The Third Eye chakra or Ajna chakra in Sanskrit is known as “the seat of intuition”. The translations of the Sanskrit names include “perceive,” “beyond wisdom,” and “command.” Located in the center of the forehead between the eyebrows, it functions as the center of wisdom, consciousness, and the higher consciousness of the individual.
This chakra is said to be associated with the pineal gland, according to Candice Covington, author of “Essential Oils in Spiritual Practice: Working with the Chakras, Divine Archetypes, and the Big Five Elements”. (You can check out her book here!)
“The pineal gland is a pine-cone-shaped pea-sized gland, found in the vertebrate brain close to the pituitary gland and hypothalamus,” says Covington. “It’s a revered tool of seers and mystics and is considered to be the organ of supreme universal connection.”
Covington points out that the pineal gland plays an important role in most cultures around the world.
“In Ayurvedic philosophy, for example, the Third Eye is represented by the Ajna chakra,” she says. “In ancient Egypt, the symbol of the eye of Horus reflects the location of the pineal gland in the profile of the human head”.
According to Covington, the pineal gland is the biological parent of the energy chakra of the Third Eye.
This small gland at the base of the skull produces melatonin, which affects the circadian rhythm and reproductive hormones.
Studies show a link between the pineal gland and N, N-dimethyltryptamine, also known as DMT, according to a 2019 research report.
This chemical is sometimes referred to as the “molecule of spirit” or “seat of the soul” because of its purported relationship with consciousness.
However, the connection between the pineal gland and spiritual experience has not been scientifically proven.
The Third Eye enables clear thinking, spiritual contemplation, and self-reflection. It is the upper chakra of the physical body that enables you to bring in a visionary perspective. The Third Eye also helps determine a person’s reality and beliefs based on what the person wants to see in the world. This is considered your “celestial body.”
(HINT: Here’s where manifesting comes into play so start that vision board and have fun!)
The Ajna chakra is primarily solicited with clairvoyance; As a result, the notion of the “sixth sense” or extreme intuition came from this sixth chakra. As the most perceptual part of the human body and mind, it rules self-awareness, higher wisdom, visualization, clarity, judgment, imagination, and creative, vivid, and even lucid dreams. When balanced and aligned, the Third Eye chakra changes from typical black and white or “me versus them” thinking to broader perspectives and connections.
The Third Eye chakra has feminine energy. It is symbolized by the indigo color and an inverted triangle and a lotus flower. Elementally, it is associated with light (the light in us all), although some would say that the Third Eye is not associated with any particular element but with EVERYTHING. Its mantra is “I see”.
PROPERTIES OF THE THIRD EYE CHAKRA
Color Of The Ajna Chakra
Ajna Chakra is the sixth energy center of the seven chakras. Freedom of thought and expression is the balance of this chakra. The color which reflects its concept is indigo. The royal blue and dark blue hues are associated with the night.
Indigo is the color of inner wisdom and knowledge and brings clarity to the five senses of the body. The color indigo promotes the conversion of the energies of the lower chakras into higher spiritual vibrations.
Chakra Symbol Of The Third Eye
The Ajna symbol is an “OM” in an inverted triangle that sits in a circle between two lotus flowers.
This symbol contains two elements associated with wisdom: The inverted triangle and the lotus flower. It powerfully supports the notion of higher intelligence and spiritual enlightenment. It channels energy into universal knowledge and is a gateway to higher consciousness.
The Third Eye Chakra Is Intuitive
It is mostly the chakra of wisdom, intuition, and our sixth sense. In Eastern philosophy, it is known as the “Third Eye” and spiritual center that interacts with the rational mind to deepen our intuitive vision to see beyond the veil of illusion called “Maya.” Maya is Sanskrit for “magic” or “illusion.” “A fundamental concept in Hindu philosophy, notably in the Advaita (Nondualist) school of Vedanta. Maya originally denoted the magic power with which a God can make human beings believe in what turns out to be an illusion.” FYI, God is in all of us….so tell yourself what you want to happen in your life and unlock your manifesting abilities. Make a vision board! Write down all your goals! HAVE FUN and watch the life you want unfold before your eyes in the years to come.
