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11 Best Mindfulness Books & Journals (for 2024)
In this post, discover 11 of the best mindfulness books and journals to read this year. For beginners and experienced mindfulness practitioners alike, these resources will take you on a profound journey to cultivating mindfulness and inner peace.
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product using my link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Pin this for later! 11 Best Mindfulness Books & Journals (for 2023) What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is non-judgmental, conscious awareness in the present moment. This means being aware of your own thoughts, feelings, and surroundings in the present moment without putting labels on any of it as right or wrong. Mindfulness is sometimes referred to as the art of noticing, as it doesn’t require anything from you except to simply notice.
Now, if this is still kind of unclear, that’s okay. Let’s break it down a little further.
- Lack of Judgment: As humans, we experience a range of thoughts and emotions throughout our lives. Sometimes, we experience this spectrum in a single day. Anger, fear, sadness, pain, anxiety, and stress are emotions we often call negative. Likewise, we may have thoughts that we deem to be wrong or bad. The key to mindfulness is to not judge ourselves for our thoughts and emotions. Simply observe. If you notice that a thought you’re having doesn’t align with what feels good and true to you, you can take this moment to realign with your truth.
- Conscious Awareness: This means that you recognize your thoughts, words, and actions as you’re thinking, speaking, and acting. This is the opposite of the “autopilot” mode we all fall into once in a while. Conscious awareness is taking a step back, recognizing the autopilot mode, and choosing how to think and feel in this moment. (Again, when you catch yourself in autopilot mode, don’t judge yourself. It’s perfectly normal.)
- Returning to the Present Moment: I think about the past a lot. I also think about the future a lot. And that’s okay. I can also recognize that the only real thing in the world is this moment right now. You can think about the past and future, but don’t live there. Live in this moment. That’s what mindfulness does for us; it allows us to honor and recognize the beauty, value, and importance of this moment right now.
Mindfulness is knowing that nothing about this moment is wrong. Nothing is a mistake. It is exactly as it is. And if you don’t like how you’re feeling or what you’re experiencing in this moment, notice and see if you can realign with something that feels better. But don’t judge yourself for being human.
If you’d like to learn more about what mindfulness is and explore profound mindfulness quotes from top scholars and thinkers, you can learn more about mindfulness here. And in this post, I offer 10 practices to help you cultivate mindfulness today.
Below, you’ll find 11 of the best mindfulness books and journals for beginners and experienced mindfulness practitioners alike. All of the books and journals below will take you on a gentle, profound journey that leads you to the greatest destination of all: back to yourself.
- You May Also Like: 10 Best Manifestation Books to Read This Year
Mindfulness Books & Journals
Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations
If you’re looking to begin your own mindfulness practice, Matthew Sockolov’s Practicing Mindfulness: 75 Essential Meditations will take you on a truly profound and meaningful journey through mindfulness using meditation. Here, you’ll find 75 unique exercises. The early ones can be done in just 5 minutes a day, and as you progress in your journey, so will the meditations. This is a great guide for both beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
Think Like A Monk
Jay Shetty’s Think Like A Monk is an inspiring guide to overcoming your own negative thoughts, accessing your inner peace, and clearing any roadblocks that may be stopping you from tapping into your own power and potential. Shetty takes often complex and abstract ideas and transforms them into accessible exercises and advice that you can use in your own life to reduce stress and increase mindfulness.
Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan
Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Danny Penman provides you with simple yet powerful practices for cultivating mindfulness in your daily life. It promotes true joy and inner peace and helps you to break the cycle of daily stress, anxiety, and exhaustion.
Wherever You Go, There You Are
When you start researching mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn is likely one of the first names that will come up. (And likely, his name will keep appearing over and over again). This book is absolutely a must-have for those new to meditation and mindfulness as well as seasoned practitioners. Wherever You Go, There You Are takes you on a profound journey back home to yourself. It teaches you how to cultivate mindfulness your own way in a gentle yet powerful manner.
Mindfulness For Beginners
And because there can never be too much Jon Kabat-Zinn on a mindfulness list, his book Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment and Your Life is a truly wonderful resource for anyone just starting their mindfulness journey. This book guides you back to yourself and helps you to embody the real and true you. This book is an invitation to transform the way you think, feel, work, and play in a loving, wholehearted manner.
A Year Of Zen
Bonnie Myotai Treace’s A Year of Zen is a 52-week guided journal filled will thought-provoking journal prompts and ample space to explore and reflect upon your own experiences and inner world. (And its simple illustrations are elegant and serene.)
Mindfulness For Beginners In 10 Minutes A Day
Lara Hocheiser’s Mindfulness for Beginners in 10 Minutes a Day is another great resource for those just beginning their mindfulness journey. Hocheiser provides the readers with an explanation of what mindfulness is in an easy-to-grasp way and offers simple yet profound exercises for practicing mindfulness every morning, day, and night.
