Chakras * Ajna

Element: Manas, the mind.

Location: Located at the eyebrow center. At the top of the spinal cord, in the mid brain.

Association: Vijnanamaya kosha, initiates mental development. Pineal gland.

Pranic field: Vyana Vaya, the all pervasive force.

Psychological:

Beeja mantra: Om.

Adhishtana Devata: Om Ajnachakrantharalasthayai Namaha.

Ajna literally means "command or monitoring center". It is also known as the guru chakra. It is the point of confluence where the three main nadis (energetic lines), Ida, Pingala and Sushumna, merge into one stream of consciousness and flow up to sahasrara.

During deep meditation, when all the senses have been withdraw and one enters into the state of shoonya, the void, the guru then guides the aspirant from ajna to sahasrara by issuing commands through this center.

Ajna is also known as the third eye, the eye of Shiva, or the eye of intuition, which gazes inward, rather that outward. It is also called divya chakshu, the divine eye, or jnana chakshu, the eye of wisdom, because it is thought this center that the spiritual aspirant receives revelation and insight into the underlying nature of existence.It is the level at which direct mind to mind communication takes place. The called Telepathy. And the doorway through which one enters the psychic or astral dimension.

Being the center of the mind, ajna chakra represents a higher level of awareness.

When ajna is developed, we begin to acquire psychic powers. Therefore, it is said to resemble a knot which is called Rudra granthi, the knot of Shiva. This knot is symbolic to the attachment to one's psychic personality and to the siddhis which accompany the awakening of ajna chakra. It effectively blocks our spiritual evolution until attachment to psychic phenomena is overcome, and the knot is freed. This means the ego been to much prouwd of ones powers attain in this level of the evolution of the chakras.

The trigger point of ajna, located t the eye brow center, is known as bhrumadhya. This is an important focal point for the practices of meditation, concentration and visualization.

For success in prana vidya, the development of ajna chakra is very important. Unless it is developed to some extend, prana can never b experienced in the form of light. The vision of light is usually first seen at ajna or bhrumadhya, or in chidakasha, the space of consciousness which is directly connected with ajna.

In the practice of prana vidya, ajna acts as the control center for the distribution of prana. If the vision of light at ajna is well developed, one will have no difficulty in visualizing the raising of prana and its movement throughout the body.

Text adapted from the books "Prana Pranayama, Prana Vidya", Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, and "i to I" from Prasanna Balakrishan.

Images from the Google Images.