Over the past several weeks, Kyczy Hawk has introduced new chakras as they relate to the twelve steps in this blog series on The Seven Chakras. So far, she has covered the Root Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Solar Plexus Chakra, Heart Chakra, and the Throat Chakra. This week, she discusses the Third Eye Chakra.
The Third Eye Chakra
Seeing, knowing and intuition are all aspects of the third eye chakra. Some ancients say that this is the portal between the mind, the subconscious mind and the universal consciousness.
Here we can make sense of what we have seen, thought and intuited about the outer world, bringing it into the inner-world—our inner knowing. The wisdom we find when this chakra is in balance allows us to transcend good and bad, binary thinking, to seeing the deeper meanings in what we observe.
A Holistic Chakra
The Third Eye Chakra is a holistic chakra, helping us to balance our mind, body and spirit. As such, it is enhanced with many practices such as meditation, hatha yoga and chanting. On a neurological level, it helps us bridge the right and left hemispheres of the brain, the logical and the creative, analytical and the artistic. This is not only the seat of wisdom, but the seat of consciousness and consequence.
The Twelve Steps and the Third Eye Chakra
This chakra gives the gift of seeing both the inner and outer worlds. In recovery, this is the space where I can ‘think the drink through’, I can walk through the outcome of an action, an attitude, or a way of thinking. This is the physical location of our prefrontal cortex; and the ancients knew this was a critical center in literally seeing life on life’s terms. The AA text refers to magical thinking, (the not-in-a-good-way magical thinking) that forms the illusions we live in when we continue active addiction. When the ajna (third eye) chakra is in balance, we see through illusion, and gain the clarity we are guaranteed in the ninth step promises.
Listening to the Truth our Bodies Tell Us
One last word about the powers of the third eye chakra: this is the place where we learn how to listen to our gut feelings. We begin to listen to the truth our bodies tell us. From balancing emotion with reason, telling truth from illusion to keying into the wisdom of our bodies all reside in the third eye chakra.
When I am deluding myself (this is subtly different than lying to myself: lying implies I know one thing, and tell myself another). When I have a veil between myself and reality I may believe what I am thinking, but have a little part of myself that wonders “really?” When I am tuned in, I can investigate. I ask myself questions and watch my behavior. When my behavior is out of integrity with my values, my ethics, my recovery path, I know that something is amiss and I need to investigate it.
- Am I subject to craving? Are my actions based on avoidance or aversion?
- Do I lack the ability to concentrate?
- Am I unable to see my past illusions?
- Is my (false) ego informing my behavior and decisions?
- Am I trying to maintain some kind of status quo, avoiding change, fearing challenge
- What is the status of my H.A.L.T.?
- Am I easily confused? Unsure of what is true? Fearful of the unknown?
- Am I able to discern fantasy from reality- or am I caught in illusion?
- Do I reject connection to my higher power or intuitive intelligence?
How can we support ourselves in finding balance?
● Affirmations such as:
○ “I follow the lead of my inner teacher.”
○ “I trust myself to make the right decisions.”
○ “My third eye is open and ready to see my purpose.”
○ “I hear my intuitions and I know they will lead me to my purpose.”
○ “I have confidence in walking my true path.”
○ “I am wise, open and intuitive.”
○ “I am open to intuition, inspiration and bliss.”
● Yoga postures including
○ Child’s pose with forehead on the ground, hands or a block
○ Rabbit pose rocking from forehead to crown of head
○ Wide legged forward fold with the forehead on a chair seat, block or the ground
● Meditation: this is the most effective route to getting in touch with and balancing your
third eye chakra
● Triataka: Candle gazing. Use a candle flame as the focus for your meditation
● Using color, scent, and sound healing
As with the promises – balancing any of them will come “sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly – if we work for them.” While they don’t all balance concurrently and maybe each remains a little wobbly, don’t despair. The awareness of the chakras will in and of itself bring attention to the issues at hand and with intention, they will balance so that you may receive their gifts.