The Miracle Of Mindfulness
Thich Nhat Hanh is another prominent figure in the meditation and mindfulness space. His book, The Miracle of Mindfulness, is a beautiful and gentle introduction to mindfulness, offering exercises and anecdotes that remind you that each moment holds its own gifts and opportunities for peace.
The Mindfulness Journal
Worthy Stokes’ The Mindfulness Journal: Creative Prompts to Relax, Release, and Explore the Wisdom of You is a wonderful discovery filled with gifts on every page. In addition to prompts, it offers exercises that allow you to explore mindfulness through connecting with your inner artist. This is a beautiful journal that also makes a great gift for friends and loved ones.
Star Wars: The Jedi Mind
Star Wars: The Jedi Mind: Secrets from the Force for Balance and Peace by author Amy Ratcliffe and illustrator Christina Chung pairs lessons from Star Wars with mindfulness lessons relevant to our own galaxy in the 21st century. This is a perfect gift to yourself or the Star Wars fan in your life, offering accessible lessons focused on peace, serenity, and balance.
A Year Of Mindfulness
Jennifer Raye’s A Year of Mindfulness is a 52-week mindfulness journal that includes weekly themes and daily writing prompts that allow you to cultivate mindfulness each day of the year. The simple, easy-to-follow exercises in this journal are designed to help you live in the moment and notice the world around you (and within).
Do you have any favorite mindfulness books or journals? Share your favorites in the comment box below! And for positive affirmations, self-love tools, manifestation inspiration, and spiritual resources, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram.
Looking for more? Here are a few more posts you might like:
- How To Tap Into Your Intuition (A Complete Guide)
- 500 Things To Be Grateful For Today
- Alternate Nostril Breathing: Benefits & How-To Guide
- 33 Profound Spiritual Healing Quotes To Guide Your Path
Pin this for later! 11 Best Mindfulness Books & Journals (for 2023) 
Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
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Alternate Nostril Breathing Benefits & How-To Guide
In this article, discover the health benefits of alternate nostril breathing, a breath control practice in which you alternate inhaling and exhaling out of each nostril. You’ll also learn about the spiritual benefits of this practice and get a step-by-step guide on how to start today.
Pin this for later! Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama): Benefits & How-To Guide What is Alternate Nostril Breathing?
Alternate nostril breathing, also known as Nadi Shodhana or Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (translated to “subtle energy clearing breathing technique”), is a breath control practice commonly used in meditation and yoga. It’s often used as a way to clear blocked energy within your body as well as to cultivate a sense of calm and stillness within.
The practice of alternate nostril breathing is exactly as it sounds; it’s a breathing technique in which you alternate breathing in and out of each of your nostrils by closing off one of your nostrils with your fingers.
A typical practice might look something like this: close your right nostril and inhale through your left nostril. At the top of your inhale, switch and close your left nostril, exhaling out of your right nostril. Inhale through your right nostril, then close it and exhale out of your left nostril. Inhale through your left nostril, then close it and exhale out of your right nostril. Continue this pattern for the remainder of your practice.
Below, I’ll discuss this practice in greater detail. First, though, let’s look at the health benefits of alternate nostril breathing as well as the spiritual benefits of utilizing this powerful practice.
Health Benefits
So why practice alternate nostril breathing? Personally, I practice it as a way to calm my mind and ground myself to the present moment. When I sit down to meditate, I find it helpful to take a minute or two to practice alternate nostril breathing before I begin. This helps me to release distractions, clear my mind, and get centered as I start my meditation.
I also use alternate nostril breathing as a way to clear any blockages in my body’s energy channels, which I’ll discuss in more detail in the Spiritual Benefits section below.
Here are some of the commonly cited health benefits of alternate nostril breathing:
- Calms the mind
- Reduces anxiety
- Reduces stress
- Relaxes the body
- Improves cardiovascular function
- Improves lung function
- Promotes overall well-being
While the positive benefits of alternate nostril breathing have been promoted by yogis and meditation practitioners for years, there’s now some scientific evidence to back up these claims.
In this 2013 study, researchers found that those who practiced alternate nostril breathing showed a reduction in perceived stress levels and well as lower heart rates, respiratory rates, and blood pressure.
And in this 2017 study, researchers found that the practice of alternate nostril breathing (as well as other yogic breathing techniques) had a positive effect on respiratory endurance and the lung functions of competitive swimmers.
This 2018 review also shows how various yogic breathing techniques, including alternate nostril breathing, can be beneficial to one’s overall health and well-being.
If you have any questions about whether alternate nostril breathing could be helpful for you, please talk to your healthcare practitioner.
Spiritual Benefits
The spiritual benefits of alternate nostril-breathing can be linked to your chakra system, and more specifically, your nadis.
