THE CHAKRA WAY

W E E K S E V E N - I N T U I T I O N

W I T H R O S A N N E N I E B O E R

W W W . C H A K R A - W A Y . C O M WELCOME TO WEEK 7

THIRD EYE CHAKRA - AJNA CHAKRA Section Page

At a Glance 5 The Intuitive Chakra 8 Ajna in Action 9 Endocrine system 11 Inner Vision 15 Visualisation 17 Imagination 20 Intuition 21 Clairvoyance 23 Healing the Ajna 26 Symbols 29 Affirmations 31 Yoga Practice 33 Questions 34 THIRD EYE CHAKRA

A J N A C H A K R A The SIXTH chakra is often referred to in common parlance as the "sixth sense". It is our source of intuition and our visual centre. It is our witness to the world around us. We use our eyes to absorb huge amounts of information about our world. Our dreams connect us to our subconscious. Our intuition helps us through situations guiding us with inner wisdom.

This chakra draws together these two ways of seeing - inner and outer. When we use our seeing eyes we internalise the exterior world and with our third eye we can bring together all the information we have to remember the past and visualise the future.

"Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self" The Bhagavad Gita

W W W . C H A K R A - W A Y . C O M THE THIRD EYE CHAKRA REPRESENTS

INTUITION

VISION

LIGHT

IMAGINATION

VISUALISATION

SELF REFLECTION

DECISION MAKING

CLAIRVOYANCE AJNA CHAKRA AT A GLANCE

LOCATION - Between eyebrows

TRANSLATION - To command , to perceive

CHARACTER - Intuition

COLOUR - Indigo blue

CHANT - Om or Kasham

ELEMENT - Light

SENSE - Seeing

AFFIRMATION - I am guided by intuition

RIGHT - to know

BODY PART - Eyes and nose

ORGANS - Brain

GLAND - Pineal Gland

EMOTION - Perspective

AGE - 36- 42 AJNA CHAKRA AT A GLANCE

FOODS - Entheogens - pyschoactive substances

MINERALS - Quartz, Lapis Lazuli, star sapphire

ANIMALS - Owl

PLANETS- Sun & Moon

PETALS- Two

OPERATING FORCE - Seeing

LOTUS SYMBOL - Two petals around a circle with a downward pointing triangle containing the bija mantra Om within, a crescent moon and Bindu dot of manifestation above.

PANTHEONS - Krishna, Shakti Hakini, Isis, Appollo

PHYSICAL MALFUNCTIONS - Headaches and migraines, sleep issues and nightmares, vision issues, eyestrain

EMOTIONAL MALFUNCTIONS - Inability to visualise, imagine or dream, difficulty making decisions, feeling stuck, lack of clarity AJNA CHAKRA AT A GLANCE

POSITIVE QUALITIES OF THE THIRD EYE CHAKRA Clarity Strong intuition Ability to dream without fear and to realise those dreams Ability to make decisions Perception Equanimity Inner knowledge Big picture vision Insight

SIGNS OF AN OVER ACTIVE THIRD EYE CHAKRA Difficulty concentrating Spacey-ness Living in your head Allowing yourself to dream but not allowing yourself to fulfil them Difficulty sleeping Indulgence in fantasies and illusions

SIGNS OF AN UNDER ACTIVE THIRD EYE CHAKRA Being unimaginative Closed mindedness Cynical Self limiting Rarely dreaming Being afraid to imagine Inability to visualise Rejection of everything spiritual or beyond the usual

Lack of clarity will affect both an under and over active Ajna chakra The Intuitive Chakra

The Third Eye chakra is commonly understood in society as our "sixth sense", being that place where we see beyond what is in front of our eyes. It is the part of us that allows us to see beyond the reality of what we observe with our seeing eyes.

It is a unique sense organ that allows us to use our connection with our higher consciousness to operate in the world from a place of intuition. Those moments where you know you have a "hunch" or "a feeling" that you need to be somewhere, or make a call. It is often called our "gut instinct" but whereas we know that our enteric nervous system is more tuned into our survival mode, this third eye energy is more subtle and has a more clairvoyant quality to it.

