How To Open Your Third Eye

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    Ever wondered how to open your third eye, home to your “sixth sense?” Your intuition and higher wisdom come alive when this energy center is fully open and balanced. Unfortunately, for most of us, developing our third eye chakra and its abilities is challenging at best, and may even sometimes seem out of reach. Here are a few simple steps and recommendations to help.

    4 Proven strategies for awakening the third eye

    Man with his third eye open

    First, we’re going to describe the most important guidelines that will help you develop your third eye.

    1. Cultivate silence

    Foster the silence of the mind, whether it’s through meditation, just sitting calmly in nature, or being absorbed in your favorite art or sport practice.

    Why? Because third eye perception elevates your senses to more subtle levels. Some call it “the space in between”, psychic abilities, the realm of the invisible. To be able to listen to the messages and information that comes through your third eye, you should be ready to perceive the whisper of its wisdom. If your mind is busy or noisy, you might miss its main message.

    1. Hone your intuition

    There are many ways to cultivate your intuition. The third eye is the center of insight, vision, and higher wisdom. So what about getting acquainted with your dreams and their meanings, perhaps giving a try at lucid dreaming, getting to know how to read a horoscope or tarot cards? Find new ways to intuit into your daily life activities.

    Why? Because the third eye is the main seat of higher levels of perception and intuition. One way to look at it can be “fake it until you make it.” In other words, be curious, learn about these intuitive techniques. In time, these otherwise esoteric practices will appear more familiar, and you will gain more confidence in your own abilities.

    You don’t need to take this seriously – actually, the opposite is recommended. Have fun, explore, and most importantly, keep your mind and chakras open to possibility and wonder.

     

    Creativity in the brain

    1. Nurture your creativity

    Let your creativity flow freely by focusing on specific activities or letting your imagination loose. For instance, start learning a new art or craft; don’t try to be perfect, just let your inspiration run through your hands and be ready to be surprised by the results.

    Why? Creativity is a very efficient way to loosen your rational mind – you know, the mental chatter that comments every step you make to see whether it’s right or wrong, that tends to control every action with a specific agenda and intended outcome.

    When you calm the part of your mind that wants to be in charge of how reality should be and leverage your creativity to open up possibilities, your third eye capacity has more space to unfold and blossom.

    1. Ground yourself to better soar

    For most of us, it might not be obvious that in order to open our third eye abilities, we need to first land both our feet on the ground. Also note the importance of opening up gradually, building reliable foundations first that will allow you to have proper discernment and interpret your extrasensory perceptions with as much clarity as possible.

    Why? Because we need to have enough energy running through our whole body and energetic system to support a healthy opening of subtle channels of perception. When the third eye gets activated, the information that comes through might appear rather unusual, unfamiliar, or simply disturbing to the common mind.

    Being grounded and having enough energy allows us to expand into subtle dimensions of perception. It can help us open up unhindered and avoid the common negative symptoms of third eye opening, such as feeling disoriented or confused.

    Opened eye in black and white

     

    How to exercise your 3rd eye chakra

    Let’s explore simple yet efficient exercises to support the opening of your 3rd eye. Here’s a list of practices that will give a boost to your intuitive energy center.

    • Exercise your intuition; it’s the main function of the third eye
    • Rest under the moon light and reflect; the moon light resembles the quality of light of your intuitive center
    • Nurture silence to hear the wisdom of the third eye; listen, the 3rd eye’s sound is more like a whisper
    • Strengthen the energy of your first chakra, as well as your throat chakra; both are useful anchors for unlocking the energy of your third eye in powerful and balanced ways
    • Divination practices
    • Dream work, dream interpretation, lucid dreaming
    • Visualizations
    • Guided meditation, silent meditation
    • Let your imagination loose
    • See, focus on the space “in between” things
    • Be curious about symbolic meanings, symbols around you in different cultures and time periods
    • Commune with nature and the energy of the elements
    • Enjoy creative crafts
    • Free flow
    • Working with inner guidance, spirit guides
    • Practice contemplation
    • Cultivate your psychic abilities

    Feel free to try and enjoy the exploration. It’s the best way to get energy flowing in the third eye after all.

    Brain and the third eye in human body

    How does the pineal gland impacts the awakening of the third eye?

    Positioned between the brows and just above the eye level, the 3rd eye is associated with intuition and wisdom. In the human body, this energy center is traditionally associated with the pituitary gland, as well as the pineal gland.

