So, for the sake of the latter mentioned above, we will start this article with a few paragraphs that will enlighten our newcomers and ensure that our understanding of today's subject is on an equal standing.
Hmm? Chakra? What Is That?
First and foremost: just what is a chakra?
Chakra, in Sanskrit, refers to wheels, and they are located in various parts of our body. They are these circles of energy, and they are thought to be connected respectively to areas of the nervous system and some of our major organs. Although some sources say that there are 114 chakras on our body, it is agreed that there are seven main chakras and that they are placed along our spine, ending at the crown of our head.
These wheels of energy require being unblocked or opened for us to be able to utilize them for our own betterment. But what is it that they do?
Chakras are meant to provide energy to your organs and other areas for optimal functioning. They help you get rid of negative feelings and emotions and bring out positive feelings instead to help us live a better life.
So, What Exactly is the Third Eye Chakra?
The third eye chakra is one of the seven main chakras out there. You can also refer to it as Ajna, and its location is on the forehead, between the eyes. The third eye chakra is responsible for your instinct, intuition, wisdom, perception, and imagination.
The third eye chakra allows us to have a clear and concise manner of thinking. Awakening your third eye chakra makes room for self-reflection and scrutiny. It enhances the way you view the world and commences a stronger intuition — bringing out a keener sixth sense. The third eye chakra broadens your mind and widens the spectrum of your thinking and perspective. It fuels your creativity and imagination. Ajna induces balance in thoughts and raises self-awareness.
Why Is It So Important To Have Your Third Eye Chakra Open Or Unblocked?
When your chakra is blocked or out of balance, you may experience mental disturbances and emotional distress, endure inner conflicts of spiritual manners and suffer from physical repercussions.
Here are some of the things that you could find yourself facing when your third eye chakra is blocked:
- persistent feelings of sadness, a depressive state of mind
- development of overthinking and debilitating worrying about the past, present, and future and everything big and small — an anxious manner of living
- insecurities: self-doubt, constant undermining of your own abilities and capabilities, seeking validation from others while being disregardful of your own approval of yourself, and lacking confidence in many areas of life (work, school, social life, etc.)
- a feeling of having strayed from a familiar path that was yours, feeling lost in the light of your future plans, of your own desires, needs, and identity
- your thinking, you might notice or others around you would, will become restricted and narrowed and cornered by typical standards of understanding and comprehension
- you may find yourself plagued with physical ailments and weaknesses — issues such as headaches, blurry vision, dizzy spells
- during the period your third eye chakra is unaligned, you can find yourself in a state of confusion and disorientation
- your sleep cycle may become disrupted, leading to nights of sleeplessness or inadequate sleep, both of which lead to daytime drowsiness, fatigue, sluggishness, irritability, nightmares, and difficulty concentrating — overall, an inferior level of functioning that impacts heavily and negatively your daily life and mental stability
How Do You Unblock Your Third Eye Chakra Then?
Opening your third eye chakra has easy (and quick, too) methods to accomplish even though they require strenuous practice, patience, concentration, willpower, visualization, and diligence.
You can align your third eye chakra through body poses and meditational exercises.
Firstly, fold your legs into a criss-cross position — usually, both your feet remain tucked under your legs. For this pose, however, you are to tuck one foot closer towards you and bring the one leg up over the other so that your foot rests against where your thigh and calf meet. If visualization is a task harder for you than it is for others, and you need assistance of some sort to help you with it, you can press a finger or two against your forehead, just above the space between your eyebrows.
Empty your mind of thought. Easier said than done, right? But we, here, are meditating, and it is one of the few things that can help you stop thinking. So, empty your mind, and take a deep breath, inhaling and exhaling through your nose. Keep your eyes shut — the less you have to see, the easier it is to not think about anything. Also, make sure you are in a relatively quiet area so that sounds and noises may not distract you from your meditation. Always remember, you can not force your mind to do something it can not achieve, so always take things slowly and try again if you fail to do things right the first time. If you are not careful with the manner in which you treat your conscience, you can hurt yourself.
Once you have accomplished the task of shutting out your thoughts, next, you are to visualize that the spot on your forehead that you are pressing with your finger is the third eye, that there is a pressure building up in there.
At this point, or maybe it has been there since the beginning, your thoughts will be seeping into you again, and you might have begun thinking to yourself, "Oh, this is not actually happening. I am only imagining it." It could break your concentration and will, but you should ignore such thoughts. Instead, try to be more conscious of where your third eye is situated.
