Welcome back to another edition of The Chakra Series! Today’s article is about the third eye chakra and the mysteries surrounding it. The third eye chakra is one of my favorite chakras along with the root chakra. It’s also my most feared chakra and I’ll tell you why below. If you are just joining us in the series, click here to start at the beginning!
The sanskrit word for the third eye chakra is Anja which means “to command” and is most closely associated with light. Anja regulates our intuition, imagination, thought and self-awareness. The mantra is “OM” which I’m sure you’ve all heard before! It’s a powerful and popular mantra used in meditation. Anja’s color is indigo.
The third eye chakra is located in the brain, just above the center of your eyebrows. The third eye is also closely associated with the pineal gland which is physically located right in the same location as the chakra. The pineal gland is shrouded in spirituality and has often been referred to as the link between the physical and spiritual realms. You will often hear people refer to the third eye and pineal gland interchangeably.
Anja allows us to see both inner and outer worlds. It gives us access to our inner guidance, also known as intuition, and helps us push through illusions and function on a deeper, connected level. When balanced, it creates the ideal space for both sides of the brain to work hand-in-hand at all times.
When blocked, one can experience physical symptoms like headaches, vision blurriness and sciatica. Emotional responses would be depression, anxiety or delusions. More extreme symptoms of a blocked third eye are persistent nightmares and vivid dreams accompanied by paranoia.
The parts of our spirit, body and self that the third eye controls is developed as an adolescent. Children are usually very in-tune with their third eye however, it is usually learned and developed on a deeper level during adolescence. We often hear about children seeing and talking to spirits. This is because their third eye isn’t fully developed! It’s totally normal but can be a little off putting at times.
My son is 2 and often talks to his deceased great-grandmother. He started doing this at about 11 months old, right after he learned the word “mama.” I was changing his diaper after a nap and he kept saying “mom-mom,” over and over again. I told him that I was mama, not mom-mom and guys, he looked me dead in my eyes and said, “No, mom-mom.” So I calmly asked him if he could show me where mom-mom was and y’all, this baby pointed without hesitation, to his rocking chair and said mom-mom again. I just about peed my pants at this point.
After that, I started regularly hearing him having conversations with her before bed and after he woke up from naps. I was never sure which grandmother he was talking to until a few months ago when I was giving Alexis a reiki session. She actually saw her face come through the wall in my son’s room while he was napping, give him a kiss and stand watching over him in his crib. Mind you, Alexis had never seen Grandma Connie before. Literally ever. I’m not going to lie, I was freaked out by all of this at first but now it’s comforting knowing that she is with us and protecting my child. It’s funny, I can actually feel her standing behind me at my desk as I’m writing this!
Seeing spirits is the biggest thing that most people associate with the third eye chakra and it is a giant part of it but seeing spirits isn’t the only thing a balanced anja does. A balanced third eye will give you a kick-ass intuition and this is very important. You hear the saying all the time, “trust your gut,” but that’s hard to do when you have a blocked third eye!
My spiritual abilities really kicked in after I had my son. I would feel things in our apartment and at night when I would go to bed, I would have this feeling that someone was watching me. It got so bad that I was just not sleeping at all and let me tell you, that was hard. Having a newborn baby and working from home full time AND not sleeping on top of it? I was a complete mess and I honestly thought I was going crazy. I was worried that I had some form of late onset schizophrenia or something like it. Thank goodness for my angel of a business partner, Alexis.
She came to my apartment one night to spend time with me and my son and I ended up telling her what was going on. While we were talking, she took out her pendulum and started walking around the apartment. When she was done, she told me that I wasn’t crazy and pointed out the spots that she was feeling a heavy energy. You guys, I NEVER told her the places I was feeling the energy but she told me the exact 3 places that I was sensing it at. All I could do was cry… and cry some more. I’ve always been an empath. All my life I’ve been very in tune with other people’s emotions and I’ve naturally gravitated towards jobs that allow me to help people. I’d describe myself as an old soul. But when I had my son, those abilities exploded.
It’s actually very common for this to happen to postpartum women. I’ll be honest, I don’t know the reason and if anyone can enlighten me in the comments, I would be truly grateful! After I had Jamison, I can only describe what happened as my third eye being ripped open. I don’t think I was ready for such an experience but looking back I am grateful for it. I probably wouldn’t have ended up on this path if it weren’t for such a quick opening of my third eye and it’s yet another reason that I am so grateful for my sweet son.
But this is the reason I was so fearful of the third eye for so long. I was afraid to do anything for a long time. I couldn’t meditate and I still sleep with the TV on because I’m scared to be in the dark. I find that sometimes when people start to explore their spiritual side, they get so caught up in the mystical aspects that they inadvertently end up doing the same thing that happened to me postpartum. They rip the third eye wide open but aren’t always prepared for what comes after. There is really no way to know exactly what will come after. I believe everyone has some sort of “woo” skill or magical ability. But everyone is different so of course one person’s abilities are going to be different from someone else’s. The best way to tune and develop anja is to do it gradually and trust the process.
