This column is part of a series to help understand the Chakra System, the seven energy centers in the body. An overview of each can be viewed at citybeat.com or cincyoga.com.
Sanskrit Name: Ajna
Location: Located at the center of the forehead in the space between the eyebrows. It governs the lower brain and nervous system, the ears, the nose and the mind. Through the third eye chakra we consider our spiritual nature of insight and intuition.
When Balanced: This chakra attends to helping us develop our visualization and imagination skills to see beyond the physical world. Clear perception and intellectual abilities feel healthy and rewarding.
When Unbalanced: The effect is difficulty focusing in life, detachment and intellectual stagnation. Our bodily dysfunctions are headaches, poor memory and fuzzy thinking.
Painting, drawing, meditating and keeping a dream journal are all helpful ways in bringing balance.
Working with images on a conscious level helps us to stay in control, since we're bombarded with unconscious stimulation in the environment on a daily basis.
Yoga postures are therapeutic to helping balance and maintain healthy chakra functioning. Some of the poses which benefit the sixth chakra have a forehead and visualizing focus. They help us bring awareness to the inner knower by developing our internal gaze that helps to free up our wisdom and brain power. Physi-cally opening this area also helps stretch weary eye muscles and release tension in the scalp and skull.
Here's an easy one to practice on a break during work or at home.
Eye Circles: Sit up straight or lie down comfortably. Pause and take a long deep breath in and long deep breath out to relax. Close your eyes. Imagine there's clock in front of you. Behind your eyelids, begin to circle your eyes starting at 12 o'clock. Slowly move your eyes clockwise, pausing at each number. Then go counterclockwise. Keep breathing and notice if you skip over some numbers more than others and slow down to stretch your eyes to "see" them all, without straining. Repeat three full rounds (or more). Then rub your hands together till you feel heat and massage with your fingertips around your eyebrows, temples, hairline, nose and ears. This helps release tightness and mental clutter and creates space to receive new ideas. It's a great exercise for writers block and mental fatigue. Enjoy the positive fresh energy flow that follows.
If you like, you can use one of the following to help enhance your experience while you're in the posture.
Color: Violet — visualize this shade and its slow vibration in the opened area.
Sound: Om (rhymes with home) — repeat this over and over, drawing out the letter "m."
Mantra: "I am the witness" — repeat this slowly and mindfully (aloud or to yourself).
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