The Ajna Chakra Is An Open Mind
Opening the mind and discerning thoughts influenced by fear, force, and delusion are trials of the sixth chakra. It is to learn to develop an impersonal mind and get rid of mental and physical illusions. We can overcome our thoughts, worries, and fears to really know our soul from within.
The Third Eye contains a unique combination of facts, fears, personal experiences, and memories that are continuously active in the energy of the mental body.
The Third Eye Chakra Is The Truth
Deciphering what we believe to be true and what is actually true is at the heart of this chakra. Sometimes later in life, a negative memory for a person can turn out to be true.
For example, if a person is led to believe that they are ugly for their entire life, it can manifest as fact in their thinking patterns and as a result, they develop body dimorphisms and low self-esteem. Your mind has the power to bring your thoughts into existence….so always make them good and positive thoughts! You are beautiful!
SYMPTOMS OF A BLOCKED THIRD EYE CHAKRA
Physically
For one, you may notice physical signs like:
❖ Tension in the brow area
❖ Headache
❖ Visual fatigue
❖ Blurred vision
❖ Sinus problems
❖ Problems hearing
❖ Dizziness
Cognitive indicators of an unbalanced Third Eye chakra can include dissociation, difficulty concentrating, nightmares, insomnia, mental blurriness, and confusion. (This is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or judgment).
Mentally
In the meantime, emotional cues are as common as:
❖ Doubt
❖ Worrisome
❖ Overthinking
❖ Narrow-mindedness
❖ Feeling lost
❖ Validation seeking
Finally, some spiritual diseases that target the Third Eye include a lack of confidence in one’s path or goal, a feeling that one is “lacking” in intuition, that one is too grounded in the physical world, to heed higher guidance, and wisdom, or dreaming too deeply in the world to focus on current reality.
REASONS WHY THE THIRD EYE CHAKRA SHOULD BE ALIGNED
The sixth chakra assists us in realizing that no person or social group can decide your path in life. If changes manifest, it is due to some karmic dynamic or larger chain of events that got you to this point and moved you into the next phase of your life.
For example, it may appear like a person has manipulated you into believing you need to stay in a job you don’t like, but their thoughts are just an illusion of how you should live and it will hold you captive for a whole lifetime and can even be transpired into further reincarnations as a karmic lesson from which you must learn and grow from.
As simple as the pituitary gland manages and controls the unleashing of hormones from the gland all through the body, the Third Eye has the ability to regulate the flow of energy through the subtle body.
The Third Eye chakra provides the wisdom and supervision that’s important to understand existence beyond space and time. It can look beyond the duality and myopia of the western mind and create an awareness that enables us to realize who we really are: spiritual beings having a human experience.
The spiritual awareness that arises from developing the sixth chakra can be overwhelming for those who have not built a healthy foundation in the lower five chakras. After you’ve balanced/opened them, the Third Eye will begin to open. An inner knowing begins to arise and we can see ourselves clearly. We realize that “I am” is an emotive target. We are not our fears or our emotions, our beliefs or our judgments. An open Third Eye sees life as it is.
HEALING A BLOCKED THIRD EYE CHAKRA
Balancing the chakras demands patience and awareness at a high level. With the Third Eye chakra, a state of equilibrium improves both the physical and the spiritual. Intuition is strengthened when it becomes easier to hear inner wisdom. Emotions become just as important as logic in making the right decisions in life.
A person with an overactive Third Eye chakra should spend more time with nature. Rent that cabin in the woods for a spiritual getaway and unplug and unwind. Calm the overwhelming energies of the mind. The connection with the earth activates the basic human instinct. Likewise, an inactive Ajna chakra can be focused through meditation in a peaceful space. Channeling energies is a skill that improves with practice. Keeping a thought pattern journal is also a good habit to become aware of. Jot down all your thoughts and feelings from day to day.