Now put down your arm if you are holding your fingers up against your forehead. We will now assume the 'proper' stance of meditation: you will place your hands, palms facing up, on your knees. This part of the awakening process may take up to ten minutes or more, so make sure you are not tight on time. Keep your back straight, eyes closed. Focus on your third eye, and visualize that it is open.
Slowly and deeply, you will inhale and exhale. On the second inhale, you will engage in locking your root chakra. (Note: if you are a beginner and do not understand this bit, you can check out videos and articles that cover this topic. You can also read ahead to where the article is about the second method of awakening your third eye chakra). Hold onto that root lock, continue inhaling and take that breath up to where your third eye is.
Hold your breath now. Observe that it has gotten brighter in your mind. Keep holding your breath for as long as you can, and keep visualizing the light. Once you feel you can not keep from exhaling any longer, you are free to let go.
Inhale once more in the same fashion, but this time, when you hold your breath, you will contract your abdominal muscles. You will realize that chemicals are being released and that they are putting the pineal gland into action. You will feel a sensation in your forehead where your third eye is. That is the pineal gland beginning to activate. Repeat this manner of meditating:
- Inhale.
- Activate the root lock.
- Hold your breath.
- Squeeze your abdominal muscles and then exhale when you can no longer keep your breath still. Focus on your breath, your root lock, the contraction of your abdominal muscles, and the sensations you feel in the spot where your third eye is. Straighten your spine and visualize your connection to the universe.
As you continue this, you will begin to see something in your third eye — a visualization. Do not put your concern into whether it is a figment of your imagination or just random imagery. If you think about it, then your mind will definitely have a hand in imagining it, and you will be making it up deliberately. The vision you see (when it comes to your third eye without you making it up with your mind) is your accessibility to another dimension. At this point, most people would only see colors in their minds. Some people can see particular scenarios.
Continue your controlled breathing and contracting of abdominal muscles and the activation of the root lock. Now, you may ask yourself questions. Questions regarding where you are, and answering it with a visual of the last image you had seen in your third eye. Move on with that, do not think further than necessary. It should feel like you are an observer of your own mind, watching from the sidelines, relaxed and unaffected by anything that is happening inside your head. The pressure should slowly become higher, and your visualizations should become clearer.
Next, you should come back to your normal breathing, aware of your third eye and what you are seeing in your third eye, where you are, and where you will go forward. Do not allow your mind to wander away from this moment and concentration. Do not let go of what you see, what you feel, and what you sense.
After a couple of minutes of breathing like normal and relaxing, you are to rub your palms together until they warm up and then place the heels of your palms against your eyes. You can feel the warmth seeping through your eyes into the third eye, the energy getting into the third eye. Visualize the energy being locked away into it.
Situate your hands over your ears next, and hold them there for a few seconds before taking them down to the back of your neck for another few seconds. Relax yourself, your shoulders, and your neck. Bring your hands in front of you, press the palms together in the form of prayer and tilt your neck down — you can now open your eyes. Your meditation has now come to an end.
Here is another method through which you can open your third eye chakra and achieve a spiritual awakening:
You are to, yet again, assume a relaxed and comfortable stance in a room or area where you may remain undisturbed and where distraction is minimal. Close your eyes and start breathing calmly and deeply. Focus only on your breath but do not force yourself into this meditation if you feel like you cannot put yourself into it wholeheartedly. Allow your breath to slow down naturally. Now visualize your third eye in the spot where your pineal gland is located.
Imagine a stream of energy in your heart and imagine it traveling up and linking with your third eye. It is essential that you do not force yourself into this since it can lead to an unsuccessful attempt to unlock your third eye chakra and unwanted drawbacks. So remain relaxed, and if you fail in unlocking your chakra, fret not because opening your chakra can take several days and minutes of meditation.
These exercises, once put into daily practice, allow the body to produce chemicals that exercise and activate the pineal gland. During this process (or after), you may feel sensations in your third eye, tingling, mild throbbing, and pressure.
We learn from these techniques some very crucial things:
- Visualization is an extremely powerful tool in unlocking your third eye chakra
- Breathing in a calm, proper manner encourages the relaxation of the mind and the body and helps in better concentration
- Meditations, in general, assist in controlling the flow of internal energy and bring about proper control of the mind and body
Are There Other Factors That Can Contribute to The Opening of The Third Eye?
