A high for an eye
Located on the centre of the forehead slightly above and between the eyebrows is the sixth of the body鈥檚 main energy centres 鈥� the third eye chakra. This is the area that relates to intuition, wisdom and vision.
It鈥檚 also linked to the pineal gland, a tiny endocrine gland between the left and right hemispheres which is thought to trigger dreams, hallucinations and near-death experiences.
When this chakra functions well, we鈥檙e able to see clearly, evaluate truthfully and experience great focus and concentration. We鈥檙e also emotionally intelligent enough to learn from our experiences and avoid making the same mistakes over and over. But if the third eye chakra is out of balance we can become overly controlled by the logical mind and lose our ability to sense with our intuition.
Some physical disorders relating to an imbalance here include strokes, brain tumours and blindness as well as more mild forms of headaches and vision problems. The challenge with this chakra is to strike the right balance between the logic of the conscious mind and the inner wisdom of the intuitive voice.
A powerful technique to activate this area is via a method of breathing alternately through each of your nostrils. This method is a yoga discipline called Pranayama, and has been used for centuries by yogis to open the third eye, balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain, energise the body and clear the mind. Try it next time you have a headache or migraine 鈥� it can often do the trick.
To begin, sit in a comfortable cross leg position with a straight spine. Touch the upper centre of your eyebrows with the middle and index finger of your right hand, leaving your ring finger and thumb on the outside of each nostril. Then exhale completely and press your right nostril closed with your thumb. Inhale gently and slowly through your left nostril. Close the left nostril with your ring finger, pause for a couple of seconds, then release the right nostril and exhale, before inhaling through the right. Close the right and exhale through the left. Continue this pattern for 10 or more rounds, breathing slowly and smoothly, inhaling and exhaling into the belly.
Breathing like this can enhance your intuitive abilities, as well as encourage better energetic flow through this area during sex. Once each of the chakras are open and healthy, the sexual charge created in your lower chakras has more opportunity to circulate鈥� and that in turn can lead to more of the full body orgasms, and ecstatic moments for which tantra is renowned.