Meditation
Third Eye meditation, like any form of meditation, requires you to stay in a quiet, calm environment and take advantage of relaxing sounds (if you choose to meditate with Hemi-sync) and vibrations. Start with a comfortable sitting position in a chair, on a bed, or on a pillow on the floor. Keep your spine straight, your shoulders relaxed, and your hands on your knees. The jaw, abdomen, and face should be completely relaxed and open to positive energy.
Start by gently bringing your thumb and forefinger together and gently closing your eyes. Then inhale slowly. Breathe in through your nose, breathe out through your nose. Try to look at the Third Eye, which is between the eyebrows, with your eyes closed. You can also use your fingers to find the exact spot.
Then inhale slowly, directing your gaze and focusing on that point. Do this until a white or bluish-white light appears or is around you. By doing this, you step into a transcendent form of healing where your focus is on the highest and most effective level. This is the state where discerning negative thoughts and energies arise….you want to dismiss those thoughts and just go back to focusing on increasing the potential of the Ajna chakra. Your priority should be “focusing.”
Stay in this position for at least 20 minutes twice a day (morning and night, before meals). You can use relaxing music to further guide your concentration. When you’re done, end the session by drawing a deep breath, merging your palms together in front of your chest, and returning to the first position. Open your eyes and remain in this position for two to three minutes before resuming normal activities. Performing this simple activity every day, twice a day, can work wonders for your mental/physical health as well as heal your chakras.
An open mind is also important for the Third Eye because of its connection to perception, wisdom, and guidance. By actively expanding your perspective on daily life, greater personal openness can be developed: Whether it is trying out new cuisines, reading literature by authors from different origins, or listening to a new musical genre, diversity is a top priority here. After all, each of us is just an individual in a world of nearly eight billion people; there is much to learn that we have yet to experience. Plus, the feelings of growth and connection that result from this broadening of perspective are inspiring!
Yoga To Open Your Third Eye Chakra
There are many yoga poses you can do to open your Third Eye. Here are a few options we like best!
Downward Facing Dog Pose | Adho Mukha Shvanasana – Downward dog stretches out the back of the legs and your lower back and creates space between your vertebrae as well as between the shoulders. It can be very calming. It is a great position to come back to focus on your inhale and exhale, which you should try to make as smooth and steady as you can.
Upward Facing Dog Pose | Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana – Upward dog involves placing your weight on your hands and lifting your legs off of the yoga mat as your chest reaches forward through your shoulders, prompting a deep bend in the low back. It is also a Heart chakra opening pose as well.
Eagle Pose | Garudasana – Eagle pose is a standing balance posture that brings you into the present moment, providing a deep hip stretch that opens up the back of the lungs and challenges your mind and body awareness.
Extended Child’s Pose | Utthita Balasana – Extended child’s pose is the knees on the ground and apart, allowing the rib cage to sink deeper, and the arms are extended forward to help lengthen the spine. This pose stretches the spine, hips, and knees and relieves tension in the body.
Crystals
The crystals of the Third Eye help connect the person to their higher consciousness. Blue and purple stones, the colors associated with this chakra, are most commonly used to heal this area. Tanzanite is a stone that promotes healing and helps guide. Sodalite is also a stone for this chakra that stimulates intuition. Iolite and Sapphire are other popular stones for the Third Eye chakra.
Aromatherapy
Has it been a while since you last accessed your essential oils collection? It’s time to start, especially if the goal is to open the Third Eye. Scents like Sandalwood, Lavender, Pine, and Frankincense can simply energize the pineal gland. Use essential oils in the bathroom or in a diffuser. Incense works well too!
Pay Attention To Your Dreams
Dreams can be confusing, disorienting, wonderful, and terrifying, but don’t ignore them every morning when the alarm goes off. Request them to assist you to open your Third Eye. Pay attention to your dreams. Write them down, make a note of them and try to recall as many details as you can. You can also get a book on the meanings of dreams or even google their meaning. Try to be as specific as possible. If you dreamt of a cow eating grass for example, simply google “cow eating grass in dream meaning” and read through the articles that resonate with you. Your unconscious mind speaks to you in your dreams so try to listen.
