This month our chakra focus is on Ajna chakra, the chakra of intuition and clarity located at the third eye, which is between the eyebrows. Ajna is associated with the color purple and with the mind element. The qualities of this chakra are inspiration, intuition, and inner vision. Through Ajna chakra we experience insight, which should not be confused with mundane thoughts. Insight refers to those ideas we receive when the mind is calm and quiet. 

The gland associated with Ajna is the pituitary gland, considered the master regulating gland because it secretes a hormone that monitors the activities of the other glands of the body. 
Just as the pituitary gland is the master gland, Ajna chakra governs all other chakras, so when it is out of balance, all other chakras cannot come into perfect alignment.

When Ajna is imbalanced we may experience poor memory, eye problems, headaches, or nightmares. We may also have an excess of energy that we are unable to channel towards any one goal or productive outcome. When this chakra is in balance we are able to tune in to our inner knowing, trusting our intuition, and tapping into our creative imagination. A balanced Ajna chakra allows us to integrate logical thinking with intuition so that we may move through the world better able to make balanced decisions. 

The mantra KE-SHAM may be chanted to bring about the insightful qualities of Ajna. Asana, or postures, that serve to balance Ajna include child’s pose or any posture in which the forehead touches the ground. Postures in which the gazing point, or dristi, calls for movement of the eyes (such as in Marichyasana, or Sage Twist) will also help to balance Ajna. Nadi sodhana pranayama, <a href="http://www.theyogasanctuary.biz/nadi-sodhana-pranayama">alternate nostril breathing</a>, will help to activate Ajna chakra.

As the lower chakras become balanced the path to opening Ajna chakra can be reached. Each chakra helps to build on the previous chakra in order to move towards the next. Moving through the higher chakras becomes possible when all the lower chakras are balanced. 

As we move up the chakras, balancing each one, Ajna chakra shines an insightful light on our lives that we were not previously aware of, illuminating that which was previously unknown. During your Asana, Pranayama, and meditation practices, notice when the mind becomes quiet. This quiet and clear space will allow you to glimpse what is possible through Ajna chakra.