As we climb higher to the upper chakras we can see that the work we have done down below becomes more important. In order to access this intuition we must have done the work in our throat chakra so that we have an honest inner dialogue that we trust. Our intuition will be there to help us when needed but if we don't have the inner dialogue and inner truth there to back us up the intuition will be ignored or overlooked. Ajna in action

The translation of Ajna is "to command" and "to perceive". It is important here that we consider both these translations carefully.

Our absorption of light through our eyes gives us information about our surroundings and experiences. We all have a choice of how we perceive what we see - how we assign it or how we choose to react. Our perceptions of a situation may be totally different to someone else. Just ask any set of siblings who have ostensibly had the same upbringing but perceive their childhoods totally differently. These perceptions could be described as the illusions that we all hold. Common illusions are that we are not enough or worthy or more simplistically things like bigger is better. Our expectations of situations also are perceived. We frequently take ourselves down well trodden neurological pathways expecting X situation to be followed by Y response.

The other half of the Ajna chakra translation is "to command". This is often seen to mean that the 3rd eye chakra is our command centre. The place of our higher self that is in charge. This is rarely the case and we need to think about using our command centre in a more subtle way. It is the place from which we command our reality. How we choose to see the world and how we choose to process information that is coming at us from all directions. Ajna in action

Most crucially this command centre of the Ajna chakra is the place of our visualisation. It is where we can imagine, dream, plan and bring to manifestation our dreams.

The key to a healthy Ajna chakra is the ability to visualise. Visualise our past, present and our future.

Plenty of people spend time looking back with regret or wistfulness or cannot imagine a future that is any different to their present. These are closed Ajna chakra aspects. If we are afraid of the future and regretful of the past then we become stuck.

On the flip side, those people who spend their lives fantasising, living in their heads but never allowing any of those dreams to become reality - indeed, even believing that their dreams could never come true - are suffering with an over active Ajna chakra. An inability to concentrate is the most common excessive trait of this chakra. Being easily distracted - like a dog who sees a squirrel - we can be drawn off focus all too easily!

A balanced 3rd eye chakra needs clarity, it needs to listen to and trust intuition and most importantly it needs the ability to dream and visualise without fear so that those dreams and visualisations can become reality. Third Eye and the Endocrine system

The translation of the Sanskrit name for this chakra is 'command’ which means that when we have that chakra open and balanced, we can take our instructions for navigating through our lives, from this seat of higher consciousness, being able to listen to our intuition.

The element of this chakra is light and it is through the sensory interpretation of light that we gather information about our surroundings. We depend pretty heavily on our eyes to do this task for us but we are reliant on how good our eyesight is. But within this chakra we look beyond our eyesight to our potential psychic abilities.

The position of this chakra is unique to all - for some it is directly between the eyebrows, for others it is slightly higher but if you close your eyes and place your finger on the tip of your nose and slide it gently upwards to your forehead you will instinctively know when you have reached your third eye.

Third Eye and the Endocrine system

It is important to understand the endocrine system with reference to the Ajna chakra. Here we have the very important Pituitary and Pineal glands.

The pituitary gland is located just under the brain at the top of the spine and is under the hypothalamus. (Side note - The Hypothalamus is the essential link between the endocrine system and nervous system. It receives it's signals from the nervous system and secretes a substance that will start and stop secretions of the pituitary gland. It is responsible for the regulation of all hormone production in the endocrine system.)

The Pituitary gland is about pea-sized. If the Hypothalamus is the Chairman of the endocrine system then the Pituitary gland is the Managing Director. It regulates all the other glands. When the hypothalamus sends a signal to the pituitary by sending a ‘releasing’ hormone, the pituitary then sends out a ‘stimulating’ hormone to the gland requiring action. The pituitary is responsible for growth hormones and for emotional well-being.

The Pineal gland resides in the centre of the brain and its main function is managing our sleep cycle. It produces melatonin and is governed by response to light. It has been suggested that the Pineal Gland is the seat of our soul. Is this perhaps because light has a definite effect on both our physical and mental health? Melatonin is chemically similar to many hallucinogenic substances and taking it as a sleep aid has been proven to increase dreaming. Could this be the secret to harnessing our inner vision?

