AJNA
THIRD EYE CHAKRA
Ajna, meaning “command' or 'summoning”, is commonly considered as the sixth primary chakra. Ajna is positioned in the stomata directly behind the centre of the forehead. This is the seat of the mind.
There are two petals (Yoga Nadis) on each side of the lotus (Chakra) that vibrate to the Sanskrit letters:— (Ham) and (Ksham).
The central Seed Syllable (Bija) is Aum, or "Pranava Om".
Ajna (along with Bindu), is known as the third eye chakra and is linked to the pineal gland which may inform a model of its envisioning. The pineal gland is a light sensitive gland that produces the hormone melatonin, regulating sleeping and waking cycles and is also postulated to be the production site of the dimethyltryptamine, the only known hallucinogen endogenous to the human body.
The Element 'Avyakta' is present here, the primordial cloud of undifferentiated energy.
In the Achyutananda Tradition, each chakra is to be visualized as a lotus flower with petals.There is symbolism within each image of the chakra,and in each petal is a letter.There are 4 petals in the root chakra, 6 petals in the 2nd, 10 petals in the navel chakra, 12 petals in the heart chakra, 16 petals in the throat chakra and two petals in the third eye chakra. That gives us 4 + 6 + 10 + 12 + 16 + 2 = 50 petals.There are 50 letters in the Sanskrit language, each letter is represented in a petal.
Soham (सो ऽहम् so-ham) means “I am He/That”. - The masculine principle, Shiva.
In Sanskrit it is used as a mantra to identify and connect oneself with the ultimate reality.
The combination of 'So-ham' and Ham-sa' is a form of Sandhi (a sound change that takes place at the word boundaries) that both answers and poses the question; 'I am That, Who am I? or translates to
"I Myself am the Swan" (the symbol of the swan representing 'Paramashiva' or Atman -
the self and the soul).
Sooooo… is the sound of inhalation
Hammmm… is the sound of exhalation.
Ksham (क्षम) means “I forgive”. - The feminine principle, Shakti.
In Sanskrit it is used as a mantra to establish direct insight at the final stage of AUM.
Its principle generates motion between the two petals, encircling the void through which
the sound of all creation can travel. Shakti Hakini is the androgynous deity that resides there .
