Names(s): The Third Eye Chakra, Ajna

Colour: Indigo, Royal Blue

Element: Light – Light is the combination of all the elements together (water, earth, fire and air)

Location: Middle of forehead just between the eyebrows, Pineal gland

About: The third eye chakra is the sixth chakra located within our physical body. It is the seat of our intuition, imagination, thought, insight, wisdom, psychic abilities, access to mystical states, illumination, clarity, truth, unity, perception of subtle energies and our self awareness. It governs mental and emotional clarity and helps balance our masculine and feminine energies. Many ancient cultures such as the Kemets (ancient Egyptians) believed that the pineal gland was responsible for spiritual consciousness. This is the place where we transcend duality. This chakra is holistic in nature and when fully activated, both hemispheres of the brain function in synchronicity. The right hemisphere’s creativity and synthetic thinking is integrated and balanced with the left hemisphere’s logical and analytical thinking. Physically, this chakra is associated with the brow, eyes, ears, base of skull, brain, nose and our neurological system.

Balanced Third Eye Chakra: When your third eye chakra is in harmony with the rest of the chakras, a doorway towards spiritual enlightenment is opened. When it is clean and balanced, you see life with clarity and possess strong intuition, insight, self-awareness and emotional balance. When you have a clear and harmonious third eye chakra you are calm, self-aware and possess foresight. You are not controlled or limited by the mind and you find it easy to distinguish truth from illusion. You will also be much more insightful and understanding of yourself, other people and life in general. Intuition flows effortlessly to you as you make wise decisions that are grounded in reality, not fantasy. When you third eye is balanced, you find it easier to be objective and are less fixated to your limited beliefs. As a result, life takes on a more fluid and vibrant quality which helps you to be more creative and spontaneous. You will be able to see life with wisdom and compassion. You tend to be more imaginative, creative and find beauty and wonder in each moment.

Spiritually, you will be able to access mystical states of being much more easily, such as feelings of timelessness and egolessness. This is also the chakra that helps you develop your psychic abilities.

Blocked Third Eye Chakra: When your third eye chakra is blocked or imbalanced, you tend to struggle with problems such as closed-mindedness, cynicism, anxiety, depression, paranoia, various mental illnesses and mood disorders. You rarely feel creative or inspired by anything. You ignore listening to your intuition, are overly logical or emotional and often get lost in your thoughts. In addition, you tend to be absorbed by the details of day to day life and struggle to see the “bigger picture”. You habitually escape into daydreaming to avoid reality, are emotionally reactive and get upset easily. In addition, you struggle to connect to your deeper self or soul or to universal consciousness.

Other symptoms of a blocked third eye chakra are being addicted to external things which you believe will make you happy (e.g. relationships, food, sex, money, status, shopping, etc.). Your interactions with other people are very trivial or superficial and you tend to mistrust or dislike people easily. You have rigid opinions about the world that you aren’t willing to change, are stubborn and find it hard to be open-minded. You may be perceived as arrogant, opinionated, dreamy, ungrounded and lack focus and decisiveness. On the other end of the scale, you are egotistically attached to special “powers” (e.g. your psychic abilities).

Physically, when this chakra is blocked you have vision problems, sinus issues, suffer from insomnia, high blood pressure, sciatica, depression, anxiety and migraines and headaches.

Balancing your Third Eye Chakra

Heart Chakra affirmation: I see

Mantra: Om (chant this during meditation)

Essential Oils: Oils for this chakra include patchouli, frankiscence, clary sage, sandalwood, marjoram, lavender, neroli, myrrh, jasmine, mintroman chamomile, German chamomile, grapefruit, nutmeg, juniper and vetiver. Use only pure, non-diluted oils. These pure oils can be consumed, diffused into the air to be inhaled, can be put on the body or bath water – but check that the oil you are about to use is safe to use with water first.

Food: The colours of the chakras are linked to the foods that they need so any foods that are are dark blue and purple in colour will help balance this chakra. Foods that are great for this chakra include prunes, dates, blackberries, blueberries, figs, raisins, eggplant, purple cabbage, purple kale, purple carrots, purple potatoes, black currants, rainbow chard, beetroot, plums, purple peppers, dark chocolate and cacao. Foods rich in omega 3 such as salmon, sardines, walnuts, flaxseeds and chia seeds are also good for this chakra. Herbs that help balance this chakra include dill, thyme, rosemary, juniper, poppy seed, valerian, jasmine, lavender, mugwort and mint.

