The Throat Sacral Connection & How to Heal It

You may or may not have heard of the link between our second chakra (the seat of our creativity) and our fifth chakra (our voice and expression). These two centers of the emotional and physical body have long been linked — and it makes sense!

As women, it is very common for there to be physical or energetic blockages in one or both of these chakras due to cultural, historical, and personal traumas. The beautiful news is that we can heal and reclaim these parts of ourselves in a number of ways including physical and creative practices. 

Jenee Halstead of The Inner Song is a critically acclaimed singer and songwriter as well as an impactful energy healer. She’s also a vocologist and has studied the science, physiology, and practice of vocal habilitation. All of this is to say, she’s more than qualified to share about the science and spirituality of these centers. Read on to learn more about your chakras, potential blockages, and ways to heal.

Q: Can you explain a little bit about the physical link between the sacral and throat chakra?

A: Yes! The jaw and pelvis are connected fascially (the connective tissue that encases the body). Any tension, tightening, or scar tissue in one affects the other.During embryological development, our body connects these two areas where there are many similarities. For example, both areas are also supported by hammock-like diaphragms that move in tandem with breathing. The cervix and vocal folds have similar membrane tissue, and in fact, it is quite difficult to tell the difference between cervical and vocal membrane tissues under a microscope just before a woman menstruates.The cervical response to the jaw and pelvis opening is also intimately and intricately connected through pleasure, deep breathing, singing, and toning by way of the vagus nerve. When we breathe deeply, the respiratory diaphragm triggers this nerve, and allows for the entire pelvic bowl to relax. For example, if we make sounds during orgasm it can help the body relax even further and subsequently tones the vagal nerve with its sound response. Equally, when a woman is giving birth, she is often instructed to open the jaw and make or release sound. This opening of the jaw and moving sound assists the cervix and pelvic floor in opening, which helps the baby descend into the vaginal canal.We are essentially one giant beautiful instrument from head to toe, especially when we are feeling pleasure in our bodies!

Q: What about the energetic links between the sacral and throat chakras?

A: On an energetic and emotional level, both of these areas act as portals of expression to the outer world and the ways we relate to others. One is through the expression of our emotions, thoughts, and needs by way of the voice; the other is through our sexual desire and creative energy by way of our interpersonal relationships. The womb and vagina hold the energy of creative expression; while the throat is primarily responsible for us being able to speak our truth in authentic communication.If we experience trauma in the form of sexual, physical, or verbal abuse, it gets stored in the pelvic bowl and can turn into stuck shame, rejection, and resentment that may manifest as low self-esteem, self-hate, or self-rejection. If this energy doesn’t get moved out of the sacral area, it can wreak havoc on anything we are trying to create including being able to hold a pregnancy. This may also lead to us speaking or thinking negatively about ourselves.

Q: What are some signs that your throat chakra is blocked?

A: There are a number of signs that may indicate a blockage:

• Struggling to speak your truth or express authentically
• Are overly nice to people for no reason other than you are fearful of judgment or ridicule
• Have difficulty expressing your needs and desires — even to yourself or loved ones
• A tight feeling in the throat
• A higher or shrill voice where the larynx literally sits higher in the throat
• Laryngitis that does not heal and thyroid issues

In extreme cases, a blocked throat chakra can also create what Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners call “plum pit qi.” This literally feels like you have a plum pit caught in the center of your throat. Plum pit qi usually manifests from sadness and frustration.

Q: How can we unblock our throat chakra?

A: Some ways you can open your fifth chakra include:

• Journaling, singing, or toning the throat
• Dropping into your heart center and having those honest conversations with the people around you that feel most challenging. This can take a lot of courage.
• It’s also powerful to know when to let go. If you are beating yourself up over a conversation you can’t seem to have with someone, it may not be you, and it may just be time to let go. If you hold onto resentment and anger this will definitely lead to an imbalanced fifth chakra.
• Cut energy cords (known as quantum entanglement) with people you can’t physically converse with and ask for your higher self and their higher self to resolve the issue on a higher vibrational level (this is similar to prayer). I have found conversations with another individual’s higher self will shift the relationship in the real world very quickly and often positively.

Q: What about sacral chakra blocks?

