Healing the Irritated Throat

As the seasons change, colds, coughs and flu become more prevalent. Friends and family may suffer with these ailments, and before we know it, blame becomes us.   “My sister gave me this cold,” are words I often hear from my clients.  However, I don’t think anyone gives us anything.  Instead, I believe we invite illness into our lives through our own thoughts and behaviors.

If you pay close attention, usually the first sign of a cold or cough is an irritated throat.  If we learn to recognize the meaning behind this symptom, we may be able to avoid an impending illness; and I believe we are divinely designed to do just that.  So what is the meaning behind the irritation? The irritation we feel in the throat is a clue that something has gone awry and is in need of immediate attention.  

Let’s imagine that upon coming into contact with a person who is ill, we become irritated believing we will catch that person’s illness. Because thought is energy, our throat becomes charged with the irritation we are feeding it. However, if we recognize this energy as irritation, we have an opportunity to choose differently by taking responsibility for our own thoughts, words and actions.

This one moment of recognition now gives us an opportunity to change irritation into something a bit more healthy, like forgiveness, compassion, understanding or love toward the person who is ill.  This is important because these fourth chakra energies help guide the irritation away from the throat and toward the lymphatic system where it can then be flushed away. However, as many of us know, this is not always how we are taught to react during these circumstances. 

If irritation remains unrecognized and unchanged, it can often lead to other emotions such as anger, resentment, bitterness and even hatred. Imagine how out of balance we are when we allow ourselves to be angry toward another who is ill. (This is where it gets sticky or should I say mucusy.)  

If we choose to continue to charge irritation with other unhealthy thoughts and behaviors, illness wins; and when illness wins, coughs, colds and flu can stop us in our tracks. We have now allowed illness into our bodies through our thoughts and beliefs.

Our body has this wonderful ability to do this because anger, resentment, bitterness and hatred toward others is not part of our divine design. When we choose anger above healthier and more loving choices, we are invading the space of another. This behavior is a clear sign that our own space is in dire need of healing.  

If we can understand irritation for what it is, it can become a very powerful ally.  It is in this very moment, we can choose to come back to love; love of ourself and others. Illness then is a divine response to bring us back home to our self to heal through loving attention - rest, vitamins, healing herbs and teas. Our energy is now shifted toward ourself where it belonged in the first place.

Understanding energy at this level introduces us to new games to play; new cards to deal; new choices to make, allowing us to speak through the voice of compassion as opposed to irritation. 

If you truly want to heal your irritated throat, find your voice of compassion and speak with it often.. toward those who are ill, those who irritate you, those who think differently than you. Compassion will bring you back to love and love heals all, especially your irritated throat!