Throat chakra and voice quiz · two minutes
Which voice shows up when it matters?
The lump in your throat before you say no. The voice that shakes, goes small with your mother, rushes in the meeting, or pushes with the person closest to you…
In yoga we call this a blocked throat chakra. Your nervous system calls it protection. Your breath, your jaw, your face and your voice all change the moment your body senses pressure.
Your voice is protecting you, and it has its own particular way of doing it. Ten quick questions will show you which one shows up most, and the practice that helps it first.
Your authentic voice is the one underneath, regulated and at home in your body. The quiz shows how much of it is already here.
Pick the answer that feels most familiar, not the one you wish was true.
Your practice is ready
Pop in your email to unlock the rest of your result.
- Your 90-second practice
- Your element and Flow Code
- Your second voice and your mantra
I’ll also send you the free Somatic Voice Starter Kit: the Permission to Sing meditation, my Vocal Care Ritual and the Awaken Vocal Flow playlist.
With gratitude to the teachers behind this map: Pete Walker (the fawn response), Stephen Porges (polyvagal theory), Deb Dana (patterns of protection), Gabor Maté (attachment and authenticity). The four voices and the practices: Francie Love, the Vocal Flow Method. This is for self-reflection, alongside care from a qualified professional whenever you need it.
Your voice of protection
The quiet voice
freeze
There is nothing wrong with you. Your voice learned this to keep you safe, and what your body learned, it can learn again.
Your words get stuck. You go blank, quiet or small, and later you think of everything you wanted to say. When speaking feels risky, your body chooses stillness, and silence becomes a shield. Freeze was my go-to too. It’s the voice that disappeared on me for a year and a half.
Sometimes freeze goes further, and you feel far away from your own voice, like you’re watching yourself talk.
- Breath
- shallow or held
- Jaw
- slack or locked
- Voice
- low, flat, fading
- Eyes
- down or closed
In yoga, this is an underactive throat chakra, Vishuddha: the words get swallowed before they reach the air.
The gift: depth. You listen deeply, and you carry a rich inner world that can hold other people.
Warmth and tiny movements
Freeze thaws with warmth, so keep everything small. Rub your palms together until they’re warm and rest them on your throat and chest. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Let your eyes wander the room and name three things you see. Then let out a sigh with a little sound in it, and a few quiet hums.
Fire · The Courage to Continue
Fire brings the warmth back, one small sound at a time, and the courage to keep going when your voice wants to hide.
If you often lose time, or feel far away for long stretches, please work with a trauma-informed therapist alongside this.
MantraMy voice is welcome.
Your voice of protection
The sweet voice
fawn
There is nothing wrong with you. Your voice learned this to keep you safe, and what your body learned, it can learn again.
Your voice goes small, soft or high, and you over-explain. You smooth things over so everyone stays comfortable. Fawn keeps you safe by keeping the connection, and the cost is your own expression. People end up loving a version of you they’ve never fully met.
- Breath
- small sips
- Jaw
- smile held
- Voice
- lifted, upspeak
- Eyes
- on their face
In yoga, this is an underactive throat chakra, Vishuddha: you speak, but not quite your own truth.
The gift: attunement. You feel a room before anyone speaks, which is the gift of a great space holder.
One small true thing
Place a hand on your chest and hum until you feel the buzz under your palm. Then say one simple true sentence out loud, like “I’d like some time to think about it,” and let the pitch fall at the end. No softening, no question mark.
Ether · Take Up Space
Ether is space itself. This code is your permission to take up yours, without shrinking to keep the peace.
MantraI belong as I am.
Your voice of protection
The rushed voice
flight
There is nothing wrong with you. Your voice learned this to keep you safe, and what your body learned, it can learn again.
You talk fast and rush past what you actually mean. You fill the silence so nobody can interrupt. Flight is built for escape, so your voice tries to move fast enough to get out of the discomfort. The message gets lost, and there’s no room left to feel or receive.
- Breath
- quick, runs out
- Jaw
- busy, tight
- Voice
- fast, climbing
- Eyes
- scanning
In yoga, this is an overactive throat chakra, Vishuddha: lots of words, and the true one gets lost.
The gift: energy. A quick, bright mind that sees a lot at once.
A longer exhale
Press your feet into the floor and feel the ground push back. Breathe in slowly through your nose, then let it out on a long “sssss”, like air slowly leaving a tyre. Before your next sentence, pause for one full breath. The pause is allowed.
Earth · Permission
Earth gives you ground under your feet, and the permission to slow down. There is time for you.
MantraThere is time for my voice.
Your voice of protection
The loud voice
fight
There is nothing wrong with you. Your voice learned this to keep you safe, and what your body learned, it can learn again.
Your voice pushes, gets loud or sharp. You brace to make sure you get heard. Fight gets your body ready to protect you, so the voice gets bigger to create safety through strength. You might win the argument and lose the connection.
- Breath
- held high, pushed
- Jaw
- clenched
- Voice
- loud, clipped
- Eyes
- fixed, narrowed
In yoga, this is an overactive throat chakra, Vishuddha: the voice pushes so it can’t be ignored.
The gift: power. The clean no, and the voice that speaks up for others.
Soften your jaw
Drop your shoulders and let your jaw hang a little open. Breathe in through your nose for four, then hum on a low, easy note for as long as the exhale lasts. Three rounds, each one a little softer.
Water · Practice Trust
Water is strong because it flows. This code is about trusting you’ll be heard without having to push.
MantraMy power can be soft.
Your voice today
The authentic voice
at home in your body
“I’m here, and you’re here.”
Your voice is mostly at home in your body. You can feel nervous and still say it. You can get heated, then come back and talk it through. Anger, grief and wild joy move through you, and your voice comes home again.
- Breath
- low and easy
- Jaw
- loose
- Voice
- rises and falls with feeling
- Eyes
- soft
In yoga, this is a balanced throat chakra, Vishuddha: what you feel and what you say match.
The gift: flexibility. The ability to move and return, and that steadiness helps everyone around you find theirs.
Where is my voice already free?
Name it: a person, a place, a song. Go there on purpose, then bring one small piece of it into a harder room.
Air · Heart Shine and Spread Your Wings
Air is breath and expansion. These codes are about letting your heart shine through your voice, and taking it into bigger rooms.
MantraMy voice is my home.