Crystals: Many crystals emanate vibrations that parallel the chakras and each chakra has a corresponding crystal companion. For this chakra use amethyst, lapis lazuli, purple fluorite, moldavite, purple fluorite, black obsidian, shungite, moonstone and quartz. You can carry them around with you, have them around the house, put them next to your bed, wear them, put them under your pillow, meditate with them around you or whilst holding them.Your surroundings: As the element of the third eye chakra is light, you will find your mind becoming much clearer if you get outside a bit more. If you live in a dark or cold climate, you might like to try light therapy if getting natural sunlight isn’t much of an option. Gazing into the night sky is a simple but awe-inspiring way to put everything in perspective. Staring at the moon and stars tends to open the mind and help you to transcend the cage of thought.

Exercises: Balance your third eye chakra by doing the following yoga poses: Standing forward bend (uttanasana), Standing Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana), Child’s Pose (Balasana), Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana), Supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana), Head-to-knee pose (janu sirsasana) and Hero (Virasana)

Emotionally: Going through life with rigidity and closed-mindedness contributes to a blocked third eye. To overcome this try reading books, watching new programs, travelling to experience different cultures or experimenting with activities outside of your comfort zone. Being curious about other perspectives and ways of life helps to open this chakra.

In addition, start paying attention to your dreams. Your dreams are richly symbolic in nature and express your unconscious fears, desires and needs. The third eye is responsible for helping you to interpret your dreams, so practice reflecting on your dreams each morning for about ten to fifteen minutes. Remember, dream dictionaries cannot provide you with the precise and nuanced meanings you need. Although it’s tempting to use one, see if you can try and discover the meaning carried within your dreams by yourself. The same dream will mean different things to different peoples. Often important lessons and messages are conveyed within the dream world.

Being in silence and in a meditative state helps to develop the wisdom of your third eye. The more time you spend alone, the more you start cultivating the voice and wisdom within.

Other ways of balancing this chakra include communing with nature, cultivating your psychic abilities, practicing contemplation, working with your inner guidance, allowing your imagination to explore and taking part in artistic endeavours. Getting enough sleep is another critical component of third eye balance. The time between 1:00 and 4:00 a.m. are important for this chakra. It is believed that this is the time when we are most connected with our higher self and guides.Healing affirmations:  I create my reality. I trust my intuition. I connect with the wisdom of the universe. It is safe for me to see the truth. I trust in myself. My mind and my heart are in perfect balance. I am in touch with my inner guidance. I listen to my deepest wisdom. I seek to understand and to learn from my life experiences. I am wise, intuitive, and connected with my inner guide. I nurture my spirit. I listen to the wisdom of elders. I forgive the past and learn what was there for me to learn. I forgive myself. I love and accept myself. I know that all is well in my world. I am connected with the wisdom of the universe. I am open to inspiration and bliss.

My life moves effortlessly. I am at peace. I am the source of my truth and my love. I follow the wisdom of my inner guidance. I know how to make the right decisions with ease. I am on my true path. I live everyday in accordance with my life’s purpose. I have unlimited possibilities open to me.

Meditation: Sit comfortable and close your eyes. Imagine a swirling ball of luminescent indigo light in your third chakra area. Feel the ball of indigo energy dissolving all blockages, sluggishness, or aggressive flows of energy within you.

Another meditation is one done in the sun. Position yourself, sit comfortably and close your eyes. Imagine the suns rays pouring liquid gold into your third eye chakra and visualise this liquid bathing this chakra and then flowing throughout your whole body.

Alternatively, try candle gazing. Light a candle and place it three to four feet in front of you at eye level. Make sure the room is completely dark. Start with your eyes closed and take a few breaths until you are relaxed. Then open your eyes and keep your vision focused on the flame in a gentle and natural way. Keep your eyelids slightly more open than usual, and maintain your gaze without blinking or blurring your vision for as long as possible. Observe any thoughts that arise, watching them come and go without becoming engaged. Close your eyes only when they begin to strain and water, and you can no longer sustain the gaze. Then find the afterimage of the flame in your mind’s eye, resting your awareness at the chakra, or eyebrow centre. If the image moves up and down or side to side, stabilize it by bringing it back to the centre, and continue to fix your gaze until the impression disappears. To delve deeper into the mind, you can follow this practice with meditation.

See Also: The Chakra Series, The Root Chakra, The Sacral Chakra, The Solar Plexus Chakra, The Heart Chakra, The Throat Chakra, The Crown Chakra