Are you where your eyes are?

Have you ever had that experience of driving a car somewhere and not having a recollection of how you got there? Or do you go on walks and not remember what you saw? I think we all have these experiences. I know I’ve stared right at someone while they’re talking, yet my mind is a million miles away and I hear none of it. Not great listening in that case! Also not great seeing. 

When this happens, it seems to me that we are in our head and not in the present awareness of our surroundings. When we don’t see the path we’re actually walking or the road we’re driving, we’re simply not where our body is. We’re a bit…disembodied. And since this season is all about embodiment, this week I’m thinking about this in a 6th chakra, Ajna, the third eye, context. 

I have nothing against daydreaming–I’m quite for it. But sometimes we need to just see where we’re looking. Bringing Ajna, or third eye, awareness into your everyday life can start with one simple question: 

👀 Are you where your eyes are? Put another way, is your attention going in the same direction as where you’re looking? 

I have nothing against daydreaming–I’m quite for it. But sometimes we need to just see where we’re looking. I’ll never forget going to the grocery store after a sixth chakra workshop. It was a totally different experience! It was like I could see EVERYTHING.  Every piece of fruit, every product, and especially every person.  It was one of those moments when time slows down and you see everything with vivid clarity and it’s almost eerie, like you see the light between the particles or the pieces of the matrix or something. Each person was so lovely. I could somehow sense their connection to each other, to me, to divine, to nature, to all of it. I saw differently–more holistically. The moment faded, of course, as my typical patterning took over again.  But the memory now serves as its own reminder to nurture my third eye with practices of paying attention and caring for my eyes.

Here are three of my favorite Ajna practices to bring balance and health to your third eye:

👁️ Yogi Eye Stretches: Holding your head completely still, slowly look up past your eyebrows, then slowly down to your cheeks. Try to move as smoothly as possible. Do the same for right to left, smoothly moving across the horizon, then clockwise, then counterclockwise. Do each movement several times with presence and mindfulness. This is especially a great thing to do on computer-heavy days, or days that your eyes feel tired. 

💡 “Drink In The Light:” This one I use to bring in a sense of lightness, wisdom, and consciousness. Seated and calm, let your eyes rest on a pleasant light source. A lamp or bright window will do. Really see what you’re looking at in detail. Then, with each inhale, imagine your eyes are drawing (“drinking”) in the rays of light. Then, as you exhale, close your eyes and imagine that light permeating your body, bringing healing, wisdom, or joy. 

 👍 Focus on Your Thumb: This gives your eyes practice focusing near, far, and middle ground. This is so needed today in our tech lives! I usually add this to a Warrior II pose, but you can do it literally anytime/anywhere. Adding the breath makes it more mindful and present, so I recommend it. Inhale: focus on your thumb, seeing the details and contours. 

Exhale: see beyond and around your thumb into your widest periphery. 

Bonus: Consider where in your life you need to focus on the details, and where you need to take the 30,000 foot view. 

This week’s Jess on the Mountain podcast Episode 22 is all about Ajna! Listen and learn about the pineal gland and its basic functions, physical manifestations of Ajna imbalance, and how “lighting up” your third eye helps with relationships and tapping into your intuition. 

I encourage you to try some of these practices and let me know how it goes! If you’re interested in learning more embodiment practices in regard to the first chakra, take a look at my online course, 

Chakra Savvy Embodiment: Harness the energy of Chakra One and set a new foundation built on connection, gratitude, and trust in the world. It’s the first of my Chakra Savvy™ courses, and its practices, presentation, and journal prompts are designed to help you get grounded, feel present, and embody the life you have. The next one, Chakra Two: Delight, is in the works, so now’s the perfect time to delve into Chakra One, get embodied and ready to delight in your life! 

May you open your third eye to see the beauty around you.  May you practice the embodiment of being fully where you are. May you see the patterns come together in your life in a way that sparks your intuition and guides you through your life.

Much love