What is third eye meditation?
Third eye meditation is a quiet practice in which you rest your attention at the third eye chakra, between and just above the eyebrows. People use it to settle the mind, listen inward and trust their own intuition a little more each time.
This page is for the practice. If you'd like to understand what "opening" the third eye really means, start with how to open your third eye safely or the third eye chakra. Then come back here and try it.
Prepare: ground and
set an intention
A few minutes of preparation make everything after it gentler. Tap a card to open it.
PrepareChoose a spotQuiet and unhurried
Sit or lie down somewhere you won't be interrupted for ten to fifteen minutes. Dim light helps, and so does a blanket if you tend to get cool when you're still.
PrepareGround firstBody before brow
Press your feet into the floor or feel your weight on the surface beneath you. Take a few slow breaths, with the exhale a little longer than the inhale. The third eye is easier to rest into when the rest of you feels held. If you'd like more help, see how to open your third eye safely.
PrepareSet an intentionKeep it gentle
Choose something simple, like I'm just going to notice or I'm listening. Avoid goals like seeing something or opening something. Those tend to create pressure, and pressure is the opposite of what this practice needs.
PrepareKnow you can stopYou are in charge
You can open your eyes, move your body or stop at any point. Having that permission in advance is part of what lets the practice feel safe.
The practice:
eight gentle steps
Ten to fifteen minutes. Read it through once, then try it with your eyes closed.
- Settle and ground. Feel your feet or your weight, and take a few slow breaths.
- Lengthen your exhale. Breathe in through your nose for a count of four, and out slowly for six. Do this for about six breaths.
- Soften your face. Let your jaw loosen, your tongue rest and your eyes settle behind closed lids.
- Bring your attention to the space between your eyebrows. If it helps, rest a fingertip there for a moment, then lower your hand.
- Imagine a soft indigo light there, about the size of a coin. Let it glow without trying to make it brighter or bigger.
- Ask a quiet question: What do I already know? Let the answer be a word, a feeling, an image or nothing at all.
- Rest and watch. Notice whatever arrives, whether color, thought or stillness, and let it pass the way clouds do. When you drift off, come back to the brow.
- Close gently. Rest a hand over your heart, press your feet into the floor and take three slow breaths. Open your eyes slowly, and give yourself a minute before you stand.
If anything felt heavy, let it be and give yourself a few quiet minutes. For a longer guided practice across all seven centers, see chakra meditation.
Add a sound,
if you like
In the yogic tradition, the seed sound for the third eye is OM. If you'd like to use it, take a slow breath in, then hum or say OM quietly on the exhale, and feel the vibration at your forehead. Three rounds is plenty. You'll also see 852 Hz paired with the third eye in modern sound healing, and many people like to play it softly under the practice. These come from tradition and practice, and not from proven rules. See chakra frequencies and sound healing.
A gentler version
for sleep
Many people like a softer version at bedtime. Lie on your back with your hands resting on your belly. Skip the fingertip and the questions, and take six slow breaths with the exhale longer than the inhale. Imagine a faint indigo glow at your forehead, and let it fade as you relax your body, starting at the feet and moving up to your face. Let sleep take the rest.
If vivid imagery keeps you awake, move your attention down to your belly or your feet and save the brow focus for the daytime. Many people also fall asleep to one of my free Reiki activations on YouTube, which are recorded for settling.
What to expect
There is no right experience. Here is what people commonly notice, and what I'd do with each.
| You may notice | What to do with it |
|---|---|
| Nothing at all | Very common, and perfectly fine. Quiet attention is the practice. |
| Warmth, tingling or pressure | A soft sensation at the brow, forehead or behind the eyes. Let it be, and soften around it if it grows. |
| Color or light | Indigo, violet, flashes or a soft glow behind the eyelids. Notice it without chasing it. |
| A busy mind | Thoughts keep coming. Each time you notice, return to the brow, and that return is the meditation. |
| Emotion | A wave of feeling or a memory can surface. Breathe out slowly, and ground in your feet if it feels like a lot. |
What to skip
These tend to backfire. Tap a card to see why.