How do we do this? A lot of the ways are the same as the other chakras; essential oils, affirmations, yoga and crystals. But there are a few other fun ways that you can develop the third eye that I’m going to talk about below. I want to reiterate that this is a process. Like all the other chakras, it takes time and dedication to tune the third eye. Rome wasn’t built in a day, right? So take your time and have fun. Explore a few mystical or intuitive things that speak to you and see what happens. This could be buying your first tarot deck (I highly recommend this!), getting reiki level 1 attuned, or trying your hand at creating a full moon ritual. Whatever makes you feel good!
Speaking of reiki attunements, did you know that Alexis and I are currently working on writing the curriculum for all reiki level attunements?! I can’t wait to launch this new venture for Seven Stones Studio and I promise, it’s going to be SO good. Make sure to follow us on facebook and instagram for more information if you are interested in getting an attunement. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive information directly to your mailbox!
I want to talk about the fun ways to tune your third eye before we get to the other typical options. The first fun way is star gazing or moon-gazing. This is obviously best done when it’s warmer outside. You don’t need anything fancy to do this. Just a comfortable standing or seated position and your beautiful peepers. Star and moon-gazing can be used as a form of meditation. Get in your comfy position and look up at the sky. Take some deep breaths and try to clear your mind before turning your gaze to the sky. You can try looking for messages in the stars or just take in the beauty and see what happens. If you are watching the moon, focus all your attention on it and open yourself up to whatever messages you need to hear. This doesn’t have to be a long process if you don’t want it to be! I try to take a moment to look up on clear nights when I take my dog out before bed.
If star or moon-gazing isn’t your jam you can also try your hand at candle gazing! Light a candle, place it at eye level about 1-3 feet away and gaze into its dancing flame to balance the third eye and receive guidance. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t feel anything or receive a life altering message. Like I mentioned above, this is a form of meditation so practice, practice, practice!
The second fun way to tune and balance your third eye is to get sleep! Getting 7-8 hours of sleep is important not only for having a functioning third eye but also for overall health and wellness. The hours between 1am and 4am are very important for this chakra as it’s most active during this timeframe. This is when we connect with our deepest self, typically through our dreams.
Do you ever wake up knowing that you had a crazy dream but you can’t remember it? Or maybe you do remember but it fades away after a while? This is super common! You may not remember your dreams but we promise, you are definitely dreaming each night! A helpful way to tune your third eye is to start a dream journal. Put it next to your bed so when you wake up in the morning you can write down what you remember. This is an effective way to track your dreams and see if you can decipher the messages your subconscious is trying to tell you. You could also try your hand at lucid dreaming. This means that you are aware that you are dreaming while you are in a dream. Your senses are heightened during a lucid dream thus giving you better control over receiving messages from your subconscious. The easiest way to begin lucid dreaming is to start your dream journal and write everything down! Over time you’ll become more accustomed to recognizing when you are dreaming.
The third fun way to tune the third eye is to work on releasing your ego. Okay, this doesn’t sound that fun, right? It doesn’t have to be a bad thing! Releasing your ego means that you are letting go of the emotions of what is called the “egoic body” and instead embracing compassion and forgiveness. The egoic body is your feelings of judgement towards yourself and others, anger, doubts and self-limiting beliefs. Letting go of these feelings will bring you into unity with your third eye and allow you to trust your intuition on a deeper level.
Read on below to learn the other ways to tune your third eye chakra. I think overall, the best way to get in touch with Anja is to learn how to listen to and trust your intuition. It’s not always an easy process and it’s definitely something that I struggle with too! You know what I’m talking about; you have a thought and it seems like a great idea until the self limiting beliefs come into play and tell you that you are silly or that you will never succeed. Changing your mindset is HARD but I promise it’s possible. Tell your doubts to take a backseat. Do you want to start a business but are afraid you will fail? Or maybe you want to go back to school or apply for that job that you think you’re not qualified for. Just do it! You’ll never know that you won’t succeed unless you try! But your doubts on the backburner or tell them to take a hike and do you!
And please, trust the process. Don’t try to force anything whether it’s opening your third eye or grounding your root chakra. Everything takes time and it’s more about the journey, not the end results. I promise that taking your time to get in tune with your third eye and intuition will bring your greater success than trying to force it open before you are ready.
I want to hear about your spiritual journeys! Tell us in the comments where you are or what you are struggling with. If you have questions about the third eye or any of the other chakras, shoot us an email. We would be happy to help however we can!
Tune in next week for our final installment of the chakra series where we talk about the last chakra, the crown!
Namaste friends!
Additional Ways To Tune The 3rd Eye Chakra
Essential Oils: Patchouli, frankincense, clary sage, sandalwood, juniper, and vetiver
Crystals: Shungite, sapphire, lapis lazuli, kyanite, labradorite, and amethyst
Yoga: Standing forward bend, dolphin, child’s pose, head to knee
Meditation: Meditate, meditate, meditate!
Affirmations:
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- I have the right to see what I see
- I release and forgive the past
- My ability to visualize is amplified
- I open myself to know my inner guidance and deepest wisdom
- I live in the light of my truth and I accept what I know
- I am wise, intuitive, and aligned, with my own highest good
- I seek wisdom and guidance in all situations
- I trust my intuition
