Feeding Your Third Eye Chakra

Photo courtesy The Quarto Group

The third eye chakra, known as ajna in Sanskrit, is the sixth chakra that resides within the realm of intuition, perception, and inner wisdom. The name means “perceive,” “command,” or “beyond wisdom.” Positioned in the middle of the forehead, just above the space between the eyebrows, the ajna is often referred to as the brow chakra and is associated with the pituitary gland, pineal gland, brain, eyes, and central nervous system.

The element linked to the third eye chakra is light, which provides us with the ability to see by illuminating the world around us. The ajna chakra represents our ability to tap into our intuition, visualize, and gain insight that transcends the physical world. It guides us to perceive higher truths and foster a deeper understanding of the universe and ourselves.

Balancing the third eye chakra encourages us to listen to our inner voice, trust our instincts, and seek deeper meaning in life. Those with a harmonious sixth chakra experience enhanced creativity, mental clarity, and vivid imagination. They are able to clearly remember their dreams, follow their gut instincts, and feel a sense of life purpose. This chakra opens the doorway to heightened spiritual awareness and facilitates the connection between our higher self and universal consciousness.

Conversely, an imbalanced or blocked third eye chakra can result in mental fog, confusion, and a lack of clarity in decision-making. An overactive sixth chakra is linked to excessive daydreaming or escapism from reality, while those with an underactive third eye chakra exhibit skepticism and lack of intuition. Physical symptoms such as headaches, vision issues, and sleep disturbances are also believed to be linked to an imbalanced sixth chakra.

Thankfully, we can easily feed the third eye chakra with food that encourages brain, mood, and sleep health to support overall cognitive function and mental clarity. As with the throat chakra, we can also benefit the third eye by mindful and intuitive eating to cultivate a deeper sense of connection and awareness.

To balance the third eye chakra, we can feed it with adaptogens, vibrant purple produce, and foods to support sleep, brain, and mood health.

Foods To Support Sleep Health

Sleep is essential to optimal function in regard to so many areas of health and well-being. Sleep health supports the third eye chakra by powering the brain to think clearly and perform effectively. Moreover, the pineal gland, commonly referred to as the third eye, is responsible for secreting the hormone melatonin. This hormone plays a vital role in controlling the sleep-wake cycle and maintaining the body’s circadian rhythms.

Studies have noted that a minimum of seven hours of sleep each night is necessary for proper cognitive and behavioral function. This is crucial because a well-balanced third eye is linked to enhanced dream recall, more vivid dreams, and a deeper connection to the subconscious mind.

Food impacts sleep in numerous ways. Nutrients, enzymes, amino acids, and hormones — whether found in or produced by the foods we eat—all work to regulate sleep cycles. Some of these foods include tart cherries, which have above-average concentrations of melatonin; magnesium-rich foods like almonds; foods high in tryptophan, such as turkey and dairy; and foods that increase the production of serotonin, such as dark chocolate, leafy greens, fermented foods, and sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

Foods To Support Brain Health And Mood

In addition to supporting sleep health, foods can boost brain function and aid in mental health and mood. A clear mind is essential for balancing the sixth chakra, and enhanced focus can benefit many third eye-supporting practices, such as meditation. Foods to increase cognitive function include fatty fish, dark chocolate, blueberries, nuts, adaptogens, and stimulants such as coffee and green tea.

Green tea contains the amino acid L-theanine, which balances the caffeine to help you feel both calm and alert. Green tea has been shown to improve alertness, performance, memory, and focus. Chocolate, which contains both caffeine and flavonoids, has been studied to have similar effects on cognition.

Besides boosting brain power, certain foods can affect mental health and mood. This is due to the gut-brain axis, as well as the production of neurotransmitters from foods contributing to the production of mood regulators like serotonin. Studies have shown foods rich in omega-3s (e.g., salmon) and fermented foods (e.g., yogurt) to be among the top foods to support mental health and mood.

Adaptogens

Common in Ayurvedic medicine, adaptogens are various herbs, plants, and mushrooms that support the body’s ability to maintain balance or homeostasis in times of physical or emotional stress. Certain adaptogens — such as rhodiola, ginseng, maca, and adaptogenic mushrooms — have also been shown to enhance energy, focus, performance, and cognitive health.

Purple Foods

Resonating with the third eye’s color, purple foods can feed our ajna. Like blue foods, purple foods receive their natural color from the plant pigment anthocyanins. In line with all antioxidants, anthocyanins can help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body and prevent various chronic diseases. The special thing about purple foods (including blue-purple and red-purple hues) is that they are known for their brain-boosting properties due to their unique combination of phytonutrients.

