ether gives it a certain figure that we transmit to the outside world.

However, we can only express what we find in ourselves. Thus, through the fifth chakra we first receive the faculty of self-reflection. The necessary premise to be able to reflect is a certain inner distance. As we develop the neck chakra we become more and more aware of our mental body, and we can separate its functioning from the functioning of the emotional body, from the functioning of the etheric body, and from the functioning of the physical body.

 

This means that our thoughts are no longer the hostages of our physical feelings and sensations, so objective knowledge is possible.

Ether is also defined as space (Akasha), in which the most compact elements unfold their efficacy. The deepest knowledge is conferred on us when we are open and unburdened like infinite space, like the wide sky (whose light blue color is the color of the neck chakra), when we remain silent and listen attentively to inner and outer space.

 

The fifth chakra is associated with the sensory function of the ear. Here we open our ears, we listen carefully to the hidden or unhidden voices of creation. We also perceive our own inner voice, come into contact with the spirit inherent in us and receive its inspiration. And we develop an unshakable trust in superior personal guidance. We are also aware of our true role in life, of our dharma. We know that our own inner worlds are both the non-material planes of life and the outer world, and we are capable of collecting and relaying information from the non-material realms and from the higher dimensions of reality. This divine inspiration becomes a carrier element of our self-manifestation.

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Thus, in the fifth chakra we find our individual expression of perfection on all planes.

 

Harmonic operation

With a fully open neck chakra, you clearly and fearlessly express your inner feelings, thoughts, and knowledge. You are also in a position to reveal your weaknesses and show your strengths. Your inner sincerity in front of yourself and in front of others is also expressed in your sincere attitude.

You have the ability to express yourself in a totally creative way with your whole being. But you can still be silent when it is indicated, and you have the gift of listening to others with your heart and inner understanding. Your language is full of fantasy and, at the same time, it is very clear. It conveys your intention in the most effective way to provoke a fulfillment of your wishes. This voice is full and lilting. In the face of difficulties and resistance, you remain true to yourself, and you can also say "no" when you think like this.

 

You do not allow yourself to be persuaded or swayed by other people's opinions, and instead retain your independence, freedom, and self-determination. Your absence of prejudice and your inner spaciousness make you open to the reality of non-material dimensions. From here you receive, through your inner voice, information that guides you on your way through life, and you confidently surrender to this guide.

You recognize that all creation phenomena have their own message. They tell you about their own life, their role in the great cosmic game, and their aspiration to wholeness and light. You can enter into communication with beings from other existential realms, and the knowledge you receive from this is sensibly retransmitted to your fellow men without fearing their judgment. All the creative means of expression you use have the ability to. convey wisdom and truth

From your inner independence and from the free manifestation of your whole being, a deep joy and the feeling of wholeness and integrity are born in you.

 

Inharmonious operation

When the energies of your neck chakra are blocked, the understanding between the "head" and the "body" is disturbed. This can manifest itself in two ways. Either you find it difficult to reflect on your feelings, and you frequently express your accumulated emotions through thoughtless actions; or you have encapsulated yourself in your intellectuality or your rationalism, you deny the right to life, and the wisdom of your sentimental world only allows you to pass the filter of your self-judgment to very few emotions, not allowing them to collide with the judgments of your fellow men. Unconscious feelings of guilt and anguish prevent you from seeing and showing yourself as you are and freely expressing your innermost thoughts, feelings, and needs. Instead, you try to hide them with all sorts of words and gestures, behind which you hide your true self.

Your language is either crude and rude, or even objective and cold. You may also stutter. Your voice is relatively loud, and your words have no greater depth of content.

 

You don't allow yourself to appear weak, but rather try to appear strong at any cost. In this way, you put pressure on yourself with self-imposed demands. It can also happen that the functions that life imposes on you at some point are too great a burden on your shoulders. Then you brace yourself in your "shoulder girdle": you shrug your shoulders and tuck your neck to protect yourself unconsciously from greater efforts, or you arm yourself for a new "attack."

An inharmonious functioning of the fifth chakra is also found in people who abuse their word and their ability to express themselves to manipulate their peers, or who try to attract attention to themselves through uninterrupted talkativeness and profanity.

In general, people whose energies are stagnant in the neck chakra do not have access to the non-material dimensions of being, since they lack the openness, inner spaciousness and independence, which are the premises for the perception of these areas.

However, here there is also the possibility that you have deep inner knowledge, but that, for fear of the judgment of others or anguish at the isolation, you do not dare to live and manifest them. Since they struggle to manifest themselves, spontaneous poetry, images or similar things can arise from there, which you only dislike others.

 

Spiritual energies can also get stuck in the head. Then, its transforming force hardly finds access to your emotions, and the energies of the lower chakras do not give those of the higher ones the necessary strength and stability to impose themselves, to realize internal spirituality in your life.

 

Hypofunction

Also, in case of hypofunction, you will have difficulties to show, manifest and represent yourself. However, here you completely withdraw, you are preferably shy, quiet and withdrawn, or you talk only about unimportant things in your outer life.

 

However, when you have to express something of what you think or feel in the most intimate way, a lump becomes easily in your throat and your voice sounds coerced. Even more frequently than in the case of inharmonious functioning we find here the symptom of stuttering. You are insecure in front of other people and you fear the judgment they may make of you. So you are intensely oriented towards their opinion and often you don't really know what you want yourself. You have no access to the messages of your mind and no confidence in your intuitive powers.

When in the course of life the fifth chakra has not developed, a certain rigidity appears. The framework drawn by yourself, within which you spend your existence and in which you express your potential, is very small, since you only consider the outside world as reality.