Sound Healing
Sound can have great healing powers and can also be great for opening the Third Eye. “Using tones or healing aids in meditation puts you in a theta state.” It’s a great way to open the Third Eye. There are plenty of Hemi sync (also known as binaural beats) CDs out there (if you’re old fashioned like me) and even apps now that have these wonderful tones to help you in any area you are trying to awaken to better yourself; (i.e.: mental, physical, emotional, etc.). Pick a title that resonates with you and enjoy!
Affirmations
Integrate using affirmations into each of the activities listed above to focus on a state of alignment and balance for the Third Eye. Or work with them as a small part of your daily routine, as you would a morning skincare ritual. Some statements for the Third Eye chakra could be:
❖ “I honor and trust my intuition”
❖ “I learn from my experiences”
❖ “I am connected to the universe
❖ “I have clarity and calmness”
❖ “I am looking for internal and external wisdom”
❖ “I receive and trust”
Eat A Nutritious Diet
Opening the Third Eye becomes more of a challenge when you are only eating junk food. This is because your food choices are extremely important to chakra alignment. “Your food choices determine your energy levels.” Adding a variety of blue and purple foods to your diet like blueberries, grapes, eggplant, red cabbage, red/sweet potatoes, etc, will stimulate and balance your Third Eye chakra.
Alkaline Ingredients like chlorella, spirulina, blue-green algae, raw apple cider vinegar, chlorophyll, coriander, raw cocoa, goji berries, and vitamin D can help detoxify and decalcify the pineal gland. On the other hand, Fluoride and pesticides have been known to calcify it, so try to avoid them if you can by buying (or growing your own) organic food. Testing your water (especially if you are on city water) or buying a good water filter can help you avoid the calcification of your pineal gland. We highly recommend a Berkey water filter system. Also, dental offices recommend fluoride toothpaste and rinse treatments to “help prevent cavities,” but feel free to do your own research about it to see if it is right for you. You have the right to decline this service, but do so at the beginning of your appointment or they will just give this to you automatically at the end of your appointment without your consent.
Regardless of how we choose to care for our Third Eye chakras, it’s important to remember that “only by pouring into ourselves, will we be able to pour into others.” By seeking personal wisdom, clarity, self-awareness, and an open mind first, then we can become more confident in our ways and goals and become even more powerful in achieving what we want to see in the world.
THIRD EYE CHAKRA AT A GLANCE
★ Sanskrit Name: Ajna translates as “perceive,” “command,” or “beyond wisdom” in Sanskrit
★ Position: Between the eyebrows
★ Subtle Body: Celestial body
★ Color: Indigo blue/purple
★ Element: Light
★ Connection to: Unconscious self
★ Gland: Pituitary/pineal
★ Sense: Intuition
★ Crystals: Lapis Lazuli, Amethyst, Tanzanite, and any deep-blue/purple crystal
★ Essential Oils: Frankincense, Sandalwood, Lavender, Pine, Lemon (Citrus limon) Lemon oil, and Basil (unless you’re pregnant)
★ Yoga Poses: Downward dog, Eagle pose, Child’s pose, etc
★ Signs of Balance: Intuitive, imaginative, clear thoughts, vivid dreams
★ Signs of Imbalance: Brain fog, full of anxiety & tension
★ Personality Traits: Wise, truth seeker, able to see all perspectives
★ Qualities: Self-awareness, focus, intuition, understanding, and fearless
★ Key Themes: Intuition, vision, insight, wisdom, sixth sense
★ Mantra/Sound: “OM” (pronounced like “AUM”)
CONCLUSION
The powers of the Third Eye chakra are permeated with the highest knowledge and wisdom. Ajna chakra balances the physical and mental qualities and brings body and mind into harmony. The connection with your Ajna chakra can be practiced daily. The awakening of the Ajna chakra brings new opportunities, peace, and contentment in life.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Now that you understand your Third Eye chakra a little better, the next chakra to explore is your Crown chakra!