Blueberries, for example, have been shown to improve the communication between brain cells, memory, and cognitive processes. Similarly, other purple foods like açaí berries, eggplant, and grapes have been shown to protect the brain from damage as you age, boost cognition, and help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

List Of Third Eye Chakra Foods

Foods to Support Sleep Health
Almonds, Banana, Barley, Chamomile tea, Chia seeds, Chickpeas, Citrus fruits, Eggs, Fig, Flax seeds, Grapes, Honey, Kiwi, Leafy greens, Milk and dairy, Mushroom, Oats, Passionflower tea, Pistachios, Raspberries, Salmon, Tart cherries, Turkey, Walnuts, Whole grains, Yogurt

Foods to Support Brain Health & Mood
Avocado, Banana, Beans and lentils, Beet, Berries, Blueberries, Bone broth, Broccoli, Cacao, Celery, Coconut oil, Coffee, Dark chocolate, Dates, Eggs, Fatty fish, Fermented foods, Green tea, Leafy greens, Nuts and seeds, Oats, Olive oil, Orange, Pumpkin seeds, Rosemary, Turmeric, Whole grains

Adaptogens
Ashwagandha, Astragalus root, Chaga, Cordyceps, Eleuthero, Ginseng, Gotu kola, Licorice root, Lion’s mane, Maca, Moringa, Reishi, Rhodiola rosea, Schisandra berry, Shatavari, Tulsi (holy basil), Turmeric

Purple Foods
Açaí berries, Blackberries, Butterfly pea flowers, Eggplant, Elderberries, Fig, Forbidden rice, Grapes, Lavender, Okinawan sweet potato, Passion fruit, Plum, Purple asparagus, Purple barley, Purple basil, Purple cabbage, Purple carrot, Purple cauliflower, Purple garlic, Purple mangosteen, Purple potato, Purple star apple, Radicchio, Raisins, Redbor kale, Red dragon fruit, Royal burgundy green beans, Ube, Ulluco

Sixth Chakra Recipes

Roasted Eggplant with Tahini and Pomegranate
Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Paleo
Serves 6
Prep Time 15 Minutes, Cook Time 50 Minutes

Feed the third eye with deep purple eggplant in this Middle Eastern–inspired dish. This tender roasted eggplant is the perfect balance of sweet, savory, fruity, earthy, and nutty. A hardy plant-based staple, eggplants are abundant in antioxidant-rich anthocyanins, which provide their vibrant purple color.

Roasted Eggplant
3 medium eggplants
Sea salt
6 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 tablespoons za’atar
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons pomegranate arils, for topping
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, for topping
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, for topping

Tahini Sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) tahini
1 tablespoon honey, plus more for drizzling
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup (60 ml) filtered water
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. To make the eggplant: Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, keeping the stem on. Using the tip of a knife, score the eggplant by cutting a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut too deep through the skin. Sprinkle the eggplants with sea salt and let sit for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggplants to the prepared baking sheet and brush both sides of the eggplants with olive oil.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, za’atar, and garlic. Spoon this mixture over the eggplants, rubbing the cut side of the eggplant evenly, coating the top, and pressing some of the spice mixture into the crevices. Bake the eggplant for 50 minutes, or until golden and very tender.
4. To make the tahini sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, honey, and lemon juice. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until a saucy consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Drizzle the eggplant with the tahini sauce and a little honey, if desired. Top with the pomegranate arils, pine nuts, and mint.

Ingredient Tip:  You can purchase za’atar or easily make the spice blend yourself. To make a simplified version, combine 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon sumac, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme.

Chakra Charcuterie
Feed the chakras by making a vibrant charcuterie board that showcases all the colors of the rainbow. This beautiful board is great for crowds or special occasions, but you can also pick and choose items to make smaller platters or snack plates. Take inspiration from these foods and don’t be afraid to create your own combinations!

Red Items
Raspberries
Prosciutto roses
Tomato bruschetta
Red bell pepper strips
Grape or sun-dried tomatoes

Orange Items
Carrot sticks
Dried apricots
Orange bell pepper strips
Sliced sharp Cheddar cheese
Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus

Yellow Items
Pita chips
Crackers
Pineapple slices
Yellow bell pepper strips
Yellow cauliflower florets

Green Items
Snap peas
Pistachios
Green grapes
Guacamole
Broccoli florets
Cucumber sticks
Castelvetrano olives

Blue Items
Blueberries
Blackberries
Dried or fresh figs
Chunk of blue cheese
Blueberry goat cheese log

Purple Items
Purple grapes
Olive tapenade
Purple carrot sticks
Purple cauliflower
Beet chips or purple sweet potato chips
Chocolate-dipped stuffed dates with lavender buds

Assemble and arrange all items by color groups on a large board or platter.

Excerpted with permission from Feed Your Chakras: Recipes to Restore & Balance Your Energy Centers (Wellfleet Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 2024) by Tiffany La Forge. Feed Your Chakras is available wherever fine books are sold. Learn more at quarto.com.

Tiffany La Forge is a professional chef, food blogger, writer, and certified chakra energy healer. She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and, over the past decade, in addition to working as a chef, has built her popular blog Parsnips and Pastries (parsnipsandpastries.com), where she shares seasonal, balanced, and approachable recipes. Find her on Instagram @parsnipsandpastries.

Find holistic Chakra Healing in the Spirit of Change online Alternative Health Directory.

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