Hello again!  We hope you all had a relaxing holiday.  We have two more Chakras left to feature in this series.  Last week we looked into the Throat Chakra, the place where personal truth is gathered and expressed.  This week we are looking into the Third Eye Chakra and in the final week we will explore the Crown Chakra.

Again, the purpose for this series is simply to consider what the role of energy, thoughts, and emotions (your own or others) play in the health of the body.  Talking about or exploring the philosophy of the Chakras is just one way to exemplify this statement, especially in specific areas of the body.  At the end of this series we hope you took at least one health concern that you or someone you love may have, has or had experienced and considered how energy, emotions, or thoughts may have played a role in that experience.  If anything, it is something to consider.

That being said, let’s take a look at the Third Eye Chakra.

Chakras (Quick Review)

Chakras (Sanskrit for wheel or cycle) are energetic centers that are located in the mid-line of the body along the spinal column.  These energy centers are derived from eastern philosophies such as Hinduism and Buddhism.  They govern the subtle body which is affected by the mind, intellect, and ego.  The body will thrive emotionally, physically, and spiritually when the Chakras are energetically balanced.  Specific negative life experiences, emotions or thoughts can throw off the subtle body and chakras may become blocked or imbalanced.

According to this eastern philosophy, blockages can have a negative effect on the physical or emotional body and can cause physical/emotional ailments or dis-ease.  These ailments may arise when specific chakras become blocked or imbalanced.  Each chakra is associated with a specific color, area of the body or specific organs, as well as specific feelings/emotions.  Learning about each chakra will help gain a deeper understanding of the unique energies and how they affect the health of your body!

Third Eye Chakra- Ajna

The sixth chakra, referred to as the Third Eye, is called Anja in Sanskrit, which translates to “beyond wisdom.” This chakra opens your mind to information beyond the material world and the five senses; you might think of it as your sixth sense.  It is the center for intuition.  This may sound mystical and out of intellectual grasp for some, so we’d like to try and explore the more practical side of this chakra.

One way of understanding intuition is the ability to look at lots of angels of information and assigning meaning to it.  Not necessarily considering what’s on the surface or the facts, but what is beneath it all– what does it mean?  When we look for the meaning in our experiences we can begin to understand the bigger picture.  We can ‘see’ or ‘know’ things that can help us grow, learn, and/or protect us.

The cool part about intuition, is that there is a biological process that occurs in the body to help communicate that ‘inner knowing’.  This happens via the connection between the digestive system and the brain (the gut-brain axis).  When something feels off even though you can not assign logic, you may feel a sensation in your gut.  The nervous system has a large presence in the gut and the nerves will send information up to the nerves in the brain.  This could be described as a “gut instinct” or perhaps intuition.  This is your body physically reacting to information on an energetic level.  The Third Eye energy center is there to assess, process and trust that feeling or inner knowing.

When this chakra is in balance you can trust that this feeling or inner knowing is valid and beneficial for you, regardless if it may not seem logical or concrete.  You will be open to guidance, be able to clearly see themselves and their reactions to the world, be able to see others and not judge them, not be afraid of death, not attached to material things, self-fulfilled, in touch with their intuitive self, be thoughtful in their way of being and speaking.

When the third eye is deficient a person may be overly passive, undisciplined, weak-willed, have an extreme sensitivity to the feelings (energy) of others, be afraid of success, not in touch with how they really think or feel.

When the third eye has excessive energy a person may be manipulative, proud, closed to the ideas of others, egotistical.

 

Third Eye Chakra Characteristics

Color Association: Indigo/Light Purple

Action: Meditate, take slow deep breaths, go out in nature, do yoga, get a good night’s sleep, write down your dreams, go to an interactive museum.

Mantra: I have an inner wisdom that guides me to make healthy decisions. I can see beauty within me and all around me.

Foods:  Interestingly enough, fasting or abstaining from food for a short period of time will help clear the mind and body and re-charge the Third Eye Chakra.  This is a way to increase the intuitive nature of this chakra as well as increase connectivity with God/The Divine.

Organs Associated:  Brain, nervous system, eyes, ears, nose, pineal gland, pituitary gland

Possible Health Affects:  Brain cancer/tumor, stroke, neurological disturbances, blindness, deafness, full spinal difficulties, learning disabilities, seizures.

Possible Issues: Self-evaluation, truth, intellectual abilities, feelings of inadequacy, openness to the ideas of others/easily influenced, ability to learn from experience, emotional intelligence.

Supplements:

Buddha Teas Third Eye Chakra Tea is a calming and aromatic tea with a perfect selection of herbs for the Third Eye Chakra.  It features the herbs Eye Bright, Jasmine flower, Spearmint, Star Anise, and Passion Flower.  This makes for a great night time tea with relaxing jasmine and passion flower!

Bilberry – This is an herb/berry that is typically used to help increase the health of the eyes.  It is full of antioxidants and tannins that can be beneficial for the immune system as well as tightening internal tissues.  This is great herb for the gut brain axis as well as intuition and the Third Eye!

B-Complex –  The B Vitamins are beneficial for the nervous system and can help increase energy in the body.   All of the B vitamins can be great to help support gut health as well as brain health.  This makes it perfect for supporting intuition and the Third Eye energy center.

Fulvic Minerals – When you provide your body with essential minerals your nervous system will perform at its best — which will relax the body and produce a healthy environment for inner wisdom and intuition.

Everyone has the ability to strengthen their intuition simply by searching for patterns and meaning in every day life.   This process can really help sift through all of the information and experiences that we encounter and make deeper sense of it all.  Enabling you to define and build your own personal truth.  This can protect you from being easily manipulated or easily influenced.  If you feel confusion about what is ‘true’, trust your gut and access the power of your Third Eye.  You can also listen to a guided meditation to help focus and hone in on your intuition, aka your Third Eye Chakra!

As always, do what you feel is best for YOUR body — if you aren’t sure, ask your doctor.  We are health ENTHUSIASTS not licensed practitioners.