What are nadis? Nadis are the energy channels through which your life force flows; the word nadi is a Sanskrit word meaning “tube”, “channel”, or “flow.”
Many estimate that you have between 21,000 to 72,000 nadis in your body, though some believe there could be hundreds of thousands or even millions of nadis within each of us. Two of the most important nadis that you should know about are your Ida Nadi and your Pingala Nadi.
Your Ida Nadi is associated with your feminine energy and starts at the base of your spine (at your root chakra). It then runs through your core to your left nostril. It’s associated with right-brain dominance and what you might describe as your softer, darker energy.
Your Pingala Nadi is associated your masculine energy. It starts at the base of your spine (also at your root chakra) and runs through your core to your right nostril. (The Ida Nadi and the Pingala Nadi flow upwards criss-crossing each other at your chakra points.) It’s associated with left-brain dominance and what you might describe as stronger, lighter energy.
When your nadis become blocked, you may experience energy imbalances that can have negative effects on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self. One way to clear energy imbalances is through alternate nostril breathing.
As you can see from the image above, your Ida Nadi runs through to your left nostril, and your Pingala Nadi runs through your right nostril. Alternate nostril breathing is a direct connection to these energy channels.
To know if either of these nadis might be blocked, you can do a quick test now. Gently press any of the fingers on your right hand against the right side of your nose, closing the right nostril. Place the fingers of your left hand below your left nostril. Exhale through your nose, noticing whether you can feel the warm air of your exhale against your left fingers. Then try this with your right nostril.
If you feel little or no air out of your left nostril, your Ida Nadi may be experiencing blockages. This represents your feminine energy, which is tied to surrendering, allowing, and just being.
If you feel little or no air out of your right nostril, your Pingala Nadi may be experiencing blockages. This represents your masculine energy, which is tied to hustling, achieving, and doing.
Neither side is more or less important than the other; when you find a balance between the two, you’re able to live your truest, most authentic life.
If you’re experiencing blockages to either of these energy channels, alternate nostril breathing can be a powerful tool to help clear these blockages.
However, I definitely encourage you not to stop there. It’s important to listen to your inner rhythm. For instance, if you’ve been in hustle mode for too long, your inner being may tell you it’s time to step back for a while and allow yourself to just be.
- You May Also Like: How To Create A Meditation Table (A Complete Guide)
Pin this for later! How to Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing
So are you ready to try alternate nostril breathing? Below, you’ll find step-by-step instructions to begin this powerful practice.
Please note that while my instructions have you starting out in a certain position, you don’t necessarily have to be in a meditation position to do this throughout the day. For instance, if you’re at work and want to practice alternate nostril breathing at your desk, that’s totally fine!
- You can start in your preferred meditation position, sitting cross-legged on the floor or on a chair with your feet planted on the ground. (Just not laying down.) Keep your spine straight and your head lifted.
- Lift your right hand. With this practice, you’re going to use three fingers: pinky, ring, and thumb. You can take your index and middle finger and fold them against your palm, so only the pinky, ring finger, and thumb are sticking up.
- You may want to take a few deep breaths first and spend a minute or two grounding yourself to this present moment. Take as much time as you need.
- With the right thumb of the right hand, close your right nostril. Inhale deeply through your left nostril.
- At the top of your inhale, pause. Lift your thumb from your right nostril and close your left nostril using your pinky and ring finger. Exhale fully through your right nostril.
- Then inhale through your right nostril, exhale through your left nostril.
- Inhale through your left nostril, exhale through your right nostril.
- Continue this pattern for several minutes, pausing at the top of each inhale and exhale. You can continue this practice for as long as you’d like.
As you continue to practice, try to follow your breath all the way from the base of your spine to your nostrils. Both your Ida Nadi and Pingala Nadi begin at the base of your spine and go through your left and right nostrils, respectively. Following the breath from the base of your spine through your nostrils allows you to connect with these energy channels, helping you to clear any blockages in either or both nadis.
Have you tried alternate nostril breathing? What benefits have you found through using breath control practices? Leave your comments and questions in the comment box below!
And for uplifting affirmations, chakra resources, meditation tools, self-love encouragement, and more, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!
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- 30 Journal Prompts For Self Growth (& Deeper Self-Love)
Pin this for later! Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama): Benefits & How-To Guide Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
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Manifestation Meditation: A Complete How-To Guide
What is a manifestation meditation? In this post, discover what exactly a manifestation mediation is and how to manifest your dreams and desires while you’re meditating! Plus, get links to some of my favorite free guided manifestation meditations below.
Pin this for later! What is a Manifestation Meditation? A Complete How-To Guide What Is A Manifestation Meditation?
