Explore the powerful Ajna Chakra and its role in spiritual growth, intuition, and perception. Learn how to activate and balance it for enhanced intuition and insight.
What is the Ajna Chakra?
The Ajna Chakra, or the third eye chakra, is the sixth chakra in our body. Chakras are seven energy centres located across the meridian of our body. Each chakra is related to different emotions and organs. The Ajna chakra is associated with intuition, inspiration, imagination, clairvoyance, mystical visions and self-realisation. Indigo is the colour of the third eye chakra and is believed to be connected to our unconscious mind.
Explore this meditation to activate your chakras with Shreans Daga on SoulSensei.
Location and Symbolism of the Third Eye Chakra
The location of Ajna chakra is between your eyebrows at the centre of the head or where the third eye is, according to ancient scriptures. The symbol of the third eye chakra includes two lotus petals, an inverted triangle, and the seed mantra Om. If you’re searching for Ajna meaning, it is a Sanskrit term that translates to ‘beyond wisdom’ or ‘to perceive.’ The Ajna chakra meaning essentially consists of perceiving your true self and gaining knowledge beyond worldly wisdom.
The Significance of the Ajna Chakra in Spiritual Practice
The Ajna chakra, or the third eye chakra, plays an important role in Hindu and Buddhist spiritual practices. In ancient scriptures, it is believed to be the seat of intuition and gut feeling. It also represents enlightenment and clairvoyance. The Ajna chakra, when activated, is believed to help people perceive things beyond the surface level as it is a direct connection with the Brahman or the universe. An activated third eye chakra can also help one receive messages from the past and future.
Functions and Benefits of an Open Ajna Chakra
The third eye chakra is associated with higher consciousness and spiritual awakening. It is located near the pituitary gland and the pineal gland, which control most of our brain functions. Activating this chakra not only has emotional benefits but physical ones, too. Opening your third eye can lead to the following benefits.
- Increased self-awareness
- Deeper sleep
- Improved mental well-being
- Spiritual enlightenment
- Heightened creativity
- Psychic abilities
- Inner guidance
- Better intuition
Read more: How to get deep sleep
Signs of a Balanced vs. Imbalanced Ajna Chakra
When your Ajna chakra is balanced, you can expect to experience self-awareness, optimism, emotional equilibrium, improved memory, clarity of thought, boosted energy and trust in your gut feeling or intuition.
The signs of an imbalanced third eye chakra include pessimism, depression, confusion, brain fog, headaches and migraines, lack of focus, fearfulness, hallucinations, dissociation and indecisiveness.
Read more: How to be mentally strong
Techniques to Activate and Balance the Ajna Chakra
If you feel like you have an imbalanced or blocked third eye chakra, there are a few things you can do to nurture it and bring it back into balance. Below we’ve listed the most effective techniques to activate your sixth chakra.
Meditation Practice
Ajna chakra meditation is one of the most effective ways to balance it. Here is how you can do it.
1. Sit comfortably
Find a quiet spot in your home and assume a comfortable posture.
2. Focus inwards
Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath. You can even attempt a body scan at this point.
3. Meditate on the third eye
Now bring your attention between the centre of your eyebrows and imagine a bright indigo wheel there. Observe it for a few seconds and visualise it getting brighter as you meditate.
4. Chant the seed mantra
Aum or Om is the seed mantra of this chakra. While you’re meditating, you can chant it loudly or quietly in your head.
5. End the practice
Slowly open your eyes and practise a few words of gratitude to the universe to end this meditation.
Try this aum chanting practice with Vidhi Agarwal.
Breathing Exercises
Breathwork is another powerful tool to activate your third eye chakra. Here are a few breathing exercises you can try to balance it.
1. Humming
In a meditating position, inhale through your nose and exhale slowly while making a humming sound like a bee would. Repeat this thrice.
2. Nadishodhan Pranayam
This alternate nostril breathing technique is known to balance both the hemispheres of your brain to bring focus and clarity.
3. Kumbhaka Breathwork
In this breathing technique, you can inhale for five seconds, hold your breath for five seconds and exhale for ten.
4. Ajna Chakra Breathing
Inhale from the base of your nostrils and visualise the breath reaching your third eye chakra. Exhale while visualising that the breath is flowing out of the nostrils from the Ajna chakra.
Crystals and Essential Oils
Crystals such as Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli, Labradorite, Sodalite, Azurite, Black Obsidian, Citrine, Clear Quartz, Iolite and Lepidolite and essential oils like Bay Laurel, Clary Sage, Cypress, Elemi, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Helichrysum Italicum and Juniper are highly potent for activating the sixth chakra.
Yoga Poses for the Ajna Chakra
Asanas that facilitate the energy flow to your third eye are excellent tools to activate this chakra. Poses like Child’s Pose, Dolphin Pose, Thunderbolt Pose, Lotus Pose, Fish Pose and Forward Bend Pose are highly recommended.
Read more: Chakra Healing Meditation
Common Challenges in Working with the Ajna Chakra
When you’re working on the sixth chakra, you can experience some problems till the chakra becomes fully balanced. The key is to continue working on the chakra to reap the benefits. Below are some challenges you can expect.
- Headaches and migraines.
- Vision problems including blurred vision, eye strain or dizziness.
- Sleep issues like insomnia and nightmares.
- Low mood and anxious thoughts.
- Confusion and uncertainty.
The Ajna chakra or the third chakra is the sixth chakra in your chakra system. This energy centre is associated with the colour indigo and is believed to be the seat of intuition. It is located between your eyebrows at the centre of your forehead. An imbalanced third eye chakra can lead to pessimism, depression, confusion, brain fog, headaches and migraines, lack of focus, fearfulness, hallucinations, dissociation and indecisiveness. You can balance this chakra by using meditation, breathwork, essential oils, crystals and yoga poses. Learn more about balancing your chakras with experts on SoulSensei.
Sources
- Yoga Journal – What you need to know about the Ajna Chakra
