How to Open Your Third Eye & Know When It’s Blocked
When was the last time you had a sense that you needed to check in with someone, leave a space, or had a flash of insight, and all at once something made perfect sense? These little intuitive moments are your third eye chakra at its best.
When your third eye chakra is balanced you do not only see but you understand. That inner knowing can be felt throughout your entire body, in every cell. Sounds nice, right?
If your third eye chakra is not balanced you’ll have a whole other set of manifestations that aren’t quite as favorable, which I’ll outline later.
The third eye chakra is located in the center of your brow bone. In Sanskrit, this chakra is called Ajna and translates to “to command” or “to perceive.” It is responsible for your intuition, imagination, and is your connection to having a deep understanding of the physical realm and the spiritual realm.
Before I dive into how to open your third eye, I want to give you some tips for recognizing when it’s blocked.
Is your third eye chakra blocked?
Trouble sleeping or insomnia
Confusion or anxiety about decisions you need to make
Frequent headaches
Lack of imagination
Unsure of what to do with your life
Poor memory
Feel pulled to meditate, be in silence, and do restorative activities
How to Open Your Third Eye Chakra
Third Eye Meditation
Meditation is the quintessential method for tapping into the power of your third eye chakra. This can be as simple as sitting quietly for 5 minutes each morning. Whenever I get out of my meditation practice, I’m always shocked by how much of a difference 5 minutes of meditation affects my day. Check out this previous blog post for 8 Simple Ways to Be Here Now to help you bring more mindfulness into your day.
Here’s a meditation to try specifically for balancing and opening your third eye chakra:
Clear 5-20 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time for yourself;
Sit cross-legged on the floor or seated on a chair;
Straighten your spine, lift your shoulders up and back and close your eyes;
With your eyes closed, point them both towards the center of your brow bone at your third eye chakra;
Focus on the inhale and the exhale of your breath;
With each inhale imagine a deep purple glowing light expanding around your third eye center. As you exhale it decreases and then grows bigger and brighter with each inhale.
Once you settle into a rhythm, repeat this mantra: I am connected to my higher self. I know that I am always guided. I make decisions with ease and grace. I accept and trust the path I am on. My intuition is my guide. OM. (OM is the bija mantra for the third eye chakra, so feel free to chant it more than once and really draw it out!)
Repeat the mantra as often as you want.
Once you’re ready to finish release your eyes, release any control over your breath, stop the mantra, and rest for a few moments.
If you love guided meditations you can also get my Chakra balancing meditation here.
Crystals & Symbols
The most potent crystals for your third eye chakra are amethyst, lepidolite, celestite, and azurite.
Crystal guru, Judy Hall, explains the benefits of azurite, “Azurite guides psychic and intuitive development. It urges the soul toward enlightenment. It cleanses and stimulates the third eye chakra and attunes to spiritual guidance.”
Wear any of these crystals or a symbol of the third eye as a reminder of your goal to stay connected to your intuition. You can also rest any of these stones on your third eye for added benefit.
Caring for your Pineal Gland
Physically speaking, your third eye chakra directly relates to your pineal gland. Your pineal gland is a tiny, rice-sized gland tucked inside of your brain. It is part of your endocrine system, it releases melatonin and is responsible for maintaining your circadian rhythm. Research was done on the correlation between meditation and the pineal gland has shown increased activity and melatonin production in the pineal gland during meditation.
There are many foods and environmental factors that can affect it both negatively and positively. Fluoride can take a toll on your pineal gland. Excess fluoride can build up in your pineal gland and cause it to become calcified, lessening the efficacy of your third eye.
To care for your pineal gland, try to cut fluoride out of your diet as much as you can. Here are some foods that can help aid in removing excess fluoride from your body and help decalcify your pineal gland:
Eat more iodine-rich foods like broccoli, spinach, and seaweed. Iodine-rich foods are helpful for many reasons but can also help cleanse fluoride from your body.
Add more raw apple cider vinegar to your diet, in salad dressings, or simply in a mixture of water and honey. Raw apple cider vinegar has a high content of malic acid which is helpful for detoxifying the whole body.
Have a cup of chamomile tea. Chamomile is a calming tea that can help soothe an overactive pineal gland.
Darkness & Light (Maybe)
Try minimizing light pollution in your room at night. Your pineal gland controls your circadian rhythm so it can be beneficial to give yourself time in the real dark. Try shutting out all light from the outdoors, and any inside lights to give you some pre-sleep time in a light-free space.
Alternatively, some ancient beliefs (that are still practiced today) suggest sun-gazing to invigorate your pineal gland and third eye chakra. I don’t really feel comfortable telling you to go stare at the sun because I’ve never tried this before and am not really sure that I feel comfortable doing it either! There are lots to read about it though, so if you’re interested in it I suggest doing your own research on it.
Scents
Meditative scents like sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh, and chamomile will help open and activate your third eye. Use scents in a diffuser or on pressure points on your body during meditation or as a reminder throughout your day.
I hope you take advantage of this amazing gift that lies within you! When your third eye chakra is balanced you not only see but you understand, so go get connected.
