Third eye chakra: meaning, blockage signs and the body

The third eye chakra is the sixth of the seven main chakras, the energy centres of yoga and of modern spiritual practice. It sits in the middle of the forehead, between the eyebrows, and in the modern Western system it is indigo. Spiritually it is the centre of insight: seeing clearly, inside and out, trusting your intuition and finding the right way forward.

This guide covers where the third eye chakra is, which parts of the body and which feelings it is linked with, what people mean when they say it is "blocked", and a few gentle ways to tend it. For the whole system in one place, start with chakras and the body.

Where is the third eye chakra, and what is it called?

In the traditional texts Ajna is also called the guru chakra: the centre where the teacher was said to "command" the awakened energy to rise. "Third eye" is the newer, popular name. It is also described as the place where two of the body's subtle channels, ida and pingala, meet the central one.

The indigo colour belongs to the modern Western version of the chakras. The rainbow colours were added in the twentieth century, largely through Charles W. Leadbeater's 1927 book The Chakras. In older descriptions, the symbols inside this lotus are white.

Is a "blocked third eye" real?

It is worth saying this once, clearly. Chakras are a spiritual and symbolic map of the person, not part of anatomy. There is no scientific evidence that they exist, and there is no way to measure whether one is open, closed or "blocked". The seven-chakra system reached the West in the 1880s; in the 1920s each chakra was paired with an endocrine gland, and emotions, colours and illnesses were added to the lists later still.

So when people talk about a blocked third eye, they are describing an inner experience in spiritual language: a head full of thoughts, confusion about which way to go, or a sense of having lost touch with your intuition. That language can be a useful way to reflect. It cannot explain a headache, blurred vision or blocked sinuses. Those need a doctor, and the two do not compete.

Which parts of the body are linked with the third eye chakra?

The third eye chakra is usually linked with the forehead and what lies behind it: the eyes, the sinuses, the brain's control of sleep, and the glands of the head.

The pituitary gland

The pituitary is a small gland at the base of the brain, behind the root of the nose, that sends signals to the other hormone glands. Spiritually, it is the gland of the third eye. Pairings of chakras and glands vary from one author to another; on this site, the pituitary goes with the third eye and the pineal gland with the crown chakra.

The pituitary is described as the conductor of the orchestra: it receives messages from the brain and passes them on. It is linked with the face, eyes, ears, nose, sinuses and the rhythm of sleep. Spiritually, it seeks balance between the rational side and the intuitive side. When reason runs too hot, you stay in cold logic and lose sight of the whole picture. When intuition runs too hot, you rush: one more course, one more book, one more technique, until the body cannot keep up with the inner changes and confusion or panic sets in. In harmony, this centre is linked with clear seeing, with knowing what you want, and with finding solutions. The gentler step is patience: perhaps the goals you set yourself were too high, and you are already doing your best.

The eyes

Spiritually, the eyes are the mirror of the soul. They show how you see life and whether you can see clearly into your own situation. When something is hard to look at, or the truth seems hidden, the eyes are where it is read. Seeing involves more than the eye itself: every image is coloured by what you have lived before, so the question is often how far you have accepted what you saw, not only what happened. Opening the third eye, in this view, means turning your gaze inward before you look out at the world, so that you see yourself, others and situations with discernment and without judgement.

The brain

The brain is linked with the crown chakra above all, but the optic nerves cross just behind the eyes, close to where the third eye is placed. Spiritually, that crossing is a reminder that a balanced path uses both halves of the mind: the side that analyses and plans, and the side that feels and sees the whole.

Emotions stored in the third eye chakra

In this approach, the third eye chakra is where the feelings of a mind that will not settle are held. These are the ones most often named, each with its own page:

• Anxiety: fear of the unknown, which fills the head and keeps attention fixed on a danger with no clear name.
• Worry: inner insecurity that replays a situation and imagines how it will go wrong.
• Fear: a power you feel you have handed away, so that what you dread starts to organise your life.

"Stored" is a figure of speech. Feelings are not kept behind the forehead. What the image captures is familiar: a tense brow, a head that will not switch off at night, and decisions that feel impossible because every option looks risky.

Signs people describe as a blocked third eye chakra

In the chakra tradition, a third eye that is closed or out of balance is described through feelings and habits. People often name:

• overthinking, and going round in circles on a decision
• not trusting your gut, or ignoring it and regretting it later
• feeling you cannot see where your life is going
• listening to everyone's opinion except your own
• the opposite pattern: chasing insight so fast, through course after course, that daily life is neglected
• a tense forehead, frowning or rubbing the brow
• restless nights with a busy mind

These are things to notice and reflect on, nothing more. They are not a diagnosis, and none of them is caused by a chakra.

Physical symptoms deserve a doctor. The NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E for a headache that comes on suddenly with extreme pain, or comes with weakness or numbness, trouble speaking or remembering, confusion, a seizure, loss of vision, a very high temperature with a stiff neck, or a recent head injury. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 for a headache with vision or eye problems, vomiting, or pain made worse by coughing or bending. For sinusitis, see a GP if you are not better after three weeks of looking after it yourself, or keep getting it. Any new problem with your sight is worth getting checked.

A gentle practice for the third eye chakra

None of these needs any belief in chakras. They are simple ways of giving the feelings above some room. They are not treatment for any condition.

• Soften the brow. Close your eyes and let the space between your eyebrows smooth out, as if someone had gently stroked it. Let your eyes rest heavy in their sockets.
• Breathe and count. Breathe in for four, out for six, for a few minutes. When a thought arrives, notice it and return to the count.
• Hum "Om". Sit quietly and hum or chant "Om", the traditional sound of this chakra, and feel the vibration in your forehead and face. Any steady hum works too.
• Ask your gut, then write. Write down a decision you are stuck on. Under it, write what you would choose if no one else had an opinion. Leave it a day before you read it again.
• Rest your eyes. Look away from screens every so often and let your eyes rest on something far away.
• Protect your sleep. Keep regular times for going to bed and getting up, and give yourself a quiet wind-down before bed. Insight comes more easily to a rested mind.

Where to go next

Continue with the last centre, the crown chakra, or go back down to the throat chakra. The chakras and the body guide shows all seven together.

This guide is for reflection and general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition. If you have a sudden, severe headache, loss of vision, or weakness or numbness in the face or body, call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).