When I first meditating, I believed what many people believe when they’re new to meditation: that the purpose of meditation was to quiet my thoughts and eventually reach a point in which I didn’t think at all. A completely blank, clear mind was the goal, so I sat down each day and tried my best to focus on nothing but my inhale and exhale. When I found my thoughts wandering, I’d start to count my breaths, and I’d return to that count any time I realized I’d let my thoughts wander again.
For months, I considered myself a failure for not being able to clear my thoughts. What I didn’t realize was that this process was actually teaching me mindfulness in a powerful way. (To learn more about what mindfulness is, click here!)
Eventually, I started doing guided meditations using the InsightTimer app, and I was blown away by the vast amount of different types of meditations I discovered. What surprised me the most was that there were meditations that weren’t about clearing your mind at all; many took me through journeys of visualization, affirmations, self-observation, chakra healing, and more.
One of the types of meditations I discovered in this experience was manifestation meditations. A manifestation meditation is a meditation specifically designed to align you with the positive thoughts and emotions of your dreams and desires, lifting your vibrations so that you become a magnet for all of your deepest dreams. This practice is a powerful way to get clear about what exactly it is that you want to manifest, lift your vibrations to match your desires, and let go of limiting beliefs and resistance within.
Some of the core components of a manifestation meditation are visualization, affirmations, gratitude, and releasing your desires to the Universe. Below, I’ll discuss each of these core components in more detail. Then, I’ll give you step-by-step directions you can use to try your own manifestation meditation, plus I’ll provide some links to guided manifestation meditations on the InsightTimer app.
And if you want more manifesting activities and resources, be sure to check out The Ultimate Manifestation Workbook, available now in my online shop! Also be sure to check out my post, How to Manifest Someone (in 6 Simple Steps) for a free 15-page workbook to guide you through the steps of manifesting someone special into your life.
What is Manifestation?
To manifest something means to visualize your dreams and desires and to vibrate at the frequency of your desires as if they’ve already come true. So if you want to attract abundance, become the embodiment of abundance right now. If you want to attract love, allow yourself to feel loved now. Like attracts like, so when you choose to feel these positive emotions throughout your day, you’ll attract more of this to you. To learn more about manifestation, check out my introductory guide here.
Manifestation Meditation: Core Components
Visualization
Visualization is often the cornerstone of a manifestation meditation as it allows you to see in your mind’s eye exactly what it is that you want to manifest. Many guided meditations will take you through a day in your dream life; you’ll be able to visualize all the details of your ideal life, including the house you live in, who you’re surrounded by, and what you do during your day. The key to a successful visualization is to not only see the details play out in your mind but to feel all the high-vibe emotions of having your desires right now. When you do this, you directly connect yourself to the experience of having the thing(s) you desire, becoming a magnet for your dreams to manifest in your reality.
Affirmations
Positive affirmations aren’t always part of a manifestation meditation, but I find them to be a powerful way to lift my vibrations and align me with the uplifting feelings of already having what I desire. So what exactly are positive affirmations? A positive affirmation is a present-tense statement that’s designed to uplift and encourage while boosting self-belief and supporting your overall well-being. Below, you’ll find some examples of manifestation affirmations, and if you’re looking for more, I’ve linked to a few blog posts in the box below.
- I have the freedom to create any future I want.
- I choose what I become.
- Anything I can imagine, I can create.
- My life is filled with limitless abundance.
- I am the abundant, loving energy I want to attract.
- Everything I desire is making its way to me right now.
- All that I’m looking for I can find within me.
Gratitude
Gratitude is the highest vibration you can offer. When you express sincere appreciation, you’re essentially telling the Universe, more of this please. In a manifestation meditation, you can express gratitude for what you already have as well as for what’s coming. This is the sentence I always come back to when it comes to gratitude and manifestation: the more you feel grateful, the more positive things you attract into your life to be grateful for.
Letting Go
To let go means that once you’ve set an intention and asked for what you want, you release your worries about when and how it’s going to happen and trust the Universe to deliver your desires to your reality. In meditation, I’ll sometimes visualize letting go by seeing my desire as a ball of light or a balloon. I release it into the Universe and watch it disappear into the sky. Once it’s gone, I sit back and trust that everything I want is already making its way to me right now.
- You May Also Like: 10 Manifestation Tips to Create the Life of Your Dreams
How To Do A Manifestation Meditation
- Find a comfortable spot where you won’t be interrupted. Set aside at least 10 minutes to do this practice, though you can take more time if you’d like. You can sit cross-legged or on a chair with your feet on the ground. Relax your shoulders and open your chest so your heart center is open to receiving. Place your hands on your knees or thighs with your palms facing the sky (in receiving mode).
- Spend a minute or two getting relaxed. Unclench your jaw and breathe into any tension you feel in your body. Then, breathe it out. Take a few deep, conscious inhales and exhales before letting your breath steady into a normal, comfortable rhythm.
