Filling Your Cups: Self-Care and the Chakras, Chakra 6
Self-Care for the Sixth Chakra: BE INSIGHTFUL
(Artwork Courtesy of Canva)
The sixth chakra is also commonly known as the 3rd Eye. This is where we have vision to see into things deeper than the surface level. We can engage this chakra to delve into the secrets of life, understand concepts and situations in a more comprehensive way, and see how things are connected in the bigger picture of life and our place within it. In this energy center, we wake up more and more to see beyond the paths we were told to follow to see what is true for ourselves. We can open our eyes to see the truths that are hidden in plain sight. We find deeper purpose and meaning in all that is presented. Engaging the power of this chakra, thought can become more and more conscious.
“The sixth chakra involves our mental and reasoning abilities, and our psychological skill at evaluating our beliefs and attitudes. The Mind chakra resonates to the energies of our psyches, our conscious and unconscious psychological forces” (Myss, 1996, p. 237). This chakra connects us with intellectual thoughts and our personal interests and motivations. The forehead part of the brain is where the prefrontal cortex of the brain resides, which is where the brain performs executive functioning. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for processes of motivation, spatial memory, focus, thinking, calculating, and serves as the “inspiration area,” and personality center, connecting with the emotional processing centers more central to the brain (Grujičić, 2021). The pituitary gland in conjunction with the hypothalamus direct the glands of the body, which are in charge of the hormones and chemical production in the body (Grujičić, 2021).
The pineal gland is the gate to the mystical. Zina Hany (2020), who has a background in pharmacology, and who is a public health expert, educator, researcher and lover of meditation states that, “According to theosophy, our third eye is a pea-sized endocrine gland nestling just below the center of the forehead called ‘pineal gland’. This mystic gland (which corresponds to the sixth chakra ‘Ajna’) is considered to be a psycho-physiological center that has physical, mental and spiritual dimensions. The enigmatic gland allows a diverse perception beyond ordinary sight.” She continues to explain that the pineal gland has more blood flow (per cubic volume) than any other organ, which also means it is biologically set up to have more concentrated energy than any other place in the body. The pineal gland produces metaphysical neurochemicals including melatonin, DMT, Seratonin, and Pinoline which are responsible for sleep, dreaming, cognitive function, mood regulation, visions and more (Hany, 2020).
When we think of the 6th Chakra as an energy battery, and one that may need to be fed with Self-Care in order to stay “charged,” important questions include:
How is your Sleep? – Good sleep ranks high in Self-Care discourse. Its value cannot be understated for obvious reasons!
What do you love learning about? What is intellectually stimulating for you? Are you spending time doing these things? Even if you carve out a few minutes here or there, you could find this sparks some energy for you and helps your 6th chakra energy battery.
Do you make opportunities to interact with others who have shared ideas and interests?
Envisioning what you want in your life: Can you imagine your life in 5 years time, or farther down the road? What do you want for your life? How would you feel most fulfilled?
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When you figure out those Long-Term Goals, remember Short-Term Goals are daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly pieces that take you toward those Long-Term Goals.
These are a few simple, yet significant ways that you can care for your 6th Chakra energy battery.
Hany, Z. (2020, August 23). Did you know that our “third eye” is an actual gland? Did you know that our “third eye” is an actual gland? Retrieved February 10, 2022, from https://yourhealth-mag.com/health-news/know-third-eye-actual-gland/
Grujičić, MD, R. (2021, October 28). Prefrontal cortex. Kenhub. https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/ anatomy/prefrontal-cortex
Myss, C. (1996). Anatomy of the spirit : The seven stages of power and healing. Three Rivers Press.