Ajna Chakra

As we ascend through the seven chakras, this week we explore the Ajna Chakra which is located at the brow center and often referred to as the "Third Eye". It is said that as we close our physical eyes, we begin to see more clearly into what is unknowable through the Third Eye. We are fortunate in the desert to truly experience the color of this chakra which is indigo, the deep royal blue color of the early evening desert night sky. It's that rich bluish-purple hue that allows us to notice the first planet or stars that appear in the evening sky. Its Bija mantra is OM, often written and sounded as "AUM" and represents our connection to our inner knowing and intuition. As we move above the heart chakra, the pivotal point between the upper and lower three chakras, we journey further into unknown realms, opening ourselves to connect to deeper states of consciousness and inner wisdom. The Third Eye chakra isn't truly represented by an element but some say it would be that of light, which makes sense as we move toward greater moments of self-realization and "enlightenment".

All of the energy centers and elements interact and align with one another.  Yet, the upper three energy centers can feel more elusive to capture in description and are felt largely through experience. In my experience, intuition is like a blip on our consciousness radar. It isn't something that hangs out and lingers, rather, it shows itself in a flash, often referred to as having an intuitive hit or insight.

The Ajna chakra is all about going deeper into who we truly are by listening to the wisdom that arises when we stay open rather than narrowing and clinging to what we identify with. Staying open can translate as letting go of our quickfire opinions and judgments, holding space patiently and without expectation. We keep the wide-angle lens on as often as possible which helps us "to see" the vast potential of ourselves and how we navigate through our lives.

I recently regretted not trusting an intuitive hit. I was looking for a new place for my Mom to live as her facility was closing down. I walked into one place that hadn't yet opened and it was clean, beautifully appointed, and had some of the qualities that I was looking for. But, I had this underlying and nearly silent sense that although it looked great, it wasn't quite right. However, I ignored that sense and rationalized why I was going to choose this place over another. Fortunately, a couple of other things happened which confirmed my intuition before I moved her into this facility and I changed my decision. In doing so, I created my own discomfort as I now had to summon my courageous self (third chakra) to make a phone call withdrawing from the first deal. I look back now and realize that had I paid attention to the intuitive flash, I would have gone through less suffering...but I didn't listen. Instead, I let my ego and intellect overrule what my intuition knew.

It's said that if it's coming from your intuition you simply know it to be true...there's no negotiating or reasoning. You just know. And the tricky part is trusting this deeper knowing. It may not seem to make sense in the current scheme of things, but the times when I have fully trusted my intuitive self, alignment manifested and things went smoothly.

This week we've been visualizing our connection to the third eye, with a swirling indigo ball of light at the forehead and chanting OM repeatedly. The intention is to stay open to what arises, feel the expanding vibration of the mantra, and trust the synchronicity of our lives.

The other cool thing in talking about the Ajna chakra this week is that we're getting closer to the Solstice, the Winter Solstice here in the Northern hemisphere and the Summer Solstice in the Southern. The shorter days and longer nights of the Winter Solstice are calling us into hibernation, a time of turning in, resting, and enjoying the simplicity of the season. It's the perfect time to delve into the Ajna chakra, connecting to our true self through meditation, letting go of identity, and finding the light within.

May you trust and know that you ARE intuitive. And may you stay wide-open to all the mystery that is sitting below the surface waiting to reveal itself.