- What do you want to manifest? Bring it to the surface now. Visualize a perfect day in which all of your dreams and desires have already come true. Start with seeing yourself waking up. Where are you? How do you feel when you awaken for the day? Picture all the details of where you are, who you’re with, and what you do throughout your day. As you visualize, allow yourself to feel all of the positive emotions of having all your dreams and desires right now. If you want to manifest love, allow yourself to feel truly loved, protected, and cherished. If you want to manifest career success, allow yourself to feel successful, joyful, and thriving. Feel into these positive emotions in every cell of your being. You can even let a big or soft smile lift your lips if it feels right.
- Finish your visualization by picturing yourself sitting or laying in bed at night. Breathe in gratitude for this beautiful life you’ve created. Feel grateful for all that you have and all that’s coming. Inhale gratitude and exhale it back into the world. Allow yourself to sit in sincere appreciation for a minute or two as you reflect on your beautiful life.
- Repeat a few high-vibe affirmations that further increase your vibrations and align you with the positive feelings of having all your dreams and desires.
- Finish your manifestation meditation by picturing yourself letting go. Visualize your desire as a balloon, a ball of light, a paper lantern, or anything else that feels right to you. Release it into the universe and see it flying up into the starry sky. Watch it until it disappears, then smile and lean into ease knowing that all of your dreams are on their way to you right now.
Want to learn more about manifestation? Check out these posts!
Guided Manifestation Meditations (Links)
Below are some of my favorite guided manifestation meditations on the InsightTimer app. I have no affiliation to this app; it’s simply my go-to app for my own daily meditations. It offers over 55,000 guided meditations and music tracks for meditation completely free. You can purchase a paid subscription to receive access to courses, but this is not required for meditations.
And if you’re new to meditation, you can check out their how-to guide here. You can also check out my beginner’s guide to meditation here.
Here are a few of my favorite guided manifestation meditations you can try today. Most of these meditations are between 10 to 20 minutes in length. I prefer to meditate in the morning, but truly, the best time to meditate is the time that works best for you.
- Manifesting Your Desires by Liza Colpa
- Live Your Desire Now: Manifestation Meditation by Lucy Love
- Aim For the Stars – Manifesting Practice by Naomi Goodlet
- Attracting All That You Desire by Carrie Suwal
- Living Your Dream Life by Susi McWilliam
- Achieve Your Greatest Desires – Manifestation Practice by Vanessa Michele
- Manifest Your Heart’s Desires by Megan Shirey
- Manifest An Abundant Life by Amanda Sellers
Do you have any questions about manifestation meditations? What’s your favorite way to manifest your dreams while meditating? Leave your questions and tips in the comment box below!
For more manifesting tips, daily affirmations, and lots of positive vibes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram! And don’t forget to check out The Ultimate Manifestation Workbook, available now in my online shop!
Pin this for later! What is a Manifestation Meditation? A Complete How-To Guide Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
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50 Meditation Affirmations to Feel Grounded & Secure
In this post, discover 50 meditation affirmations to help you feel grounded, peaceful, and secure, no matter what’s going on in your external world. These affirmations can also be used in your daily life to cultivate a sense of deep inner peace and harmony as you continue through your day.
Pin this for later! 50 Meditation Affirmations to Feel Grounded, Peaceful & Secure How to Use Meditation Affirmations
An affirmation is any statement you make about yourself and/or the world that you affirm to be true. Positive affirmations, specifically, are present-tense statements that are designed to uplift and encourage while boosting self-belief and supporting your overall well-being.
If you meditate regularly, you may already incorporate affirmations in your meditation in some capacity. When I first started meditating, I solely focused on my breathing during meditations. It wasn’t until I started listening to guided meditations that I began incorporating affirmations, as well as other practices such as visualization, in my daily meditations.
So what exactly are meditation affirmations, and how do you use them?
Truly, a meditation affirmation can be anything. For instance, if you want to connect with your creativity, you might recite affirmations for creativity during your meditation. Or if you want to create more prosperity in your life, you can use affirmations to manifest abundance.
Personally, when I think about meditation affirmations, I tend to think about affirmations that invite a sense of calm, stability, and inner peace into my world. I like to use meditation affirmations that help me to feel centered and grounded, no matter what’s going on in my external world.
There are no hard rules for using meditation affirmations. You can incorporate them as a small part of your meditation, or you can center your entire meditation around using calming and/or empowering affirmations. It’s also okay to say your affirmations either in your head, at a whisper, or aloud; it just depends on what feels most comfortable for you.
Below are 50 meditation affirmations to help you feel grounded, peaceful, and secure. Most of these affirmations are fairly short and easy to remember, so you can choose to memorize the ones that resonate most or keep a list of affirmations nearby during your meditation. You can also choose to focus on just one affirmation during your meditation or cycle through several at a time. Do what feels most comfortable and best supports your mind, body, and spirit.
