I’ve been paying attention to the way different people process and release their thoughts lately. Part of healing the throat chakra is being deeply aware of our thoughts, and where they go when we think them. When thoughts enter or arise in the mind, the movement differs from person to person. Which of these do you relate to?

1. Word in the Raw

Some allow their thoughts to come through with little to no resting place. When thought energy arises, it moves straight out of their mouths; these folks are often referred to as having “no filter.” They process things outside of themselves, offering them to the external world for validation or contradiction.

The Gift & Shadow: The beautiful part of this type of processing is the spontaneous connection these individuals have with thought energy, almost as if they are channeling vibration itself. They have the ability to let the thought energy move straight through them without the need to compare, contrast or examine it. Of course, the shadow here is speaking out of reaction, out of turn, or simply too much, never really allowing themselves to digest an idea.

What you can do: Take a moment and take a breath. Can you see a place where you can take a pause and reflect on your thoughts? Try tracking them. Before you speak to them, imagine that you have a net and can scoop them out just like fish in a stream, even if it is to take a look for only a moment and toss them back into the flowing waters. This practice will help you see where you can create space in your processing which could help you save a lot of needlessly wasted energy.

2. The Still Pool

Others allow thought energy through but they let it settle inside their minds. There it rests so when it is time to speak they have a pool of thought, still and serene, and can select just the right thing to draw out and speak. These people tend to be on the quiet side, but when they speak they speak wisely and thoughtfully.

The Gift & Shadow: It is certainly their gift to digest information fully and be able to offer it out in a way that serves others. Here the shadow would be not challenging enough, being too quiet or too afraid to speak and holding disdain for those who speak a lot. It also might show up as a lack of confidence because while the thoughts settle for deep reflection, the connection seems to get lost in the process, making it difficult to define their original thought in a concrete and grounded way. They have trouble expressing thoughts in a way others can understand. It gets lost in translation. “Lost in thought,” probably comes to mind here.

What you can do: If you identify with this, how would it look to connect the chord of your mind to your throat? Or perhaps the connection needs to be cleared. Pay attention to where the thoughts go when you let them settle for digestion. Where do they go? Do they dissolve? Then pay attention to where they go when you are trying to speak. Can you bring them back down to earth and allow them to translate into something more physical, more defined?

3. The Thought Pit

Then, there are people who swirl the thought energy around and around. When the thought arises from the mind it gets caught in what is almost like a pit. The energy comes in and drops down into a space where it swirls around and churns. It might make you think of the phrase, “stewing.” It often shows up as indecision.

The Gift & Shadow: Our ability to see the future and analyze possibilities is intertwined with our psychic ability. It is the gift of scenario building and thinking ahead. And yet, here the trap is being controlled by the constant churning of information. Possibilities and scenarios are rapidly played out, often followed by comparing projected results. This is an important part of the human survival mechanism, but it is important to see when they take over and start running the show or immobilize us.

What you can do: Start to watch for when this happens. Even just getting eyes on it will help you from getting swallowed up by your thought pit. Can you for a moment step back and let go? Imagine your thoughts being like balloons you are holding onto and just let go of the strings. The scenario you imagine isn’t happening right now. Instead of clutching onto things, your mind is imagining, learn to trust that you will react with integrity if or when the scenarios you are considering actually come to be.

Nothing is wrong here. No type is better or worse than the other. Yet, you might find it interesting to at least take note of some of your patterns or habits. Are they showing you something about yourself? With all things, there is an opportunity here to notice more and to expand.