Some studies show that there are several things that influence the opening of your third eye:
- Essential oils — the use of essential oils has been said to provide aid in the process of the unblocking of the third eye. Essential oils such as lemongrass, black pepper, and lavender oils are usually recommended.
- Stones/crystals: stones and crystals in the calming colors of blue and purple can help enhance your intuitive and perceptive abilities and promote healing. You can use sapphires and tanzanites.
- Practice meditation daily.
- The chakras are also associated with food. The third eye chakra is in the indigo color, and if we wish to implement a diet to aid in our spiritual awakening, we should try to consume food accordingly in the shades of purple or indigo, such as eggplants, blueberries, and grapes in the color purple.
Are There Any Setbacks of Spiritual Awakening After Opening The Third Eye?
- Many experts believe that opening the third eye prior to establishing a hold over the other six chakras can be debilitating to oneself.
- Some people might experience physical discomfort.
- Strange disturbances may occur with sleep or the sleep cycle. You may undergo nightmares and may dream vividly.
- In some people, the sense of fearlessness that awakens in them can become recklessness if they let it get into their head and disregard logic and rational thinking in the face of strengthened intuition.
- Confusion and disorientation are one of the other side effects of opening your third eye chakra. The intense visions, senses, and improved abilities might make you flabbergasted and bewildered in an extreme fashion.
- Controlling our own behavior might seem mildly demanding.
- Your enhanced abilities may seem daunting to you, and if you do not manage to get used to them, you may feel overwhelmed.
- You might become overly sensitive to your newly heightened abilities and can suffer from mental and physical repercussions.
The good news is that you can control these side effects through proper meditation and guidance from your guru or mentor.
Some Frequently Asked Questions About The Third Eye and Spiritual Awakening
What are some of the chemicals that the pineal gland releases upon activation through the awakening of the third eye chakra?
According to studies, the pineal gland is primarily responsible for the release of the chemical known as melatonin. Melatonin is a chemical that regulates our sleep cycle. It also has a hand in the reproductive hormones that we have.
Q2. Can you be born with an open third eye?
Everyone has a third eye, and we all actively use it on a daily basis. However, to open your third eye means to use it actively on another, higher level of intensity.
How long does the third eye remain open after awakening?
Your third eye chakra, once opened, is unlikely to get blocked again unless you do it intentionally.
Is there any scientific evidence to prove the legitimacy of the third eye chakra?
The answer to this question is varied amongst people and sources. Some claim that though the chakras are invisible and hard to believe in, they are powerful and exist only in the form of energy that can only help elevate our own pre-existing potentiality. It is also said that while science and the medical field have improved drastically, they still have limitations and many unexplored and misunderstood subjects left, including the science behind chakras. Others question whether there is truly such an intense connection of the mind with the body in the form of energy links.
Can spiritual awakening help improve mental health?
Spirituality is known to awaken a sense of purpose in many individuals. It is held in association with the feelings of peace or contentment. It offers enlightenment, confidence, and better self-esteem and worth. Once you have spiritually awakened, you may experience better self-control and inner strength, as well. You form better and healthier habits and engage in proper routines.
However, some individuals may feel discomfort and feelings of being lost and down.
Can you close your third eye if you wish to, or is it that once it is open, it cannot be blocked again?
Your third eye chakra can be closed intentionally. If you wish to stop receiving information from higher levels and spirituality, you can block your third eye by a rather simple method. Imagine that your third eye is closed — press your palm against your forehead if you think it will help you visualize the closing of your third eye. Visualize an eyelid covering your third eye, apply pressure with the hand you are holding against your forehead, and imagine that you are shutting your third eye.
Chakra and spirituality are subjects of vast domains and immense depth. This article does the subject of the third eye chakra no justice whatsoever, and whatever we have covered so far in it is of superficial nature. This article may only help you understand only slivers of the basic knowledge of chakra and spirituality. At most, it will only help you jog your memories and recall what you may have forgotten and require a little assistance in recollecting.
Suppose you wish to truly learn more about this ironically intense subject of simplicity and meditation. In that case, you may have to seek out professionals because articles such as this one on chakra are only ever going to provide tidbits on the matter. You can also watch videos on Youtube by those who are renowned in this field.
As a word of caution, if you are seeking medical assistance through a spiritual awakening, it is better to receive recommendations and advice from your healthcare provider and a professional in the field of spiritual studies and chakra-awakening (a guru). This practice of spiritual control is not meant to replace medical diagnosis and help.
References
The sites and videos referenced for this article are listed below:
