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Learning  and  Wisdom  –  Ajna  Chakra  
 
When  you  love,  honour  and  integrate  
the  teachings  of  yoga,  you’re  working  
with  Ajna  Chakra.  Ajna  is  your  third  eye,  
the  energy  at  the  eyebrow  centre  
responsible  for  wisdom,  intuition,  and  
intellect.  Ajna  means  ‘all  knowing’  and  is  
connected  to  your  ability  to  learn,  
process  knowledge,  and  evaluate  and  
develop  insight.    
 
This  is  the  energy  that  sees  through  the  
illusions  and  biases  that  colour  your  
perception,  and  which  gives  you  access  
to  the  higher  levels  of  wisdom,  beyond  
the  conditioning  of  your  culture  and  
past  experience.  When  Ajna  Chakra  is  
out  of  balance,  you  may  experience  
  doubt,  indecision,  and  confusion.  
Balance  Ajna  Chakra  and  coax  it  open  
through  regular,  dedicated  practice,  and  the  suffering  and  ignorance  will  dissolve  
as  you  gain  access  to  higher  wisdom  and  deep  insight.    
 
The  wisdom  of  Anja  Chakra  will  help  you  navigate  your  way  through  the  
increasingly  contradictory  world  of  yoga.  Until  recent  decades,  yoga  was  
practiced  as  a  path  to  enlightenment.  Today,  the  word  ‘yoga’  means  different  
things  to  different  people.  It’s  an  exercise  system,  a  stress-­‐relief  technique,  a  way  
of  preparing  for  childbirth,  a  lifestyle,  a  fashion  statement,  and  even  an  industry.    
 
Traditional  yoga  teachings  explain  that  our  habit  of  over-­‐identifying  with  the  
physical  body  (not  to  mention  material  possessions)  is  the  cause  of  our  
unhappiness.  And  yet,  the  modern  yoga  industry  is  increasingly  using  idealized  
and  objectified  images  of  women’s  bodies  to  sell  yoga  classes,  retreats,  clothing,  
jewellery,  and  other  commodities.  Thousands  of  yoga  practitioners  take  to  social  
media  every  day  with  images  of  themselves  in  complicated  postures,  devoid  of  
spiritual  context.  Could  it  be  that  Moksha,  the  liberation  that  yoga  promises,  is  
now  being  packaged  in  a  way  that  actually  creates  greater  bondage?  
 
 
Awakening  Ajna  Chakra  
 
Awakening  Ajna  Chakra  will  help  you  to  pick  your  way  through  the  physical,  
spiritual,  and  ethical  dilemmas  facing  the  21st  century  yogi.    
This  practice  is  designed  to  help  you  focus  on  the  energy  and  wisdom  of  Ajna  
Chakra.  You  will  be  moving  from  thinking,  to  feeling,  to  knowing  as  you  draw  
your  awareness  more  deeply  in  to  the  interior  of  your  being.    

Copyright  Nikola  Ellis/Adore  Yoga  2016  

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Before  you  do  this  practice,  create  a  sacred  space  that  allows  you  to  let  go  of  all  
outside  concerns  –  turn  off  your  phone,  draw  the  curtains,  light  a  candle,  and  
check  in  with  yourself  to  make  absolutely  sure  you  are  comfortable  in  the  safe  
space  you’ve  created.  Roll  out  your  mat  and  prepare  to  undertake  your  inner  
journey.  
 
1. Sit  comfortably  and  close  your  eyes.    
If  closing  your  eyes  feels  uncomfortable,  open  or  half  open  them.  It’s  
important  to  feel  safe  as  you  move  through  the  practice.  
 
2. Marjariasana.  
Come  on  to  your  hands  and  knees.  Feel  down  through  the  palms  of  your  
hands.  Snuggle  each  and  every  finger  pad  into  the  mat.  Sense  the  texture  
of  the  mat  beneath  your  hands.    
 
Move  into  Marjariasana,  dipping  the  belly  to  the  floor  and  lifting  the  chin  
as  you  inhale,  tucking  the  chin  and  tailbone,  and  arching  the  spine  to  the  
ceiling  as  you  exhale.    
 
Follow  the  breath  very  carefully,  moving  your  body  in  complete  
synchronicity  with  the  breath  –  allow  the  breath  to  lead  the  body  
movements.  
 
Repeat  Marjariasana  6  times.  
 
3. Kneeling  Salute.  
As  you  exhale  next,  sit  back  on  your  heels  in  Vajrasana.  Take  a  few  
moments  to  really  feel  this  position.  How  are  your  knees  feeling?  What  
are  the  sensations  in  the  fronts  of  your  ankles?  How  are  the  curves  of  
your  spine?  
 
• Inhale  to  stand  up  on  your  knees  in  a  high  kneeling  position,  
raising  the  arms  straight  up  overhead  as  you  go.  
 
• Exhale  to  bring  the  arms  and  head  forward  and  down  to  the  floor,  
bringing  the  buttocks  back  to  your  heels  in  Balasana.  
 
• Inhale  to  move  forward  onto  your  hands  and  knees.  
 
• Exhale  to  lift  up  into  Adho  Mukha  Svanasana.  
 
• Inhale  to  return  to  your  hands  and  knees.  
 
• Exhale  to  sit  back  into  Balasana,  arms  stretched  out  on  the  floor  in  
front  of  you.  
 
• Inhale  to  raise  the  arms  and  torso,  coming  up  into  a  high  kneeling  
position.  

Copyright  Nikola  Ellis/Adore  Yoga  2016  

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• Exhale  to  sit  back  onto  your  heels  in  Vajrasana,  lowering  the  palms  
down  onto  your  thighs.  
 
• If  it  feels  okay,  keep  your  eyes  closed  throughout  this  practice.  Pay  
close  attention  to  your  breath,  allowing  the  body  to  follow  the  ebb  
and  flow  of  each  inhale  and  exhale.  
 
Repeat  the  kneeling  salute  six  times.  
 
 
4. Balasana  variation.  
From  Vajrasana,  take  your  knees  wide  and  place  a  low  block  in  front  of  
you.  As  you  exhale,  lower  your  torso  and  place  the  centre  of  your  
forehead  onto  the  block.  Fold  your  arms  back  down  by  the  sides  of  your  
shins.  
 
Close  your  eyes  and  turn  your  inner  gaze  to  the  third  eye.  
 
As  you  inhale,  gently  direct  your  breath  to  the  third  eye  point;  as  you  
exhale,  breathe  out  from  the  third  eye  centre.  
 
Hold  this  pose  and  continue  to  breathe  in  and  out  of  the  eyebrow  centre  
for  12  breaths.  
 
5. Free  Movements.  
Depending  on  your  physical  needs,  you  may  want  to  do  a  gentle  
backbend,  a  gentle  twist,  or  some  other  slow,  gentle  movement  to  make  
your  body  feel  comfortable.  Take  a  few  minutes  to  move  your  body  in  any  
way  you  instinctively  feel  you  need.  Listen  to  your  body  and  offer  it  the  
movement  it  craves.  Whatever  you  do,  keep  it  slow,  gentle,  and,  if  it’s  
comfortable  for  you,  close  your  eyes.  
 
6. Pranayama.  
Move  into  a  comfortable  upright  seated  position.  Kneeling,  lotus  pose,  
sitting  cross  legged,  up  on  a  chair  –  you  choose.  Just  be  comfortable.  
 
Nadi  Shodhana  
• Bring  your  attention  to  your  breath  as  you  breath  through  your  
nostrils.  
• Bring  the  tips  of  your  right  thumb  and  ring  finger  together,  turning  
the  tips  of  the  index  and  middle  fingers  down  to  touch  the  base  of  
the  thumb.  
• Inhale  through  both  nostrils.  
• Use  the  tip  of  the  right  thumb  to  block  the  right  nostril  by  gently  
pressing  on  the  outside  of  the  nostril,  just  below  where  the  
cartilage  ends.  
• Exhale  through  the  left  nostril.  
• Keep  the  thumb  in  place  as  you  inhale  through  the  left  nostril.  

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• At  the  top  of  the  inhale,  release  the  thumb  and  gently  close  the  left    
nostril  with  the  tip  of  the  right  ring  finger.  
• Exhale  through  the  right  nostril  only.  
• Keep  the  ring  finger  in  place  as  you  inhale  through  the  right  
nostril.  
• At  the  top  of  the  inhale,  release  the  ring  finger  and  gently  close  the  
right  nostril  with  the  tip  of  the  right  thumb.  
• Exhale  through  the  left  nostril.  
• Repeat  12  times.  
 
 
7. Meditation.  
 
• Adjust  your  sitting  position  to  be  more  comfortable  if  you  need  to.  
Place  a  finger  on  your  eyebrow  centre  and  gently  press  down  into  
the  third  eye  area.  
 
• Take  your  finger  away  and,  with  your  eyes  closed,  gaze  at  your  
eyebrow  centre.  Feel  the  spot  that  you  were  touching  with  your  
finger.  
 
• As  you  inhale,  breathe  in  through  both  nostrils,  and  up  to  this  point  
at  the  eyebrow  centre.  Imagine  the  eyebrow  centre  as  the  top  
point  of  a  triangle.    
 
• As  you  exhale,  breathe  out  through  both  nostrils,  as  if  you  were  
breathing  down  the  two  sides  of  the  triangle  leading  away  from  
the  apex  at  the  eyebrow  centre.  
 
• Continue  to  breathe  into  and  out  from  the  eyebrow  centre  for  10  
minutes.  
 
 
8. Rest.    
For  as  long  as  you  need.  Simply  lie  down  and  allow  yourself  unstructured,  
purposeless  rest.  No  agenda,  no  technique,  no  desired  outcome.  Just  rest.  
 
 
 
 
From  the  forthcoming  book  “How  to  be  a  yoga  teacher”  by  Nikola  Ellis  
 
 

Copyright  Nikola  Ellis/Adore  Yoga  2016