A Tale of Two Nodules: A Story of the Throat Chakra and the Thyroid Gland

When I was 21 years old, a senior in undergraduate college (and presumably in my peak health), I noticed a lump on my neck as I was looking at myself in the mirror one morning getting ready for class. I ran my hand over the right side of my neck, wondering when did that bump get there?

The nurse practitioner at the campus health center recommended that my primary care provider evaluate it further. Beyond this advice, the other piece of information I received was that she called it a "goiter" - a new vocabulary term for my scientific mind.

I drove 1.5 hours back home, and saw my doctor conveniently the next day who referred me for a thyroid ultrasound and subsequent biopsy for 2 nodules (growths in the thyroid gland). While the biopsy results were fortunately benign, I was instructed to repeat the ultrasound in the following year to monitor the size of the nodules.

In the interim, I graduated with a bachelor's degree in science and soon shipped myself off to medical school to pursue what was my childhood dream - to become a doctor. The complexities of medical school is worth another story, but the stress involved with my academics led to a deep depression that caused me to lose my resilience and self-confidence. I also felt this intuitive gut instinct that I was not supposed to be here. (I write all about this healing journey in my book Play Large at Life: How to Turn Your Failure Into Success!) During a semester break, I flew back home to go to my ultrasound appointment.

To my surprise, my 2 thyroid nodules grew significantly from 1 cm in size to 4 cm. It was as if I had two golf balls bulging from the lateral aspect of my neck. Due to the concern of thyroid cancer (2-5% risk), my endocrinologist asked me, "Would you miss it if we took out your thyroid?"

"Not at all," I replied.

I opted for a hemi-thyroidectomy (a partial surgical removal of the thyroid gland).

Now 22 years old, laying on a gurney of a pre-operative room in a hospital gown and a hair cap, I asked myself, "How can I be so young and have to require surgery already?" 

"How could I have a unique diagnosis at such a young age that already calls for surgery?"

Thoughts like this ran through my naive mind, but it is often the mindset of this general age group. To healthcare professionals, we call this the Invincibility Complex: the belief that you are immune to harm or disease. How many of you felt like this as an adolescent or as a young adult?

I certainly was no exception to this idea still having the inclination to be physically active and not yet having been exposed to the dopamine reward center by way of stress eating despite the hardship of college education. I was not yet mature in my mentality to realize that children at younger ages can have serious medical conditions.

Meditating in bed as I recovered from surgery, I lay reflecting on much of the aforementioned questions, but I also reflected on the meaning of the chakra system. The throat chakra was located in the center of the neck, associated with the energetic health of the thyroid gland and parathyroid glands. The throat chakra also reflects on the aspect of individuality concerned with the ability to speak your truth and to communicate efficiently and authentically. Quite frankly, the throat chakra is one among several of the major chakras that reflect on your capacity to stand up for yourself.

As a Filipino American living with the traditional Filipino values behind closed doors and experiencing the American culture outdoors, I struggled with navigating the intricacies of adapting to two very different cultures. One involved filial piety of a collective culture and the other one touted the American dream. Expressing myself authentically was out of the question. This culture clash stifled me.

Then I thought to myself, "Could I have avoided this at the energetic level by practicing self-expression?"

"Could I have healed my thyroid gland by promoting the requisite positive energy to balance the throat chakra?"

It was food for thought. Now over 15 years later, I have seen the spontaneous resolution of nodules in several of my patients all of whom commented that the only changes in their lifestyle was that they established a greater relationship with a spiritual force. Now seeing in full focus the implications of the chakra system on our physical health, I firmly believe that I could have reversed my thyroid condition by surrendering to a higher power and doing the deep, internal work of personal development. I have subsequently healed much of my chakras and my character evolved dramatically thereafter. It is thought provoking to see that Dr. Joe Dispenza's research has demonstrated similar findings that represent my personal experience.

I believe there is a timeline that exists where I am a successful doctor. In this dimension, however, I am a thriving and successful nurse practitioner that embraces not only the rigidity of science & medicine, but also the nursing philosophy of embracing mind, body & spirit. Holistic health and integrative medicine is a spiritual force which governs my being, and I did not believe at the time that being a medical doctor would afford me the opportunity to indulge in the multi-faceted skillset that I possess as a growing psychic and energy healer. All I know is that I have now strategically positioned myself to speak my truth.

And it feels wonderful.

Thus I begin a journey of educating the public about the correlation between the endocrine system and the chakra system. Come with me on this journey, applying these concepts to your own personal health with 1:1 coaching session or a personalized Reiki session for you!