Caution: The third eye chakra is where things cross the realm of healing and get a bit hairy. If you are keen on pursuing opening, unblocking or balancing this chakra in any way, you should be going to a knowledgeable and trustworthy healer for guidance especially in those with anxiety, PTSD, or mood disorders.
The third eye chakra or the Manipura chakra, is a disc of indigo light located between the brows on the forehead on the medullary plexus. It is popularly known as the brow chakra or the pineal gland chakra, and comes sixth in sequence of the seven chakras signficant in the practice of Kundalini yoga. It is after the throat chakra and before the crown chakra, all of which raise consciousness above the baser needs and to enlightenment. According to Tantric philosophy, these three chakras are the head of the metaphorical serpent that remains coiled at the base of the spine. Incidentally, the pineal gland where the chakra is said to be located is a remnant of our reptilian brain, functioning to receive and convey information about the current light-dark cycle from the environment. Snakes, like reptiles, also use a similar mechanism.
The Pineal Gland
Renee Descartes once described the pineal gland as the “Seat of the Soul”. It is located in the center of the brain, regulates female hormones and secretes melatonin, which is responsible for sleep cycles. Since the third eye chakra is all about images and perception, its most natural state is the dream state. There is no scientific research to support claims that associate it with the third eye chakra, but there is an age-old significance across many world religions, with fantastic interpretations.
The late Tantric teacher Harish Johari writes in his book, Chakras: Energy Centers of Transformation : “Tantric practices lead the mind to its higher aspect where it completely closes its doors to the world and does not desire, think, or will, but realizes the supreme truth and thus merges into the supreme consciousness.”
FAQs
How do you unblock your third eye chakra?
When your third eye chakra is blocked, especially when it’s unsupported by the balancing of the other chakras, it can manifest as:
- Feeling stuck and purposeless
- Inability of creating a larger vision, goal or roadmap to dreams bigger than the present
- Rejection of everything spiritual or beyond the usual
- Lack of clarity
- Narrow-mindedness
There are several ways of balancing one’s third eye chakra. These include yoga, energy healing, reiki healing, daily affirmations, healing stones or crystals and aromatherapy.
They all require the input of a knowledgeable healer to help guide you through the process. However there are eye exercises in yoga which are suitable for self-led third eye unblocking.
Massaging techniques for third eye chakra
Yogic Eye Exercises
Steps:
- Begin in a seated meditation position, spine erect. Close your eyes and allow them to bask in the darkness.
- Bring your awareness to the point between your eyes, in the center of the head.
- Once ready, open your eyes and gaze straight ahead.
- Slowly stretch your eyes upward without moving your head. Then come downward in a straight line, gazing as low as your vision can reach
- Repeat upward, and then downward again, then return your eyes to center
- Once done, close your eyes again.
- When ready, open your eyes again and center them.
- Move them from corner to corner, first from upper right to lower left twice, then twice from upper left to lower right.
- Repeat steps 1-6 except replacing the upward-downward motion with a clockwork movement of the eyes.
- Once done, rub your palms together briskly and place your warmed palms over your eyelids. Slowly stroke your eyelids, massaging your forehead and face.
Exercise from: Wheels of Life by Judith Anodea
What is the power of third eye?
Empaths, clairvoyants and alternative healers rarely enter their fields without help from the third eye. Simple tools like meditation focused on the third eye chakra can bring out tremendous gains in intuition and perception and a gale of healing and productivity benefits that can make you more confident and wise in your decision-making, work and personal life and build your trust in your own instinct.
What can third eye do?
The superpowered third eye can accomplish several feats, opening up supernatural possibilities such as
- astral projection
- clairvoyance and other psychic abilities
- manifestation
- visualization
At a more advanced stage of practice in many religions, the powers of the third eye chakra transcend the physical plane. Buddhists regard the third eye as the “eye of consciousness”, Franciscan Friar Father Richard Rohr teaches that the level of awareness the third eye represents refers to “having the mind of Christ.”
How do you use the third eye chakra?
Nurturing the third eye chakra opens up your life’s possibilities by allowing you to build faith in yourself and find passion, purpose and meaning in your life’s work.
When its blockages are cleared and energy flows smoothly through it, you find that you are able to remain more present, more motivated and creative, imagine possibilities and make your aspirations come true.
If there is any weight at all to the connection between chakras and certain internal organs, you find that your health might improve. With the third chakra this includes the stomach, intestines, gallbladder, liver, pancreas and spleen.
What happens if third eye opens?
When the third eye opens, its effect depends on whether the chakra is overactive or underactive, aligned or misaligned.
The effects may vary but encompass the following*:
Positive effects
- Realization of life beyond the physical realm.
- Expanding consciousness.
- Awareness of the presence of a field of energy such as the morphogenetic field.
- Experiencing boundless happiness, peace, and love.
Negative effects
- Nightmares
- Uncanny intuitions
- Out-of-body experiences
- High sensitivity to light and colors
- Fear and disorientation
- Erratic behavior
*Source: abundancenolimits.com
For the ultimate introduction to the seven chakras (including the third-eye chakra, you might like to check out The Invisible Engine: your 7 chakras on Seema.com*
- Note to publisher: Please link to the 7 chakras article