    Glands and chakras are intimately related as they represent different levels of bodily functions, the first one being focused on the physical, the other on the subtle energetic level. The pituitary gland is considered to be the “master gland” in the human body because it controls most of the other glands and their hormone production.

    What about the pineal gland? The pineal gland is located in the middle of the brain, at the same level as the eyes. Its connection with the third eye chakra or Ajna in the Hindu system has long been investigated by yogic traditions and modern metaphysics alike. They view this gland as a possible seat of the soul and its development, a source for mystical experiences and extrasensory perception or psychic abilities.

    This gland is usually considered to be in charge of producing melatonin and regulating our sleep cycle and our sexual maturation. The ways it functions is closely connected to the cycles of light and darkness.

    How the pineal gland functions

    To suport  your pineal gland and the awakening of your third eye, here’s what you can do:

    • Go outside and get lots of natural light.
    • Eat foods or supplements that support a healthy activity of the pineal gland (and counter its calcification), such as iodine, chlorella, apple cider, Tamarind fruit (as it helps remove excess of fluoride involved in decreased pineal activity).
    • Meditate; meditation balances the activity of the nervous system and stimulates parts of the brain that help the pineal gland.
    • Spend time in complete darkness, as it stimulates a healthy activity in the gland and production of its associated hormones.

    Specific practices to activate the third eye chakra

    A balanced and open third eye, also known as the Ajna, chakra fosters concentration, focus, and reliance on intuition. Here are more specific techniques for balancing its energy:

    Just Breathe

    Mindful breathing can calm the mind and, in turn, cleanse and open the Third Eye. Being conscious of your breathing not only allows for cleansing, but also balances the chakra system.

    Add Third Eye Color

    Associated with the color indigo, which is a combination of deepest blue and violet, the Third Eye chakra governs… Introduce blue and purple hues to your home and office decor. Surrounding yourself with subtle indigo tones can help heal the sixth chakra and boost energy flow. Add precious or semi-precious blue- and/or purple-stone jewelry to your wardrobe.

    Practice third eye meditation

    Of all the exercises you can do for the sixth chakra, those that require you to actually engage the Third Eye are the best.

    Visualizing and meditating on the color blue or purple can help activate the sixth chakra. For instance, sit comfortably and with eyes closed, visualize a blue (or purple) ball of energy in the area of your Third Eye. Simply concentrating on and holding that image is enough to activate the sixth chakra. Concentrating on this image can not only open up the energy center, but it helps dispel imbalance and heal the chakra. There are many beneficial resources about chakra meditation online, so go explore!

    Third eye meditation on open sky

    Dream it

    The Third Eye is crucial in dreaming and dream recall. Engage and activate your Third Eye chakra by keeping a dream journal.

    Work your theta brainwaves

    It could be useful to learn how to activate and maintain theta and alpha brainwaves. These foster frontal lobe activity and prepare your third eye and brain to be more receptive.

    Add some scent

    Introduce essential oils to your home, bath, and body. Subtle fragrances can work wonders for opening, cleansing, and balancing the body’s chakras. To help heal and activate your sixth chakra, consider trying one or a combination of these essential oils:

    • Sandalwood
    • Myrrh
    • Roman or German Chamomile
    • Grapefruit
    • Nutmeg

    Eat (and Drink) Fruits and Veggies

    Consuming beverages and foods with natural blue and purple hues can help bolster positive energy flow through the Third Eye chakra. Drink dark fruit juices, such as grape and blackberry. Consider adding the following fruits and vegetables to your grocery list:

    • black currants
    • blueberries
    • blackberries
    • eggplant
    • prunes
    • rainbow chard
    • beets

    Yoga for the third eye chakra

    When learning how to open and heal the body’s energy centers, no conversation is complete without introducing the benefits of yoga. The practice’s elements of breath, focus, and physical movement, when taken together, are great tools for cleansing and balancing the chakras.

    To open and strengthen the Ajna chakra, give these yoga poses a try:

    • Hero (Virasana)
    • Standing Half Forward Bend (Ardha Uttanasana)
    • Child’s Pose (Balasana)
    • Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
    • Supported Shoulderstand (Salamba Sarvangasana)

    Share your ideas in the comments section below! We’d love to hear your favorite ways to open the energy of your third eye.

    Take the Chakra Test: Discover which chakra may be imbalanced

    When properly balanced each of your 7 Chakras work together to create an optimal life. If you are like most of us your energetic ecosystem could use some help. Take this 2-minute chakra test to know which of your chakras may be the weakest.