Some say that the gland associated with the 3rd eye chakra is the Pineal gland because it is a light sensitive organ. Others suggest that it is the Pituitary gland since the Pineal gland is just above it and therefore should be associated with the crown chakra.

My feeling is that we should look at both glands. The position of the pituitary gland is so magical that it cannot be discounted, and in fact, we can consider both glands to be relevant to both the 3rd eye and crown chakras.

The position within the skull of the third eye is beautiful in its significance. It lies perfectly aligned with the hypothalamus, pituitary and pineal glands and directly between the temples. The pituitary gland is cradled within the sphenoid bone that articulates with every bone in the head and so is often referred to as the keystone of the cranium.

The pituitary gland is also perfectly aligned with the very mid points of the diaphragm, the pelvic floor and the centre of the foot. Consciousness is frequently linked to light and both the pineal and pituitary glands are sensitive to light.

The pineal gland governs our circadian rhythms or sleep patterns. Our optical nerves travel through the sphenoid bone crossing within it as they travel to the posterior skull, transferring visual data from left to right and right to left. This beautiful braid of energy and light is also the meeting points of the Ida and Pingala nadis that weave up the body from our base or root chakra. Inner Vision

Once again we will turn to the Ajna Chakra's translations of "to command" or "to perceive" which are key to understanding and getting to know this chakra.

When we perceive something, that is a passive action. We are observing, using our eyes to see what is in front of us. For a sighted person around 90% of our information comes through the eyes. It follows, then, that a large portion of our memories and thoughts are sourced from our visual information.

We "see" by receiving light on to our retinas focused by the cornea. The retina is made up of cones and rods which are stimulated by the various frequencies of light. Then a chemical reaction happens triggering nerve impulses which are taken via the optic nerve to cerebral cortex of the brain in the form of electrical impulses. No light actually enters the brain - it is not our eyes that see, but our minds!

Seeing is a learned ability. When a blind person has their sight restored by surgery they only perceive light at first and must learn to interpret images in to meaning. This helps us to understand that all we perceive are visualisations. Inner Vision

When we see we don't actually perceive matter but the light reflected off the matter. We see the spaces between the matter and around them. If we see a red object, that object absorbs all frequencies except red light.

We can perceive a million different things everyday, every environment is chock full of things to perceive, messages bombard us, dreams come to us, but we manage to filter most of what is seen, just focusing on what is relevant to us and happening to us in any moment.

The translation of "to command" is a more active action where we can create and pursue our needs and desires. Our consciousness assigns meaning to what we see and often these images are repeated frequently.

From these two ways of seeing we have the ability to shape our consciousness and we begin to shape our own perceptions. Visualisation

The Ajna chakra has to come up against a lot of illusions that we tell ourselves. Those old neurological pathways that expect a certain outcome, or response. Take, for example, a family gathering that could potentially have lots of triggers for us. If we run through how we think the gathering might go and our heart sinks at the idea, then we have already assigned our consciousness to befalling that fate which we predict. We have followed that path of least resistance down the thought patterns that we always have.

However, if we use our third eye chakra to visualise the outcome that we do want for the gathering. If we spend some time actively commanding our visualisation - really seeing in our minds eye how it could be, how we want the situation to be, how we will react, then we are setting ourselves up to shape the situation, we are prepared to approach the gathering with loving kindness and to not veer down the well trodden pathway of usual behaviours and responses.

Our brains are mouldable. It is possible to forge new neurological pathways in our brains so that we can have a different experience of reality.

This is the work of the Ajna Chakra - visulisation. Visualisation

It is possible to train the brain to use visualisation to make real differences in our lives. In order to prepare ourselves for each day we can lie in bed, upon waking, and visualise how we want our day to go.

For example, when I am catering a big event, at least 50% of my preparation is in visualising how I will co-ordinate the day. It makes perfect sense - I'd be crazy not to have really thought through all the logistics! As a result, I can be calm and relaxed and know that the food that I put out will be on the table on time and delicious.

We can use this same method in all aspects of our lives. If, say, you have a dream to buy a camper van and drive to Greece for the summer you will spend a lot of time visualising how you see it panning out. You will research vans, your route, your expenses etc. When you invest your energy in doing all these things you are bringing it closer to reality. Your friends and family might think you are being reckless but you know your dream can come true. You make it so through visualisation - putting pictures of vans and routes and Greek beaches and souvlaki in front of yourself until it becomes a reality! Visualisation

Many people advocate the use of "mood boards" or "vision boards", where images of your aspirations are all pinned together on a wall or board, because they really can work!