Meditation Affirmations
- I am love.
- I am light.
- I am peace.
- I am calm.
- I am eternal.
- I am infinite.
- I am whole.
- I am grounded.
- I am breathing in. I am breathing out.
- Love guides me.
- Love flows to and through me.
- I am loved, loving, and lovable.
- I know deep inner peace.
- I inhale love. I exhale suffering.
- I inhale peace. I exhale worry.
- I am pure, positive energy.
- I feel safe in my body.
- I feel strong in my body.
- My body is a powerful healer.
- I am strong in mind, body, and spirit.
- I own my power and strength.
- My heart is grateful and my mind is at peace.
- I feel peaceful, grounded, and secure.
- Eternal peace flows to and through me.
- This moment is exactly as it’s meant to be.
- I am exactly where I’m meant to be.
- I surrender my worries.
- All is well with my soul.
- Today is a miracle.
- I love myself fully now as I continue to evolve.
- I am true to myself, always.
- I accept all of myself.
- I choose to love my imperfect self perfectly.
- I am enough, just as I am.
- I hold space for myself and honor my needs.
- I honor my truth.
- I love all parts of me equally.
- Love is my anchor.
- Love is my natural state.
- I am connected, protected, and whole.
- I am grateful for the breath that flows through my lungs.
- My heart is strong. My mind is healthy. My spirit is radiant.
- Every cell of my body is aligned with gratitude and love.
- I lead with love.
- I live in love.
- In love, I am whole.
- With each breath, I feel more at peace.
- I am aligned with my highest self.
- In this moment, I have everything I need.
- Life is beautiful. I have time. All is well.
For more mindfulness tips and self-care ideas, plus lots of gentle nudges and loving words, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!
Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
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What Are Nadis? Nadis and Chakra Healing, Yoga & More
What are nadis? In this post, learn all about nadis, the energy channels through which your life force flows. Discover the relationship between nadis and chakras, and learn how to keep your nadis clear and open so you can align with your highest self.
Pin this for later! What Are Nadis? A Guide to Nadis for Chakra Healing, Yoga & More Your Energy Centers
It’s likely if you have a spiritual practice, meditate, and/or practice yoga, you’ve heard of chakras, your body’s energy centers through which your life force (or prana) flows. Chakra is a Sanskrit word for “wheel” or “disk” and is commonly defined as a wheel of energy in your body.
Your body has seven main chakras: Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, and Crown. Each chakra has associated attributes and plays a distinct role in your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health and well-being. For instance, your root chakra (also known as your first chakra) is your body’s energy center for stability, security, groundedness, safety, and strength. As the lowest energy center in your body, it acts as your foundation. When your root chakra is open and balanced, you feel stable and secure. Without a balanced root chakra and stable foundation, it’s likely that your other energy centers will also become imbalanced.
I won’t go into too much detail about chakras today, but if you’re interested in learning more, I’ve included links to some of my chakra blog posts below. I also encourage you to check out my Chakra Healing Bundle, which includes a Chakra Healing eBook, Chakra Healing Workbook, and 8-Week Chakra Healing Guide.
What I do want you to know about chakras today is this: even though each of your chakras plays a distinct role in your overall well-being, all of your chakras work together as one whole system. When one becomes imbalanced, it’s likely to affect the others. You can compare this to the physical organs inside your body: when one organ isn’t functioning correctly, this may negatively affect other parts of your body. All of your chakras play a significant role in keeping you in optimum health.
While you often only hear about the seven main chakras, your body actually has 114 chakras, and some people believe there are even more. For instance, you have chakras in your hands, shoulders, and tongue, and there are even two chakras that reside outside your body.
Finally, the last thing I want to note about chakras is that unlike your organs, your chakras aren’t an actual physical thing you can see in an x-ray. Rather, you experience them through feelings, sensations, and your own inner knowing.
- Start here to learn more about chakras: Chakra Colors and Meanings: A Beginner’s Guide and A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding and Unblocking Your Chakras
What Are Nadis?
So what are nadis, and how do they play a role in your chakra system?
Nadis are the energy channels through which your life force flows; the word nadi is a Sanskrit word meaning “tube”, “channel”, or “flow.” (I’ve also seen it translated to “a flowing river.”) The points at which these nadis intersect are your chakras. You can think of it like a town with numerous roads and a building at each intersection. Your nadis are the roads, and your chakras are the buildings at each intersection. Cars, or your energy, are traveling up and down these roads to the buildings.
When the system is working perfectly, these buildings are open 24/7, and the cars are continually moving in and out of them.
This is the same as your energy centers: ideally, your chakras are always open so that energy can flow to and through them.
