6 Powerful Techniques to Open Your Third Eye Chakra

Finding clarity is fundamental and crucial if you want to live an authentic and fulfilling life.  Clarity brings you greater self-awareness and a clear understanding of your values, your desires and your true priorities as well as emotional resilience in the face of all challenges. And all this offers you a greater sense of direction and purpose. One of the best ways to cultivate clarity is to connect with the energy of your third eye chakra (Ajna chakra). 

As you may know, the chakras are the body’s energy centres in the yogic tradition. “Chakra” in Sanskrit translates to “wheel”.   You can imagine the 7 chakras as 7 spinning wheels located in seven spots along the spine, all aligned one on top of the other from the very grounding root chakra at the base of your spine to the highly spiritual crown chakra at the top of your head. 

The sixth chakra is known as the third eye chakra, called Ajna chakra in Sanskrit (आज्ञा). This chakra is located between between your two eye brows and towards the centre of the head.  The third eye chakra is associated with the pineal gland in the centre of the brain (it’s responsible for the production of melatonin and the regulation of the body’s circadian rhythm), which René Descartes (17th century French philosopher) famously called the “seat of the soul” where the physical and the spiritual worlds meet. 

With this sixth chakra we are in the realm of the upper chakras (the 5th, 6th and 7th) which are linked to states of higher consciousness, spiritual awareness and inner knowing…all the non-physical aspects of our being.  And these chakras are possibly the most difficult to connect with as we are typically more focused on the material things.  Connecting with the upper chakras requires introspection and inner stillness so that you can better connect with the spiritual aspects of your journey.

Ajna in Sanskrit means “to perceive” and “beyond wisdom”.   And this is what the third eye chakra is all about.  The third eye is the eye that sees when our eyes our closed, that understands things on a deeper level from an extrasensory place. It represents insight, intuition, imagination and mental clarity.  The third eye chakra is a place of deep inner wisdom, the gateway to higher consciousness.

When the energy of you third eye chakra is strong and balanced, you are clear, focused and confident in your thinking and your decision making.  Your self-awareness is strong and you trust your inner wisdom.  You have a strong sense of purpose. 

Some signs that your third eye chakra is out of balance might be headaches, insomnia, confusion, lack of direction or purpose in your life.

Here are 6 powerful ways to activate and balance your third eye chakra, for greater clarity and easier access to your inner wisdom and all the beauty it brings to your journey. They can be done separately or integrated into your yoga and meditation practice. 

1. Add these poses to your yoga practice to stimulate your third eye
The best yoga poses to stimulate the third eye chakra are those that encourage introspection, that increase blood flow to the head and promote a focus on the area between the eye brows.  These include inversions (Downward Facing Dog or Standing Forward Fold for example) and poses where your forehead gently pressed to the floor, a block, towards your knees (Child’s Pose, Melting Heart Pose, Head to Knee or any other forward fold). Have a clear intention to focus on your third eye when you want to cultivate clarity in your life.

2. Get the blues
The third eye chakra is represented by the colour indigo, a beautiful, deep shade of purplish blue.  Blue or purple crystals can help to activate the energy of your third eye chakra.  Find a beautiful stone such as lapis lazuli, kyanite, azurite, amethyst, sodalite or labradorite.  Choose it for the colour, the shape, the feeling in your hand…and trust your intuition to find just the right one for you in this particular moment.  You can hold your blue crystal in your hand for meditation, keep it on your altar, or wear it as jewellery (such as a mala) to remind you of your intention for clarity.

3. Capture the light
The third eye chakra is connected to the element of light (ether).  So a beautiful way to activate it is to see the light in a deeper way.  You might wish to gaze briefly at the sun when it’s at very low angles such as dawn or dusk, giving the light, the beauty and the colour your complete attention for just a few moments.  Or make it a simple practice to look at something bright or beautiful and take it in fully.  Open your eyes wide and drink in the light and colour of what you see, receiving it, capturing it and saving it to your third eye.  Then close your eyes and see it once again with our eyes closed.

4. Focus your gaze inward 
You may have heard the term “drishti” in yoga class. “Drishti” is a Sanskrit term meaning "gaze" or "point of focus”.  It’s a yogic technique of softly focusing your gaze on an external or internal point to draw your mind inward, enhance awareness and cultivate deep concentration.  Drishti is especially relevant for activating and balancing the third eye chakra when the focal point is the center of the forehead.  You can practice focusing your gaze on the third eye during balancing poses (like Tree Pose) or forward folds.  And you can use it for a focused meditation.  Find a comfortable meditation pose. Then, with eyes gently closed or half-open, focus your gaze or inner awareness to the space between the eyebrows.  Keep your eyes and your face relaxed and breath naturally as you bring your attention inward for a few moments.    

5. Chant “SHAM”
The third eye chakra is related to the bija mantra “Sham”.  Chant “Sham” over and over, either aloud or silently. Visualize the vibrations flowing straight to your third eye, inviting clarity and insight, opening the gateway to your inner wisdom.

6. Try the mudra of wisdom - it’s a powerful one
Mudras can be used during your yoga or meditation practice as a different way to connect with yourself and to awaken your consciousness. Mudras allow you to tune in and to listen a little differently.   Gyan Mudra (also called the Wisdom Mudra) can help you to balance your third chakra.  It’s a wonderful mudra to use if you are seeking insight for something in your life. It can be used to increase concentration, enhance intuition, and deepen insight.  “Gyan” means “to know” or “to be aware”. And so this is the mudra of knowledge and wisdom. It’s a powerful one.  With both palms facing up, touch your thumb to your index finger and extend the three others. Hold this mudra as long as you like.