The eyes are connected to the sixth chakra, also known as the third eye chakra or ajna chakra. The third eye chakra is associated with intuition, imagination, wisdom, and the ability to see situations from a higher perspective. When this chakra is balanced and open, we have clarity of insight, we trust our inner guidance, and we are able to visualize clearly. Imbalances in the third eye chakra can manifest as eye problems, headaches, neurological issues, learning disabilities, or difficulty concentrating. By understanding the third eye chakra and how to care for it, we can enhance our spiritual vision and consciousness.
What are chakras?
Chakras are energy centers located throughout the body. There are seven main chakras that run along the midline of the body, from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. Each chakra corresponds to specific organs, glands, and aspects of our consciousness. The chakras process spiritual energy from the universe and transform it into physical energy that nourishes the body. Keeping the chakras balanced and open allows energy to flow freely through our system, which is vital for our health and well-being.
When the chakras become blocked, our physical, mental, and spiritual health suffer. Understanding how to unblock and heal the chakras is key to maintaining balance, releasing negative energy, and raising our vibration. Most spiritual traditions recognize the importance of the chakras and provide guidance on keeping them clear and aligned.
The 7 Main Chakras
| Chakra | Location | Color | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root | Base of spine | Red | Earth |
| Sacral | Lower abdomen | Orange | Water |
| Solar plexus | Upper abdomen | Yellow | Fire |
| Heart | Center of chest | Green | Air |
| Throat | Throat | Blue | Sound |
| Third eye | Forehead | Indigo | Light |
| Crown | Top of head | Violet | Thought |
Third Eye Chakra
The third eye chakra, also known as ajna or brow chakra, is the sixth chakra located between the eyebrows. It is associated with the pituitary gland and pineal gland. The third eye governs our intuition, imagination, wisdom, and ability to think and make decisions. It allows us to cut through illusions to see the deeper truths.
Third Eye Chakra Color and Symbol
The color associated with the third eye chakra is indigo. The chakra’s symbol is a lotus flower with two petals. Inside the lotus flower is a downward-facing triangle that represents Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and transformation. The triangle represents the descent of spiritual wisdom into the mind.
Third Eye Chakra Function
When our third eye chakra is balanced and open, we experience:
- Clear intuition and insight
- Ability to visualize clearly
- Being able to see situations from a “higher” perspective
- Trusting inner guidance
- Having an active imagination
- Feeling connected to one’s spirituality
- Ability to solve problems and think clearly
Physical issues related to the third eye chakra include:
- Headaches
- Vision and eye problems
- Learning disabilities
- Insomnia
- Neurological disorders
- Hormonal imbalances
When our third eye is blocked or unbalanced, we may experience:
- Poor concentration and focus
- Difficulty imagining things
- Inability to understand situations fully
- Lack of wisdom and intuition
- Feeling disconnected spiritually
- Nightmares
- Hallucinations
How to Balance the Third Eye Chakra
There are many ways we can keep our third eye chakra balanced and nourished:
- Meditation, especially third eye meditations focusing on the area between the eyebrows
- Using indigo-colored crystals like sodalite, lapis lazuli, and azurite
- Aromatherapy using essential oils like lavender, frankincense, and peppermint
- Deep breathing exercises to calm the mind
- Getting enough sleep and rest
- Eating healthy, whole foods. Dark blue or purple fruits and vegetables nourish the third eye.
- Doing things that stimulate imagination like art, visualizations, dreamwork
- Chanting or reciting mantras
Taking time each day to tune into your third eye through meditation, breathwork, or just being in stillness and silence will help strengthen your intuition and inner sight. Be aware of signs from the universe and pay attention to your dreams. Trust your “inner knowing” even when it doesn’t make logical sense. Keeping the third eye balanced takes practice, but the rewards are immense in terms of spiritual vision and tapping into your highest wisdom.
The Third Eye and Eyes
Our two physical eyes perceive the material and physical world. Our third eye, or inner eye, allows us to see beyond ordinary reality. It gives us flashes of intuition and insight that are not just based on what we physically see, but on a deeper spiritual perception. While the two biological eyes see outwardly, the third eye sees inwardly. Its vision is of a subtler energetic realm, which is why the third eye is associated with imagination, visualization, and precognition.
Those with an active third eye have very vivid dreams, strong intuition, and can pick up on energies and information that others may miss. They may be prone to visual disturbances like seeing auras, lights, or shadows. The two physical eyes gather sensory data, while the third eye intuitively knows things without needing concrete evidence. Its vision transcends time and space.
Third Eye Chakra and Eye Problems
Since the third eye chakra is associated with actual eyes and vision, a blocked or misaligned third eye can manifest as eye problems or issues:
- Blurred vision
- Far-sightedness
- Near-sightedness
- Eye infections or conjunctivitis
- Tired, strained eyes
- Dark circles under eyes
- Twitching eyes
- Dry eyes
- Cataracts
- Glaucoma
- Macular degeneration
Headaches and migraines can also be related to third eye blockages. These physical eye problems and headaches arise when there is disharmony in the third eye chakra. Healing and opening the third eye through energy work, light therapy, crystals, essential oils, meditation, etc. can help alleviate some of these eye and vision issues.
Of course, it’s important to still see an optometrist and ophthalmologist for any persistent eye problems. But keeping the third eye balanced provides a complementary holistic approach to eye health. It ensures the energetic systems supporting the eyes and vision are healthy.