While the buildings and chakras get all the attention, they only work when the system as a whole works: roads need to be made for cars to travel on, and nadis are needed for energy to travel through.
Now, I do want to note that my road analogy isn’t a perfect comparison. Nadis are energy channels through which your life force flows, but they’are also intrinsically more than just a road to get to a chakra. If you’ve ever had an out-of-body experience, experienced an altered state of consciousness (often through meditation), or had a light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel experience, it may be attributed to energy escaping through the body through your nadis. Nadis are also correlated to spiritual development and what you might consider “spiritual powers” (such as sensing or seeing auras).
Many estimate that you have between 21,000 to 72,000 nadis in your body, though some people believe there could be hundreds of thousands or even millions of nadis within each of us.
Just like you have over a hundred chakras but seven have been singled out as your main chakras, you have thousands of nadis, but three are believed to be most important: the Sushumna Nadi, the Ida Nadi, and the Pingala Nadi.
Sushumna Nadi
The Sushumna Nadi is believed to be the most important of all the thousands of nadis that exist within your body. Running up the base of your spine to the crown of your head, this energy channel runs through all of your main chakras and is believed to be connected to your highest self. When it’s unblocked and energy can flow freely through it, you are aligned with your true, highest, most authentic self. You also become open to experiencing a profound spiritual awakening, feel a sense of deep inner wisdom, and know deep inner peace and true harmony within your mind, body, and spirit.
Ida Nadi
Your Ida Nadi is associated with your feminine energy and starts at the base of your spine (at your root chakra). It then runs through your core to your left nostril. It is associated with right-brain dominance and what you might describe as softer, darker energy. It is also associated with the moon.
Pingala Nadi
Your Pingala Nadi is associated with your masculine energy. It starts at the base of your spine (at your root chakra) and runs through your core to your right nostril. (The Ida Nadi and the Pingala Nadi flow upwards criss-crossing each other at your chakra points.) It’s associated with left-brain dominance and what you might describe as stronger, lighter energy. As the Ida Nadi is associated with the moon, the Pingala Nadi is associated with the sun.
Unblocking Your Nadis
A lot of attention is paid to opening, healing, and unblocking your chakras, but it’s just as important that your nadis remain open and unblocked. Again, to return to the road analogy, in order for cars to get to the intersections where the buildings are located, they need to be able to travel freely up and down the roads. If a road is blocked, this not only inhibits the cars to travel through that road, but it affects neighboring roads as well.
If any of your energy channels become blocked, energy can no longer pass freely through it, inhibiting your energy from reaching your chakras. This can have negative effects on your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual self.
So how do you ensure your nadis remain clear for energy to easily pass through? Here are a few methods:
Alternate Nostril Breathing
Have you ever noticed that you may breathe easier through one nostril than the other? If not, you can try a quick test right now. Gently press any of the fingers on your right hand against the right side of your nose, closing the right nostril. Place the fingers of your left hand below your left nostril. Exhale through your nose, noticing whether you can feel the warm air of your exhale against your left fingers. Then try this with your right nostril.
If you’re able to feel air moving easily through both nostrils, that’s a good sign! If not, one of your nadis may be experiencing blockages. Alternate nostril breathing, also known as Nadi Shodhana, is one method to clear your energy channels so energy can flow freely through them. There are several ways to do this, so I’ll explain the method I use below, then link to some articles that discuss a few other methods.
- You can start in your preferred meditation position, sitting cross-legged on the floor or on a chair with your feet planted on the ground. (Just not laying down.) Keep your spine straight and your head lifted.
- Lift your right hand. With this practice, you’re going to use three fingers: pinky, ring, and thumb. You can take your index and middle finger and fold them against your palm, so only the pinky, ring finger, and thumb are sticking up.
- You may want to take a few deep breaths first and spend a minute or two grounding yourself to this present moment. Take as much time as you need.
- With the right thumb of the right hand, close your right nostril. Inhale deeply through your left nostril.
- At the top of your inhale, pause. Lift your thumb from your right nostril and close your left nostril using your pinky and ring finger. Exhale fully through your right nostril.
- Then inhale through your right nostril, exhale through your left nostril.
- Inhale through your left nostril, exhale through your right nostril.
- Continue this pattern for several minutes, pausing at the top of each inhale and exhale. You can continue this practice for as long as you’d like.
Since the Ida Nadi and Pingala Nadi both start at the base of your spine, criss-crossing each other and running through your left and right nostrils, respectively, it’s important to really follow your breath as you practice alternate nostril breathing. When your right nostril is closed, follow your breath from the base of your spine to your left nostril; when your left nostril is closed, follow your breath from the base of your spine to your right nostril.