It is so easy now to see that once the Ajna chakra has the visual and mental stimulation plus all the other chakras' qualities of expression, desire, action, fun and function, they can come together to manifestation.

Visualising what you want your life to become is the way we command our reality. At the end of each year we ask ourselves what we want the next year to bring. When we are at a job interview we might be asked 'Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?'. When we studied the heart chakra we asked ourselves what was our hearts desire. Here, as we study the Ajna chakra it is time to ask ourselves to access our imagination and ask what do we dream of? Tap into your dreamy imagination and see what comes up for you.

If we do big, strong, purposeful visualisations, we can command our reality. Instead of letting life happen to you, we have the power to let it happen for you. Imagination

It might be said that our imaginations are not allowed the free rein that perhaps they once had. When we were children we used our imaginations to play, to fantasise and dream of our futures. But we are so over stimulated with media and with the whole world accessible in our pockets that we might not day dream much any more.

If you are waiting at the dentist what are you likely to do? Pull out your phone and start scrolling? Pick up a magazine and browse? We rarely just sit and let our minds wander... In the evening we are more likely to watch tv than sit in front of the fire and just contemplate. Our imagination is somewhat hijacked!

Left with no devices or media to entertain us where does our mind go? Most likely it will go to thinking about past situations or projecting about things that haven't happened yet.

Taking active command of our imagination is a wonderful tool to access the third eye chakra. Don't day dream for no reason but do it with purpose! When we actively command our imagination to move away from loose wishful thinking or daydreaming to a more conscious direction we can harness the power of the Ajna chakra. Intuition

One of the main qualities of the Ajna chakra is intuition. We know we have it - our senses alert us to it on a daily basis. Whether it is a feeling that the milk might be off, or that a person might not be trustworthy, we listen to it without thinking.

However, often we are unable to listen to our third eye intuition because the chattering ego is too loud and overbearing. Our intuition can be a small, fragile and subtle voice. Think of it, again, as a shy child. It requires us to be still and patient for us to hear it. When the mind is chattering away it will drown out the quiet voice of the third eye. The ego is often convinced that it is right and that, too, can overwhelm the third eye. So we must nurture this chakra with great love and attention by becoming still and quiet so that it can be heard.

Trusting ourselves can be a task in itself. We might seek others advice on our lives and if we do ask for everyones opinions it is likely that we will come up against caution and negativity. Often it is wise to seek council on matters where we can't make a decision, but if we are asking about something for which we have had an instinctive impulse but have simply not trusted that instinct then we will only serve to confuse ourselves! Intuition

Learning to trust our instincts is something that we can work on. We can give ourselves small tests by practicing making decisions and we can do this in the comfort of our beds or as we go for a walk, by posing hypothetical questions and listening to how our intuition would guide us.

The biggest decisions are always difficult but the best decisions lie on the other side of instinctive decisions, not other peoples plans or opinions.

Every decision that we make in life has a potential positive and negative outcome and however hard we try using our minds and egos we cannot be sure of the outcome. So all we can do is try to make the right decision for ourselves in each moment. If each decision is made with the intention of bringing ourselves towards truth, joy, compassion and contentment, then it is the right choice for us. There is no definitive right way, only the right way for us.

Our intuition may be a quiet voice but once the ego is subdued and the mind chatter quietened then accessing our intuition becomes easier. It will bubble up as a feeling or maybe a simple word or phrase that pops up in your thoughts. However it arrives the message will be clear and simple. Clairvoyance

There is something rather wonderful about the word clairvoyance. It is comprised of the words "clear" and "seeing" and beautifully describes the process involved in this chakra.

We have understood that when we use our eyes we are simply perceiving the spaces between objects, the light that reflects off the objects around us and not at the actual objects themselves. From this starting point we can begin to understand that we are looking at objects in relation to each other - at their relationship. Then we can being to see the whole world as a series of relationships - between objects, life, nature - and to see the world as a whole. We can begin to see clearly. The more clarity we have in relationship with the world and within ourselves, the better able we are to feel the subtle properties of the world around us. We can begin to see rather than just look.

