Cultivate Witness Consciousness: Sixth Chakra
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Practice with Rachel (Sat Siri) on Wanderlust TV: her new series, Root to Rise: Journey Through the Chakras which also includes a companion series of free 10-minute self-reflection & journaling classes. The 7-part Kundalini Yoga series, as well as sample the thousands of yoga, meditation and movement classes on WLTV, is available to you with a free 14-day WLTV trial, granting access to a vast library which includes dozens of Kundalini classes from Rachel Dougherty.
We have all looked back and noted a time when we just sensed something about someone… Maybe our gut said not to trust them, or we noticed we said yes, when we really wanted to say no. Our bodies sent forth a sensation that we just knew, on a level that wasn’t intellectual. But, so often, we ignore that inner knowing, right? I know I am not alone with this!
When we’re talking about situations that call on your intuition, we’re discussing the realm of the sixth chakra, or Ajna Chakra. It is known as the home of wisdom, or inner guidance center, and is considered the eye of intuition and intellect. Its associated sense organ is the mind.
I went into business with someone once, and he was so big and loud and full of bravado. He didn’t seem to have any of the self doubt that I had. He seemed so impressive and confident to me, so sure of himself. I thought, “I need to be more like that! More ballsy and sure of myself!” I totally ignored the warning bells going off in my gut. I talked myself out of believing in them. He would literally tell me that he knew better than me, and—ack!—I believed him. Turns out the warning bells in my gut ended up being right, and although there were some good things that came out of this experience, ultimately, he let me down, and he betrayed the trust of so many clients too. It was a big lesson for me, in terms of learning to trust myself, and tune in to my inner guidance more. Have you had these lessons along the way too?
A Balanced Sixth Chakra (Ajna)
A balanced, normally functioning sixth chakra activates the intellect and facilitates spiritual development. It allows us to see beyond the distractions, and stories our minds get caught in, and understand the truth and not the illusion. When this chakra is strong and healthy, it is often associated with the ability to “see” the bigger picture: the birds-eye view in any situation.
A developed sixth chakra allows us to rise above polarity and develop “witness consciousness” where we become capable of detached observation. This awareness is cultivated through our regular meditation practice.
Out of balance, this chakra weakness manifests as lack of clarity, inability to concentrate, and black and white thinking. Someone with an under-active sixth chakra can be extremely practical, but is likely to only be aware of the “5-sensory” material world. Therefore, they’ll only trust what they can see, hear, taste, touch or smell. They can fall into rigid thinking patterns, rejecting anything spiritual, magical or which cannot be explained.
People with an overactive sixth chakra often have wild imaginations, tending to live in a fantasy world, which makes them ungrounded, and often difficult for them to function in society. Do you relate to any of these characteristics?
Tools for Balancing the Third Chakra
Some of the most beneficial activities to keep your third eye healthy include:
Engage in Inspiration: Traveling to spiritual places, especially the ones with elevation and expansive vistas—like mountains looking over valleys, or bodies of water—can be very expansive and nourishing for this chakra.
Self-Care: Scalp and face massages are considered to be a stimulating support for balancing third eye energy.
Nutrition: Foods that are beneficial for the eyes and brain are what nourish this ajna chakra. Look to include in your diet more fatty fish, sweet potatoes, walnuts, whole grains, tomatoes, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and blue colored berries.
Meditation: Lastly, get quiet each and every day. Settle yourself down and meditate, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day. This will cultivate a mind that can quieten down enough for you to start hearing your inner guidance. Listening, hearing it, acknowledging your own wisdom, and then taking action on what you hear is the key to strengthening your relationship with the sixth chakra.
Don’t forget you can also practice along with me on Wanderlust TV, balancing the third eye chakra in my ajna class, and then follow up your practice with this 10-minute journaling exercise:
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Rachel Dougherty (Sat Siri) is a trailblazing, next generation, Kundalini Yoga teacher and trainer. She travels the world teaching Kundalini Yoga in places like Bali, Maui, Mexico and India. She has been practicing Yoga and Meditation for over twenty years and teaching Kundalini Yoga for fourteen. She practiced Iyengar Yoga, Vipassana Meditation, and many other modalities before finding Kundalini Yoga. A former ballet dancer with the Australian Ballet, Rachel found ballet meditation in motion, a creative expression that renewed her perspective with each step, turn or jump.
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