April 23 Class Summary - Third Eye Chakra -

Brief Discussion:

James: Last week, we did a interupted our chakra study to do a review of the basics of meditation, in case anyone could not be here because of Easter. We are down to our last 2 chakras, and its getting very interesting and intense.
Emerging: I am really excited about tonight's topic/chakra.
Alite: Yes Grace I am too!
Flow: Yep, I couldn't miss it 8-)
James: FYI, when posting the presentation tonight I am going to be using larger blocks, and letting everyone read at their own pace. Then I'll make sure everyone is finished before going on. I'll ask if anyone is NOT finished.
Flow: good plan ;)
Emerging: lol ok
James: also, feel free to ask questions between
VvDark: Which chakras were covered already for a quick update.
Alite: Meditation Paths (Keyword to: http://meditationpaths.blogspot.com/) This Dark is our class summary blog
VvDark: thanks
James: We did one thru five already. Our summaries are posted, and include references to the books we used as reference. I am excited about the sixth chakra because it was the sponteneous awakening of my sixth chakra that initiated my spiritual quest.
Flow: mmm..the 3rd eye, the 6th sense 8-)
James: My knows our routine.. we are about to start. :)
MyKarma:
James: Its time to begin... :)

Third Eye Chakra

We would like to start with an excerp from The Path of Fire and Light, Volume 1, by Swami Rama. The sixth chakra is located at the space between the eyebrows at the "third eye." The chakra is not actually on the surface of the forehead but is within the sushumna where it passes through the brain at the level of the space between the eyebrows. The center is called the ajna chakra, which means "command." This center is also called tripath-asthana, the terminal of the three lines of power- ida, pingala and sushumna. One who has mastered this level has inner vision, sees all things clearly, and acquires higher intuitive knowledge and wisdom. He has attained sushumna by integrating the right and left polarities, pingala and ida, and thus develops both logical judgement and intuition to their fullest. The mantra of this chakra is Om. When one has attained mastery of this center, the mother of all mantras is heard within.

The main function of this chakra...is sight, perception and intuition. Meaning "to perceive" what our environment manifests and " to command " our thoughts into the creation of our present moment. This chakra transcends time, using the building blocks of both past memories and our imaginations of the future. Seeing through the eyes gives wings to our soul, to be carried off in visualizing what our hearts desire, and how we perceive our surroundings. The gift of intuition, is the guardian of our thoughts, the warrior of our perceptive ability.

We receive information by light rays, which are received by sensors within the eye, by depth and acuity, are activated in the form of neural activation which then allow the transmission of symbols, (how we perceive our outside environment) to create thought waves that interpreted by the visual cortex in the brain and carried to either right or left regions for interpretation, which are then acted upon by going down through other chakras for manifestation, or pushed upward for flight into the realm of the imaginary, spiritual, or astral realms.

The pineal gland is the central organ of this chakra, which is very small, but has a big part in the creation and distribution of melatonin, and many have thought it has some other majical purpose in the realm of divination through influencing psychic abilities, and the sending messages of light to other organs that need this to produce enzymatic functions within the body. Visual information can be defined as the communication of spacial relationships that do not require physical contact. How often do we see someone's mood before they are within the reach of our arms, or sense discomfort with someone hiding emotions or pain? The seat of intuition can be used for discerning one's true intentions, creating empathy and compassion....in other words..discerning the body language of others through the use of not just our physical eyes, but the mind that acts as the interpreter for our spiritual eyes. Clairvoyance in a further interpretation of this by the pulling up of virtual images stored with the brain that project a screen that is the third eye, in which one focuses it's intention and light rays to activate visual fields of information that are infinitely stored within the brain, to virtually any and all realms of existence.

Thus, attuning the right and left hemispheres of the brain, creates that cohesion of conversation, and the gift of visualization, to make this possible. The color of this chakra is indigo. The gemstones are lapis,lazul, quartz and star saphire. The sound, as Swami Rama noted, is Om.


Class Discussion:

James: in the first section we brought up some terms that may not be familiar.. Pingala, Ida, and sushumna...Anyway, I wanted to mention those three terms.. which are nadi's or channels..
Flow: will you repeat the terms please?
James: Pingala is the Sun or Solar channel, on the right side of the astral body, connecting the first 6 chakras. Ida is the Moon or Lunar channel, located on the left side of the astral body.
Flow: ahh... what do you mean, 'right side of the astral body'?
James: Both of them end at the 6th chakra, and only the sushumna continues on, beyond duality.
Flow: what does that mean? :-\
James: Flowr, the chakras are not part of the physical, but you can just think if this as going on both sides of the spine, with the sushumna going up the middle.
Flow: so right and left would mean my right and left side as I know it?
James: Flowr, we realize this is part of the advanced study of yoga. Its beyond the scope of this class, but we could not talk about chakras without mentioning this.
Flow: alright.
James: Whats the symbol of the medical profession called, the staff with the 2 snakes on each side? crisscrossing and the winds on the top? Does anyone know what I am talking about?
Flow: yep
Majick: yes
Flow: the AMA logo?
MsQ: yes
MyLady: yes, just dont recall the name
Flow: or something, I see it.
James: The staff is the sushumna, and the ida and pingala are the snakes on the sidesFlow: yep, got it.James: crisscrossing
Alite: http://www.blog.speculist.com/archives/medical_symbol_md.jpg(Keyword to: http://www.blog.speculist.com/archives/medical_symbol_md.jpg)
Flow: thanks Lite
James: great. the chakras are at the junctions
Flow: nod
James: only the central staff continues to the 7th chakra This is the channel that carries the most subtle of energies.
Sunset: smiles
James: Sunset, anything you want to add on this?
Flow: I get it and I've got it :)
James: I forgot to mention for anyone who is new, that Sunset has been providing the bulk of this presentation each week.. :) from her study of the book The Wheels of Life by ... (always forget the name) The beginning was from Swami Rama's book The Path of Fire and Light. Sunset? She may have been distracted by her beautiful children...
Sunset: sorry ...i was ...ok what did i miss? my little one i think is cutting a tooth
James: I asked if you had anything to add.
Flow: So these 3 channels , Pingala, Ida and Shushumna travel thru / around the first 6 chakras ?
Emerging: and the author of the book Sunset uses, primarily. :)
James: Yes Flowr, and meet at the 6th, and only the sushumna goes on
Alite: It is on the site Grace
Flow: OK.. now I've got it 8-)
Alite: Under suggested reading
Emerging: yes, thank you
Sunset: if anyone wants to find out more information about clairvoyance..the holographic theory by karl pribram is really good
Flow: and its working too 8-) thanks Sun
Sunset: smiles
James: You may have heard of Tantra, or the practice of awakening Kundalini.. both subjects beyond this class, but these channels and the chakras are key to those studies.
Emerging: I've read about it.
James: I like to refer to these things as spiritual plumbing... And the ultimate goal is to connect us with the source.. andprepare us for the flow of energy that comes from that connection.
Flow: I like that idea.
James: When we started out 6 weeks ago we were going to spend a few weeks covering the chakras, and now after changing it to 7 weeks, it seems like we are barely scratching the surface of this subject. We can recommend many good books, and maybe if there is interest we'll spin off a study group.Emerging: that would be wonderful!
Flow: After the 7th, a synopis of putting it all together would be very enlightening.
James: Good thought.
Alite: I agree Flow
Majick: me too
James: We talked about this earlier, when deciding if we would introduce the nadi's, but we had to in order to cover this chakra. nadi's are the 3 channals
Flow: It seems essential.
James: Any questions?
MyKarma: none here:-)
Flow: Nope, I just have to review all 6.
James: After this series we are going to spin something off... and this time slot will return to a study of meditation itself. Tonights meditation will be primarily instructional for our basic meditation technique, but I will try to introduce a little imagerly that is specific to the 6th chakra. Its just about time to begin that.

Group Meditation:

Try to sit as straight as you can without being strained..having hips nigher than knees seems to help the balance, and on a chair that might be best sitting forward, with feet flat on the ground. But find what works for you. Then relax...

Let the cares of the day fall away. Breathe deeply and smoothly.. feeling a peaceful warm energy fill you with each inhalation. Breathe out all tension.

Let stillness settle over you like a blanket.... relax forehead, jaw, neck, shoulders, body. hips, legs, let your hands find a place to rest Imagine your are sitting in front of a pool of water, with trees around it.... It is night and the sky is clear... as the stillness settles, the stars are all around, and reflected in the water as it becomes a mirror pool.

Feel your consciousness become spacious... as spacious as the starlit sky. The stars twinkle, and the brightest star of all is between your brows.. your third eye. Let your attention settle there...
Sense that point or "bindu" that is the third eye, like a clear pearl. Let the stillness radiate outward over your world.. from this point.. the point of will.. the command center of your consciousness. Breathing in warm peaceful energy, breathing out all tension.

We are as one in this starlit sky, this field of consciousness. Let the stillness settle over body and mind.. as the stillness makes the pond become a mirror, as the bounds of consciousness become more spacious..

We are the light.

We are timeless.

Infinite.

Close your eyes for several breaths and feel this...

Taking one final deep breath and releasing.. let us bring this meditation gently to a close...


Ending Discussion:

Flow: Wow James.
Emerging: Lovely class & meditation... thank you.
Flow: That was profound.
Alite: Yes. Wonderful!
Styl: AWESOME
Flow: and lightening :)
MyKarma: Thank you James.. :-)
James: Thanks all of you.
Sunset: smiles
MyLady: yes, thank you very much
Majick: TY James, sunset, and diane :) lovely :)
James: Next week is the 7th and final chakra.
Flow: See you next week.. 8-)
James: But we may add a week to tie it all together as suggested.
Alite: Thank you Majick for your thank you!