When we are in conversation we might say "I see" meaning "I understand" or "I empathise". Clairvoyance

We have the ability to recall our childhood bedroom - we can call upon a mental image and wander around the room looking at all the things, even recalling the smells, the light, the views. This room no longer exists in that form but you can conjure it easily. You might also easily be able to imagine your dream bedroom, its atmosphere and colours, the views that you would like to see from the windows, the gorgeous en suite bathroom...

This bedroom of your imagination is just as real in your mind as the childhood bedroom in your memory. If you did move house and manage to create your imagined room this could be seen as a type of clairvoyance - it is precognative - but the result is the same! Through visualisation and imagination we can develop the means for clairvoyance.

Another way of looking at how we access our clairvoyance is to look at how our visual memory works. Say you are in a new supermarket searching for a specific item. You will survey the shop and gather information on the general layout. You already know which category your items falls into so you entwine these pieces of information in order to find your item. Clairvoyance

If you are trying to recall where you put your keys you will scan your memory, piecing together information on your usual habits and the unique movements of that day until your brain lights up on the answer. You are bringing the mental image to the fore in the same way a computer can access the data it requires.

Developing clairvoyance depends on being able to access these key metal image references until the light goes on and you KNOW. You simply need a reference to guide you. This is why clairvoyants use tarot cards or astrology as starting points, along with a clear and quiet mind, to access information.

This clear seeing ability needs us to be quiet and to see beyond the obvious to the spaces in between. To see the relationships, the patterns, and trusting that when the information fits it is right. When the brain lights up with the feeling of rightness, this is our intuition and ability of clairvoyance.

It is this ability that helps us to realise the the more we connect to everyone and everything the easier it is to remain balanced in unstable conditions and to remain true to ourselves. The easier it is to trust our intuition within the world and to trust our Ajna chakra. Healing the Ajna To bring this chakra in to harmony we can try lots of things but it is working on our visualisations and listening to our intuition that are key.

Pranayama - Yet again the magic of Nadi Sodhana Pranayama is used to balance the third eye chakra Meditate - full colour visualisation meditation is used Yoga Practice - balancing poses and inversions. These poses require single point awareness and strong attention

Yogic Eye Exercises - we will do these in our meditation audio Use Vision boards Check in with your instincts in a purposeful way before making any decisions. Let yourself make internal enquiries about the little and the big things in your life. Allow yourself to gaze into the future and ask yourself what it is you want it to look like. Sleep well. All very well to say but sometimes difficult. Do all the things you know you should do, like leave your phone out of the room, or maybe practice some gentle pranayama or restorative poses before bedtime. Light candles Use aromatherapy to sooth - lavender and frankincense are good for this chakra Finally...

Start the day visualising the day unfolding. You can use the chakra system to do this.

Start your day at the crown chakra with quiet meditation and connection to yourself. Use your 3rd eye to visualise your day unfolding. Move to your throat chakra to imagine how you will express and communicate yourself in the day, seeing clearly how you will be able to make yourself understood and heard and how you will express your truth. Feel that you will be able to do this with the support of the heart chakra. The morning is the time to call on your creative throat chakra. Take a moment with your heart chakra to check in with yourself and feel you will go through your day with love and self care. Visualise that in the afternoon it is time to call on your solar plexus chakra and its energy of action. Make a plan with your sacral chakra to have some fun and pleasure towards the end of the day and then visualise the end of your day being nourishing, comfortable and safe. Allow yourself to stop thinking and just get back to your body at the very end of the day by going back down to your root chakra. NOTES/JOURNAL THIRD EYE CHAKRA SYMBOLS

Each chakra has lots of different ways of accessing it. It is important that you identify which symbol resonates for YOU!

COLOUR Colour is hugely important in this chakra and we can use all the colours to help access here. But this chakras colour is indigo - a deep purple blue similar to cornflowers or bluebells. Indigo represents deep spiritual wisdom and integrity as well as thought and reflection.

