Where it is: Eyes, Brain, Pineal Gland
Colour: Blue
Element: Light
Mantra: Om
Qualities: Intuition, Mental Clarity, Intelligence, Spirituality, Learning, Wisdom
This is the sixth chakra. It is centred around the eyes, the brain, and the pineal gland. It is the seat of our intuition, our sight, insight, wisdom, and spirituality. This is where we gain insights from our life experiences and where we draw information through our seeing. When we listen to our intuition and keep ourselves mentally clear, we can learn to balance and tune the Ajna chakra.
Physically, this chakra is associated with the pineal gland. The pineal gland, also known as the third eye, is a small, pea-sized endocrine gland located in the centre of the head between the two hemispheres of the brain. The pineal gland is physically attributed with the circadian rhythm–the body’s natural cycle in tandem with the 24-hour clock. The pineal gland produces melatonin when it’s time to go to sleep so that the body knows it’s time to rest. Because of this association with the 24-hour clock, keeping a regular sleep schedule can also help to balance the Ajna chakra.
Energetically, the third eye/pineal gland/Ajna chakra is known as the “seat of the soul”. It’s the gateway to our inner world and other dimensions. Any form of meditation is connecting us to our third eye because it’s where we “go in” to ourselves. It can be argued that exploring these other dimensions will take you to other non-physical worlds and put you in touch with spirit beings, but one of the most important awakenings that can come from the third eye is putting you in touch with yourself. Most of the time, we act based on our subconscious beliefs and habits. Generally only 5% of our mind is conscious, while the other 95% is subconscious. The Ajna chakra, or the third eye, is where we can thin the veil between the conscious and subconscious mind, thereby gaining insights into who we are and why we interact with the world the way we do.
To explain this simply, let’s say there’s a man named Al who has been out for some Christmas drinks with friends. He’s had a few too many and he needs to get money from the ATM for a taxi. When he goes to the ATM, he can’t consciously remember his pin code, no matter how hard he tries. He puts his card in anyway, and as soon as his fingers touch the key pad, his pin has been entered before he is consciously aware of his code. His body remembered his pin code when his brain couldn’t. His pin code and entering it at an ATM is such a familiar action that his body has it subconsciously programmed without his conscious mind needing to remember how to do it.
While this is a simple example, there are many, many, many other subconscious habits that everyone operates on every day. It’s like when a subject is brought up that you, personally, feel uncomfortable about. Your body starts to react because subconsciously it feels under threat, even though there’s no actual threat in your physical space. This happens because of a subconscious belief or habit. So, when we meditate, we thin the veil of the conscious and subconscious mind to hopefully gain insights about these subconscious habits and beliefs. When we notice one that isn’t beneficial, we can ask ourselves–Is this real? Do I need to believe this? What started my belief in this and do I need to keep believing this way?
A balanced Ajna chakra will have these qualities: Intuitive, Clear Sight, Wisdom, Insight, Clarity of thoughts and emotions, Not attached to material things
An unbalanced Ajna chakra will have these qualities: Hormonal imbalances, Nervousness, Manipulative, Undisciplined, Over-clouded with thought
Ways to connect with and balance your Ajna chakra:
Yoga Practice: Nadi Shodhana, Bhramari Pranayama, Dolphin Plank, Garudasana, Warrior III, Fish Pose, Child’s Pose, Janu Sirsasana, Trataka Meditation
Affirmations: I honour my intuition. I allow my body, mind and spirit to be healed by my insight. I think clearly and find peace in my thoughts. My inner wisdom is strong. I am open to connecting to universal love and peace that exists inside me. I see.
