5 YOGA POSES TO ACTIVATE AJNA - THE THIRD EYE CHAKRA

​Ajna or the third eye chakra is located in the space in between the eyebrows. The parts of the body it pertains to are the pineal and the pituitary glands. Ajna is the energy centre for intuition, wisdom and insight. When this chakra is balanced, we can connect with our intuition easily, and follow its wisdom. It can also empower us to discover our psychic abilities and reach spiritual illumination, being completely detached from the ego, paranoia, fear or any delusions. When ajna is out of balance, we can experience excessive worry about the past, present or future; paranoia or uncontrollable fear and an inability to appreciate and be in the present moment. Ajna means infinite power and when we activate this chakra, we can discover and embrace our internal power. 

The following asanas make a great sequence for activating ajna and opening its energy flow. Please check the contraindications of these poses before attempting.

TADASANA
MOUNTAIN POSE

Tadasana is part of the foundational asanas of hatha yoga. Although it may just look like a simple standing asana, a lot is going on during mountain pose. First, we create a solid foundation on our feet, feeling grounded and connected to the ground beneath us. As we move up the body, the pelvic area is drawn slightly inward and the abdomen is engaged creating strength and balance in our core. The shoulders are drawn back slightly, creating an opening of the chest, therefore improving  posture. The arms are straight parallel to the body, palms facing inward.
Tadasana teaches us to stand with intention, to be present in the moment whilst embracing our physical body, mental and emotional self. As ajna refers to our connection with our intuitive self, mountain pose empowers us to be confidently still, connecting with the below and above, trusting ourselves through the process. Click here to learn more about tadasana. 

VIRABHADRASANA III
WARRIOR III POSE

Virabhadrasana III is another standing pose which requires us to find our grounding. For the ajna chakra to be fully balanced, we must first work on the lower chakras, so that we can achieve stability, grounding, openness to the self and the world and understanding the abundance of love we have within. This asana has a very strong, empowering energy. First it requires us to find our balance the body weight on one leg, whilst keeping the body facing parallel to the ground. Whilst you are in this pose, bring your awareness to the space in between your eyebrows and focus on the feeling of being connected with your wisdom and insight. Click here to learn more about virabhadrasana III. 

ARDHA PINCHA MAYURASANA
DOLPHIN POSE

Dolphin pose is an energising pose. It boosts blood circulation as we bring our head to the ground. This is a good way to ease into inversion practice and it's a preparatory pose for sirsasana (headstand). As you bring your head to the ground, focus your attention once again on the space in between your eyebrows and send all this energising feeling to that space, creating a dynamic energy flow. Dolphin pose stretches the shoulders, the arms and the back and relieves tension from the neck. It helps to relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety and feeling low. As this asana also stretches the digestive organs, it’s a great pose for improving digestion and clearing blocked energy within the core. Contraindications are pregnancy and low blood pressure. 

SAVASANA
CORPSE POSE

​Savasana is loved by many people who practice hatha yoga, but can also be a challenging posture for some. In yoga there is a saying, that the pose you resist the most is the one you should practice the most. Savasana is usually done at the end of a yoga session; it is a 10-minute (sometimes more) practice done by lying down comfortably on our back, legs slightly apart, with the back of the head on the mat, arms slightly away from the body with palms facing upward. Savasana is practiced to provide the body, mind and emotional self time to relax and be still in an effortless state. During Savasana, we feel our body completely relaxed and we observe our  thoughts and feelings without any reaction. As we go deeper into it, we practice pratyahara, sense withdrawal. Giving all our senses a break, we go inward and experience beyond the physical identity we are aware of. This is an empowering practice when done correctly, and it releases any pressures from the mind, allowing for clarity and connection with our inner guidance, the intuition centre. When our mind is clear, and our body is in harmony with all aspects of the self, we can see things as they are, with no need to reminisce of the past or wish for something in the future. We feel complete, whole and content in the present moment as we are, in tune with our inner self and all that is around us. 

CHIN MUDRA

Mudras are powerful hand gestures which have an influence of the energy in the body. The chin mudra is a great way to connect with the third eye chakra. This mudra helps us connect with our consciousness, letting go of the ego and all false desire. Whilst in a comfortable sitting pose, bring the tips of your index fingers and the tips of the thumbs together. Mudras are powerful hand gestures which have an influence of the energy in the body. Whilst doing so, you can also repeat the ajna chakra mantra sound which is CHAM. Let go of all external distractions, and go within, focusing on your third eye space and imagining the colour violet.

​The ajna chakra element is light, illuminating our life path and bringing all elements together in harmony. Working on balancing the ajna chakra can be a long process requiring patience and openness. It’s important to remember that although reaching enlightenment sounds ideal, we should not have this as an objective in our mind. Enlightenment is a state, not a destination we reach. We have no clue how it will be manifested or for how long it will last. Some people have an activated and open ajna, but the lower chakras are out of balance, therefore that does not mean they are enlightened. Rather focus on the process and your journey into these poses, into balancing the lower chakras first, by finding your stability, opening your creativity, having a clear sense of self and being open to love and freedom of expression. In life, we must always embrace the moment, for what it is. Yoga teaches us to do so, therefore simply allow yourself to flow with the currents and focus on your inner balance.