The fifth chakra is the throat chakra and is known as Vishudda in ancient Sanskrit. It is located in the center of the throat. The chakra makes it possible for the energy to flow in and out of this point at the center of the throat and also out of a corresponding point at the back of the neck although the energy from the back is somewhat lower in intensity.

The principle purpose of this chakra is that of speech, communication and expression. The desire to communicate that which is deep inside you both to yourself and to others is what is represented by this chakra.

With a fully activated throat chakra speech can come with ease and there is a willingness to communicate with others..With this chakra blocked then throat difficulties in general can arise together with loss of voice, neck problems and on occasion shoulder problems too.

Turquoise blue is the fundamental color associated with this chakra. {Its element is the ether and the related metal is MercuryThe metal is Mercury and its associated element is ether}. The main gem stone for this chakra Turquoise. This gemstone has the blue of the sky and the heavens along with the green of the earth combining the spiritual with the grounded power of the planet itself. That is the main idea around this chakra. The mineral assists us to express ourselves and to share spiritual knowledge which can be integrated into our material lives. This can help with communication with others and also with spiritual and psychic communication.

When the throat chakra is unblocked, the psychological aspects manifest as a development of artistic talent and elevated spirituality. When this chakra is blocked then repression of speech, inability to converse and artistic blocks can all arise.

To balance the chakra you can use meditation music in the key of A and envision a sphere of turquoise blue light around the throat area. Picture whilst you meditate that there is a blue lotus flower with 16 petals slowly  opening and rotating as your chakra becomes unblocked. This 16 petalled turquoise lotus flower is represented in the Sanskrit Mandala for the chakra.

If you want further information on the Chakras and details of how to acquire the  Healing Chakras CD then simply check out my Relaxing Music website.

More and more alternative health treatments are available these days, however how successful are they in solving our health problems?

A few years ago my girlfriend was having some trouble with her health, she complained of constant aches in various areas of her body. She felt lethargic and generally low. It was affecting many aspects of her life including her career; she worked for a company that provides budget package holidays. She went to the doctor and tried conventional treatments and tablets. Despite her best efforts and a positive attitude this did not prove to be the answer.

A friend recommended reflexology and despite many reservations and doubts my girlfriend agreed to give it a go. She returned from her appointment full of excitement and stated that she had never felt more relaxed. Now this is not to say that reflexology will work for everyone but her experience was very positive.

My girlfriend then decided to book a series of four aromatherapy sessions. This positive experience has resulted in my fiancee attending other forms of natural treatments including massages and reiki.

As for my own experiences, I am somebody who had a speech impediment known as stuttering from the age of four. I attended numerous forms of speech and language therapy during the next decade and a bit. I was advised to speak very slowly and to take a deep breathe before I spoke. I had no confidence with these therapists as a lot of my friends spoke quicker than I did and not one of them took a deep breath before they spoke. They also had never had a stutter themselves and therefore I felt it was impossible for them to understand what I was going through.

After working very hard for nearly year I managed to stop stuttering. I did this by reading many books to do with positive thinking and mind over a matter; I also bought a brilliant self-help DVD from the How To Stuttering Centre in England. I suppose this could be classed as my own complementary therapy - it proved to be successful for me.

I am now doing very well working as a web promotion specialist; it sure helps being able to talk fluently.

Have you ever tried any alternative therapy treatments such as reflexology, aromatherapy, reiki or an Indian head massage? Now I would guess that the majority of the readers of this article would have answered this question in the positive. I am a new convert to all things “alternative” and I have to say that my only regret is that I did not give them a go far sooner than I did.

Please note that I am not trying to sell you anything here; I am not an alternative health practitioner. I actually help people to “stuttering” and I also work on projects to do with helping people to learn how to play the guitar and cost reduction.

My girlfriend was the person that first introduced me to alternative therapy. She noticed that I was rather stuck my ways and decided to buy me a forty minute Indian head massage treatment for my birthday. To say I was shocked would have been a huge under-statement; it was the type of situation when you ask yourself:

“What has she bought me this for?”

“She obviously does not know me as well as I thought she did!”

I pretended, of course, that I was thrilled with the idea!

The day of the treatment soon arrived and I headed off to the natural health centre. My girlfriend could no doubt sense my apprehension as we entered into the building even though I was attempting to act cool.

In the end I decided to make the most of it; I was not going to scared; in fact I was going to fully relax and enjoy it.

Scared! What is there to be scared of? Absolutely nothing is the answer to that question.

The treatment itself was amazing; I nearly fell asleep at one point. I have since been back on a regular basis and have even tried other natural health treatments. Why don’t you give it a try? It has helped me in many ways to become a much more relaxed and happy person.