SkipStaring or crossing your eyesStrain isn't the practice
Keep your eyes closed or softly lowered, and let them rest. Rolling them up or crossing them toward the brow can cause strain and headache, and it doesn't help you sense anything.
SkipPressing hard on the browA light touch is plenty
If you use a fingertip, rest it gently between your eyebrows, then lower your hand. Attention does the work, not pressure.
SkipMarathon sessionsTen minutes is enough
Long sittings can leave you spacey or wired. Short, regular practice is gentler on your nervous system, and it is what builds steadiness over time.
SkipChasing visionsLet what comes come
If you start trying to see color or pictures, that is effort again. Return to your breath, and let whatever arrives be enough, even if that is nothing.
SkipPracticing when depletedRest first
If you're exhausted, wired, unwell or very emotional, a nap, a walk or a meal will do more for you than a meditation. Come back when you feel steadier.
SkipComparing your experienceYours is the right one
Someone else's lights and visions have nothing to say about yours. Quiet is a full experience, and so is a busy mind.
If you have a history of trauma, anxiety or dissociation, go especially slowly and consider working with a licensed trauma-informed therapist alongside any meditation practice. See nervous system regulation for more.
A free activation for
trusting your inner knowing
Blue Moon in Sagittarius Reiki | Trust Your Inner Knowing is a Reiki activation I recorded for intuition and inner trust. It is free on my YouTube channel. Find a quiet spot, and let your forehead soften as you listen.
Blue Moon in Sagittarius Reiki · Trust Your Inner Knowing
You can listen any time, and if you drift off along the way, let yourself.
More to listen to
Three gentle ones to ground and settle.
Morning Meditation for Positive Energy
A gentle morning meditation to begin the day settled.
Listen on YouTube
The Scarcity Body
A Reiki activation for the part of you that still counts what is missing.
Listen on YouTubeKeep exploring
Where to go next from here.
Frequently asked questions
What is third eye meditation?
Third eye meditation is a quiet practice from yogic and energy traditions in which you rest attention at the third eye chakra, between and just above the eyebrows. People use it to settle the mind, listen inward and build trust in their intuition. It is a practice of attention, not a technique for forcing anything open.
How do you meditate on the third eye?
Ground yourself, soften your face and rest your attention between your eyebrows with your eyes closed. You can imagine a soft indigo light there, then ask one quiet question and simply notice. Finish by grounding. The step-by-step practice on this page walks you through it.
How long should third eye meditation be?
Ten to fifteen minutes is plenty, and even five can be enough. Short, regular sessions tend to work better than long ones, and they are gentler on your nervous system. Stop earlier if anything feels like too much.
What will I see or feel?
There is no right experience. Some people notice warmth, pressure, tingling, color or light. Others notice nothing, or a busy mind, and that is fine. Quiet and steady attention is what the practice is about, and the table on this page covers what to do with each.
Can I do third eye meditation before sleep?
Many people do, using a gentler version: lie down, skip the fingertip and any questions, and let a soft indigo glow fade as you relax your body from the feet upward. If vivid imagery keeps you awake, put your attention in your belly or feet instead and save the brow focus for the daytime.
Can third eye meditation cause headaches or anxiety?
Some people feel pressure at the brow, dizziness or restlessness, especially when they strain or sit for a long time. Slow down, soften your focus, ground and shorten your practice. Persistent headaches, vision changes or ongoing anxiety are reasons to talk with a doctor or a licensed therapist.
Is there a mantra or sound for the third eye?
In the yogic tradition, the seed sound for the third eye is OM, and some people hum it quietly on a long exhale. In modern sound healing you'll see frequencies like 852 Hz attached to it. Both are traditions and practices, not proven rules. See chakra frequencies and sound healing for more.
How is this different from Reiki?
In meditation you direct your own attention. In Reiki, the practitioner holds gentle energy while you rest. Many people use both: Reiki can quiet the mind and forehead, and meditation lets you practice listening on your own. Reiki is a complement to medical and mental health care, never a replacement. See my Reiki sessions.
Guided by Carissa Andrews, Reiki Master and lineage holder.
Reiki is a complementary practice and not a substitute for medical or mental health care. No specific outcomes are promised or guaranteed. This page is educational and is not therapy or clinical advice.