MINERALS OR GEMS The Ajna chakra is represented by the clear energetic quartz. It is thought to enhance connection between physical and spiritual worlds. It is balancing and deeply cleansing. Lapis Lazuli with its deep indigo colour is a universal symbol of wisdom and truth.

FOOD This chakra is supported by the blue and purple foods such as blueberries, red cabbage, blackberries and aubergines. We should also give attention to iodine rich foods that support the pineal gland, Happliy, red wine, coffee and dark chocolate also support this chakra but obviously only in moderation!

PLANETS Whilst not planets the Sun and the Moon preside over the field of consciousness and therefore this chakra. As the Ida and Pingala terminate here at the third eye chakra it is where our internal sun and moon are located. They represent being neither in a state of light or dark, conscious or unconscious but in a space where we have awareness of both. Whichever of the symbols you like the best use it to connect with your chakra. To work with gems place wear them in a necklace so the stone hangs by your solar plexus or lie down with the gem placed on your upper belly area.

SOUND

The chant or sound for the third eye chakra is the Universal bija mantra OM. It is pronounced AUM with three distinct parts to it.

SMELL The incense linked here are frankincense, saffron, lavender and star anise. . Frankincense is a grounding and relaxing aroma. Saffron is considered a spiritual herb and is used to aid clairvoyance, cleansing and spiritual development. Lavender has been regarded as a spiritual herb and is the best sleep aid.

METAL The metal associated here is silver. Silver is the metal of emotions, the psychic and loving and healing energy. It is associated with the moon and it is the primary yin or feminine metal.

ANIMALS The animal representative of this chakra is an owl. The spiritual significance of owls is well known - wisdom, intuition, for their ability to see what others don't see, paranormal wisdom, and as messengers from the spirit world. AFFIRMATIONS Repeating affirmations is a proven way of shifting our mindset. Noticing which affirmation feels right for you is important, so I have given you several to choose from... Say them out loud when possible or in your mind as often as you remember

I AM GUIDED BY MY INTUITION I TRUST MY DECISIONS

I SEE CLEARLY I THINK CLEARLY

I AM OPEN TO INNER GUIDANCE I RECOGNIZE WISDOM COMES FROM WITHIN AFFIRMATIONS Repeating affirmations is a proven way of shifting our mindset. Noticing which affirmation feels right for you is important, so I have given you several to choose from... Say them out loud when possible or in your mind as often as you remember

I SEE ALL SITUATIONS WITH CLARITY AND OBJECTIVITY I BELIEVE IN MY IMAGINATION

I LISTEN TO MY DEEPEST WISDOM

I AM CONNECTED TO MY HIGHER THE POWER KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNIVERSE IS WITHIN ME HOW DO WE To find balance in the Ajna Chakra we will RELATE OUR challenge ourselves to find absolute single minded focus in one legged balances and inversions. YOGA PRACTICE

TO THE THIRD

EYE CHAKRA?

One legged balancing poses teach us to find the focus that we require to quieten the mind for meditation and for purposeful visualisation

Pranayama - Nadi Sodhana again to balance and sooth. PROMPTS Use this self enquiry to educate yourself around this chakra and make notes of your answers if it helps you.

What decision have you made that was scary but you followed your gut and did it anyway and then reaped the rewards?

Visualise your perfect life. How does it look? What are you doing? Who is there with you?

Do you trust your intuition? Think of a time or times when your intuition was spot on.

Do you dream easily and frequently? Have you ever learnt any lessons from your dreams?

Do you hold any rigid opinions about the world that you are unwilling to let go of? Are you stubborn?

Do you tend towards dreaminess and lack of concentration or towards rigidity and mistrust?

If you were to make changes in your life to strengthen the power of your mind and focus, what would they be? How difficult would that be and what would be the barriers?

Do you feel you have insight into why your life looks like it does?

Make your bucket list - things that you would love to do in your life. WEEK 7 REVIEW Please use this space to make any notes you would like to and to answer any of the questions that resonate from the previous page. This is purely for your use and is not required to be shared. THANK YOU

Congratulations on completing the workbook for Week 7! Your yoga class, meditation audio and seminar are all available for you on the website in the Student Log in and we will meet on Zoom to discuss this week's chakra.

Next week - Crown Chakra

W W W . C H A K R A - W A Y . C O M