Chakra Six - Ajna

Light, Archetypal Identity, Self-Knowledge

This is the chakra known as the brow chakra or third eye center.  It is related to the act of seeing, both physically and intuitively.  As such it opens our psychic faculties and our understanding of archetypal levels.  When healthy it allows us to see clearly, in effect, letting us “see the big picture.”  This is the place of balance between intuition and intellect.

Focus: Center of head behind eyebrows, third eye, between the 2 physical eyes

Sit in crossed-legged pose – Center, ground, soft eyes and then practice alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodana) for 1-2 minutes.  Relax with soft eyes, belly-breathe for 1-2 minutes.  This time add a “swirl” in the third eye on your inhale while practicing alternate nostril breathing, 1-2 minutes.

Take your eyes - and imagine them moving backwards and then turn them around to see out the back of your head.  What do you see behind you?  Now, with soft eyes, look up, back to center, look down, back to center, look left, back to center, look right, back to center, left diagonal to the right, back to center, right diagonal to the left, back to center. 

Place a block - on the front of your mat and lay your third eye (between the brows) on the block.  Let the weight of your head drop into the block.  Begin clockwise circles around the third eye, then counterclockwise.  Begin to roll over the right eyebrow to the temple and then back across the third eye over the left eyebrow.  Practice this for 1-2 minutes, rolling back and forth as comfortable.

Stand at the top of your mat – Center, ground, find Mountain Pose.  Practice Sun Salutes at your level, with the focus being where your eyes fall, i.e., following the arms/hands over head – looking in between the thumbs, the eyes then following the walls, the floor as you sweep down into a standing forward bend (Uttanasana), stepping right foot back into a lunge, soft eyes gazing forward, etc. 

Savasana – 10 minutes.

End in Savasana – 5 minutes.