Notably during traumatic experiences or in other situations in which one isn’t able “to speak out,” one may feel a lump in the throat or get the feeling of choking or being choked.
Hence, if this results in repressing or suppressing our true thoughts and feelings it may lead to an armor in the throat, which can subsequently become a place in the body that holds quite a lot of tension.
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In fact, the throat is thought to be connected to our ability to express ourselves, to be able to speak out freely and naturally, taking responsibility for our lives, and is associated with creativity, wisdom, truth, inspiration, learning, clear speech, and communication. An armor in the throat area will inhibit the full realization of these abilities.
Some common somatic signs that may indicate that the throat of a client/patient is armored may include frequent swallowing, regular voice and pitch changes, frequently clearing the throat, harsh or noisy breathing, repeated coughing, having the sensation of a lump in the throat, and choking sensations.
Throat De-Armoring is an internal De-Armoring technique and may entail putting a finger (or two fingers) in the throat of the client (which can be done by the therapist or by the client themselves), which can induce gagging or vomiting to free up the throat. The gagging or retching technique is also used for Diaphragmatic De-Armoring as a means to release constraint breathing patterns.
Other techniques may include pulling the tongue, have the client making certain sounds to mobilize the throat, make a person scream or shout out loud while vocalizing suppressed emotions, and breathing techniques carried out with the mouth held open, the latter for instance applied in Reichian Breathwork.