A: The root cause of sacral blocks are suppression and repression, especially when it comes to our feelings and desires. The second chakra is about moving out of safety and stability (first chakra) into pleasure, desire, and creativity. As humans, we are naturally inclined to move toward pleasure.A stuck or blocked sacral chakra can manifest as:

• An inability to experience pleasure, especially embodied pleasure
• Suppression of pleasure in the form of overworking, pushing ourselves too hard, and putting everyone else's needs above ours
• Denying ourselves the pleasure of sexual and intimate relationships to extreme cases of denying ourselves things like food, overexercising, or punishing ourselves through denial of things we want or need
• Self-care and acts of self-love that feel like an overindulgence, especially if you were raised in a home where hard work and achievement were main values
• Stifled creativity; that can be particularly challenging, if we are in a creative career
• Fertility issues and hormonal imbalances

Q: If a woman is struggling with her sacral, throat, or both — what are some steps she can take?

A: There are many options available that are no cost and low time commitment that make a big impact. Simple things like yawning with a sigh, making sound during orgasm (which might feel weird for you and your partner if you have previously been quiet), squatting and sighing, or singing in the car and shower.Breathwork or yoga practices such as Kundalini yoga can also be powerful for opening up blocked energy in these areas.If you are someone that feels very blocked in your expressive energy and emotional range, taking small steps to find your heart's softest voice and moving out from there can be a cornerstone to major change.Hiring a holistic vocal coach or a pelvic floor specialist can create powerful changes if you are ready for deeper discovery and healing. Seeing a somatic coach or someone who specializes in trauma, embodiment, and the autonomic nervous system can also be extremely powerful for opening the body and connecting these areas.One major step a woman can take, especially if she finds herself in a repetitive cycle of pelvic infections or pelvic pain is to start a creative expression practice. This could be art and painting, movement and dance, writing or poetry, or my favorite — singing and songwriting (that blends both second and fifth chakras). The sacral chakra needs a creative outlet and the throat chakra provides the channel of expression to move stuck energy.

Q: You have hosted “Sing and Steam” workshops. Can you share a little bit about these?

Pelvic Steaming opens up and relaxes the vaginal floor muscles, the vaginal walls, and the uterus. Kneeling over the steaming bowl and singing helps women understand and connect to the technicality of singing by understanding (or inner standing) the movement of the respiratory and pelvic diaphragms.This squatting and opening of both channels also helps women to sing or (speak) from their second chakra. Essentially, opening the throat and jaw through singing, while allowing the steam to open the vaginal portal, creates a beautiful connection.Usually the workshop begins with a 30 minute somatic lesson on the pelvic floor and respiratory connection before we start the steam ceremony. Then we switch over to a space of sacred feminine energy for the steam. We journal and set intentions, and move into some basic sounds to activate and unblock the throat sacral connection.

Q: What do your clients report feeling after a “Sing and Steam?”

A: My clients experience deep relaxation, peace, and feelings of satisfaction. I think the combination of the steam and the singing really soothes the nervous system. Most of the women that work with me have never done a yoni steam, so this is the first level of surprise at how wonderful it can feel. One woman asked me rhetorically, why didn't she start steaming 20 years ago? The steam is so nourishing, especially if you get herbs that address your specific life phase or any issues you may be experiencing with your yoni.

Q: What’s one thing you wish women knew about the throat sacral connection?

A: A lot of this is about rewiring your nervous system and taking small steps to embodiment. This can feel really terrifying at first. It’s really learning to manage energy flows through the body, being able to witness yourself, and having a few tools in your toolbox. I like to think about it the same way Pema Chodron, the Tibetan Buddhist teacher, describes trying to learn meditation — it’s like walking along the side of a mountain, you take tiny steps until you reach your edge and you cannot go further. Then you sit for a while and build up your courage. Once you are ready, you move again and you keep going. Pushing up against your emotional and physical edge in these areas can be a powerfully courageous act and incredibly healing when done gently.If you are looking to start your own steaming practice make sure to check out THE FULLEST’s Womb Protector™ pelvic steaming herb blend and our Womb Protector™ Ritual Bundle that provides a complete kit to get you started or elevate your practice.Jenee Halstead is the founder of Inner Song and a holistic vocal and self-expression coach, performer, energy healer, and songwriter. Her mission is to help women align with their authenticity to embody and empower themselves to live a fully aligned, expressed, whole, and healthy self. She offers 1:1 Female Embodied Voice Mentorship Programs here and a host of vocal coaching, energy healing, and other services here. Jenee’s music can also be found on Spotify.