Strengthening the Mind’s Eye
To boost your third eye chakra and strengthen your “mind’s eye,” spend time doing activities that stimulate the imagination. Here are some suggestions:
- Guided visualizations
- Watching the clouds and imagining shapes
- Daydreaming
- Painting, drawing, art
- Lucid dreaming
- Practicing telepathy
- Imagining alternate futures or timelines
- Thought experiments
- Reading fiction
- Brainstorming creative ideas
Cultivating your imagination enhances intuition, insight, and visionary abilities associated with the third eye chakra. Sharpening your mind’s eye helps attract spiritual guidance, decode metaphors and symbols in your life, remember dreams better, and visualize your desired reality before manifesting it. In short, opening your third eye expands your perception beyond the limitations of the physical senses.
How to Open Your Third Eye
As you’ve learned, the third eye chakra is connected to wisdom, intuition, and transcendental sight. Here are some additional tips for unlocking your third eye:
1. Meditate with third eye-stimulating crystals.
Crystals like amethyst, lapis lazuli, and sodalite can awaken inner vision when meditating with them over the third eye. Lie down and place the crystal directly on the forehead between the eyebrows. Relax and breathe deeply, focusing your attention on the third eye region. Visualize the crystal energizing and opening the third eye.
2. Do Kundalini yoga poses.
In Kundalini Yoga, there are specific asanas like Wide Squat Pose and Sphinx Pose to open the third eye chakra. Holding these poses helps channel energy to the third eye. Practice yoga poses intentionally to stimulate this chakra.
3. Use essential oils.
Essential oils are powerful for awakening intuition and inner sight. For the third eye, some good choices are lavender, peppermint, sandalwood, and frankincense. Apply a drop between the eyebrows, the wrist pulse points, or add to a diffuser at home. Breathe deeply and visualize the oil energizing the third eye.
4. Eat third eye-boosting foods.
Certain foods nurture the third eye chakra, including:
- Dark leafy greens like spinach
- Purple and blue fruits like blackberries, blueberries, purple grapes
- Nuts and seeds like sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds
- Pineapple, which contains bromelain, an anti-inflammatory enzyme
- Herbs like lavender, mint, turmeric
5. Chant ajna mantras.
Chanting is powerful for activating chakras. For the third eye, the seed mantra is SHAM. Chant it out loud or internally to vibrate at the third eye frequency. Other ajna mantras are OM SHAM SIDDHI HUM, OM AIM HRIM KLIM, and OM AING AUNG HRIM.
6. Practice visualization.
The third eye rules imagination and visualization. Imagine a bright light at the ajna chakra. Picture it spinning, glowing, and widening. Visualize it activating your intuition. Use visualization to manifest goals, send healing, or imagine your aura.
Regular meditation, yoga, prayer, and visualization will keep your inner vision clear and third eye chakra balanced. Honor your intuitive hits and pay attention to your dreams. As you strengthen your third eye, you’ll unlock deeper wisdom to navigate life with greater insight.
The Third Eye Chakra and Sleep
Since the third eye chakra is linked to the pineal gland which regulates sleep and wakefulness, disturbances in this chakra can manifest as sleep problems. Here’s how balanced and imbalanced third eye energy impacts sleep:
Signs of Balanced Third Eye Chakra
When the third eye chakra is balanced, your sleep and dreams are:
- Fall asleep easily and sleep soundly through the night
- Have a regular sleep routine
- Feel well-rested upon waking up
- Have a lot of colorful, vivid dreams that you recall clearly
- Able to lucid dream
- Receive spiritual guidance and precognitive visions in dreams
- Dreams provide insight into subconscious feelings
- Nightmares are rare
Signs of Imbalanced Third Eye Chakra
When the third eye is blocked or congested, symptoms may include:
- Insomnia, trouble falling asleep
- Restless sleep, tossing and turning
- Waking up frequently at night
- Very few dreams or difficulty remembering dreams
- Nightmares are common
- Not feeling rested after a full night’s sleep
- Hypersomnia, excessive sleeping
- Disruptive dreams and night terrors
- Recurrent scary or disturbing dreams
Ways to Balance the Third Eye for Better Sleep
Try these tips for aligning the third eye chakra and improving your sleep hygiene:
- Meditate before bedtime to calm an overactive mind
- Limit screen time before bed as the blue light inhibits melatonin production
- Use a sleep mask to block out light
- Take relaxing baths before bed with epsom salt and essential oils
- Drink herbal tea with ingredients like chamomile, lavender, passionflower
- Keep a dream journal to record dreams which helps recall
- Try dream incubation techniques to send questions to your dreams
- Adopt a regular sleep schedule and winding down routine
- Cleanse the bedroom of negative energy
- Try using crystals like amethyst, lepidolite, and angelite by the bed
- Aromatherapy with oils like cedarwood, clary sage, and marjoram
With a balanced and aligned third eye chakra, you’ll experience deep, restful sleep and gain spiritual wisdom through your dream state. Pay attention to any sleep disruptions as signals to nurture your third eye.
Conclusion
In summary, the third eye chakra, or ajna, governs our imagination, intuition, insight, and spiritual vision. Located between the eyebrows, it is linked to the eyes and vision in various ways. Keeping our third eye balanced and open through practices like meditation, chanting, visualization, and dreamwork allows us to see situations clearly and access inner guidance. When our third eye is blocked or congested, we may experience eye problems, sleep disturbances, headaches, unclear thinking, and difficulty visualizing.
There are many effective ways to strengthen the third eye chakra, including using indigo crystals, essential oils, and yoga poses targeting this chakra. A strong third eye benefits our physical vision and spiritual sight. As you awaken your inner vision, you gain wisdom, harness creativity, realize your intuitive potential, and attract visionary experiences. By understanding the third eye and taking steps each day to activate it, you open conduits to your deeper self and higher consciousness.