The Ajna chakra is referred to as the ‘third eye’ chakra. It is the seat of our intuition, our sight, insight, wisdom, and spirituality.

Element

Associated with the element light and the color indigo blue, the sixth chakra is where we gain insights from our life experiences and where we draw information through our vision. This vision includes clairvoyance, telepathy, intuition, dreaming, imagination, and visualisation.

Location and Connection to the Physical Body

The Ajna Chakra is located in the centre of the forehead and it governs our brain and neurological system, pituitary and pineal glands, as well as eyes, ears and nose.

Energy Connection to the Emotional/Mental Body

The sixth chakra links us to our mental body, our intelligence and our psychological characteristics. This unique combination of what we know and we believe to be true, our facts, fears, personal experiences and memories form subconscious habits that we operate on every day.

When we meditate, we thin the veil of the conscious and subconscious mind and reach the state beyond the influences of ‘personal mind’, in other words, we achieve detachment’. It is by stepping beyond the mind, and its constant wants and demands, that we delve into the realm of universal knowledge and wisdom.

A balanced Ajna chakra will have bring us the intuition, wisdom, clarity of thoughts and emotions and ability to detach from material things.

Imbalances

If the third eye chakra is overactive then we may feel overwhelmed with too much intuitive interaction. We may feel hypersensitive, we may be experiencing strong, vivid, powerful or upsetting dreams. We may feel spaced out or disconnected from reality.

If the third eye chakra is underactive we will be unable to go with, or even feel our intuition. We are left only with the facts as we see them before us. We experience self-doubt because we know we should be able to feel which decision to make but we are unable to do so. Chronic third eye blocks cause scepticism and narrow mindedness.

Physical symptoms of an imbalanced third eye chakra involve any problems arising within the skull: eye problems, headaches, migraines, brain conditions, sleep disorders, endocrine imbalances, and issues with the pituitary gland, the pineal gland and the hypothalamus

How can yoga help?

Introducing forward bends, inversions and meditative poses to our practice will open and balance the Third Eye chakra and bring our awareness inward.

Ardha Uttanasana (Standing Half Forward Bend) and Padangusthasana (Big Toe) stretch the calves and hamstrings while stimulating and balancing the Third Eye.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) and Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Shoulder stand) will calm the mind and sixth chakra and gently prepare us for headstands, by stimulating energy flow through the sixth chakra.

The meditative poses, such as Varjasana (Thunderbolt Pose) are a great way of connecting with our Ajna Chakra. Through practicing observation in Varjasana, we get rid of our most powerful enemy - our inner critic, and our judgment that we are not good enough. Rubbing hands together to generate heat and placing them over the eyes stimulates the eyes, allowing them to soften. Then, we can place the hands on our lap, and focus on breathing, drawing the energy into the third eye.