Here are a few articles that discuss alternate nostril breathing and various methods for completing this practice:
- Chopra: Nadi Shodhana: How to Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing
- Yoga Journal: Channel-Cleaning Breath
- The Art of Living: Alternate Nostril Breathing Technique (Nadi Shodhan Pranayama)
Hatha Yoga
Hatha yoga is the type of yoga the general public likely thinks of when they hear the word “yoga”: yoga that pairs poses, or asanas, with breathing techniques, or pranayama. When you’re looking at a course catalog for your local yoga studio, you can typically be certain that anything titled Hatha Yoga will move a little slower and may include breathing exercises, static postures, and possibly even a meditation to start or end the class.
Ha is translated to mean sun, and tha is translated to mean moon. If you remember from the bulletpoints on the Ida Nadi and Pingala Nadi above, the Ida Nadi is associated with the moon, and the Pingala Nadi is associated with the sun. The practice of Hatha yoga aims to balance these two energies – moon and sun, feminine and masculine – to bring the Ida Nadi and Pingala Nadi into equilibrium. (Note: The literal meaning of the word “hatha” means “force,” “effort,” or “exertion.”)
Positive Affirmations and Intentions
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Where your attention goes, energy flows”? Your mindset plays a powerful role in the harmony of your mind, body, and spirit. For instance, if you easily become overwhelmed and have thoughts that correlate with stress and anxiety, this negative energy will manifest in physical, emotional, and spiritual turmoil. When you’re able to cultivate a mindset of inner peace and tranquility, your energy is able to flow more freely throughout your body. Note that this isn’t a call to engage in toxic positivity, which is just as dangerous as stress and anxiety. You should always honor all of your feelings, even those you deem as negative. But you don’t have to stay with those negative thoughts. As Paulo Coelho wrote, “You drown not by falling into a river, but by staying submerged in it.” Use positive affirmations that truly resonate with you, and set the intention each day to remain grounded, stable, and peaceful, no matter what occurs in your external world.
Gentle Movement
If the weather allows it, go on a calming walk outside somewhere you feel safe and breathe in the fresh air. Engage in gentle movement that feels good to you and doesn’t put too much stress on your body. If you’re able to jog without breathing too heavily, you can do this as well. But don’t feel limited to these options. For instance, I’ve exercised using a weighted hula hoop and found this to be extremely effective in stimulating the movement of energy throughout my body. (Plus, it’s fun!) Gentle movement stimulates the flow of energy within the body in a way that can be both nurturing and calming.
Final Thoughts
While chakras rightfully get a lot of attention when it comes to the total well-being of your mind, body, and spirit, it’s important not to forget the role your nadis play in your overall health. Your nadis also play an essential role in connecting to your highest self and experiencing spiritual growth. When these energy channels are open and clear, you are able to find alignment with your true self and maintain optimum health: spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
For more chakra resources, positive affirmations, self-love tools, manifestation inspiration, and more, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!
Pin this for later! What Are Nadis? A Guide to Nadis for Chakra Healing, Yoga & More Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
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Shower Meditation: 6 Ways to Meditate in the Shower
Can you really meditate in the shower? It may seem weird at first, but shower meditations have become one of my favorite practices for cultivating mindfulness, connecting with my inner self, and instilling peace and tranquility within. Discover 6 powerful practices you can start using today for an effective shower meditation!
Pin this! How to Do a Shower Meditation (6 Powerful Practices) Debunking Meditation Myths
What do you think of when you hear the word meditation?
Here are some of the thoughts I once had, before I started meditating:
- Meditation is for monks and really special people who have the elusive power of being able to completely clear their head of thoughts.
- Meditation requires perfect silence and stillness.
- Meditation is hard.
- Meditating requires you to not have any thoughts at all.
- Meditation takes hours every day.
I’m sure there were other limiting beliefs swirling around in my head, preventing me from even entertaining the notion of trying to meditate. The biggest limiting belief? “I can’t do it. It’s too hard. Meditation just isn’t for me.”
Depending on where you are in your meditation journey, you may also have experienced similar thoughts and beliefs, or you might still hold some of these beliefs with you now. And that’s okay. One of the greatest benefits of meditation is the ability to cultivate mindfulness: non-judgmental awareness in the present moment.
That means noticing any negative thoughts or limiting beliefs you have without placing labels on them as good or bad.
You might already sense where this is headed here. Eventually, external influences came into my life that re-framed my perspective on meditation. So finally, I decided to give it a shot. And with time and consistency, I learned that all the beliefs I had about meditation were wrong.
Meditation isn’t for only really special people. It doesn’t require perfect silence or stillness. You don’t have to clear your head of all thoughts. And it doesn’t take hours.
And to turn that on its head:
Meditation is for everyone. You can meditate when it’s noisy. You can meditate while you’re moving. You can have thoughts the entire time you’re meditating. And you can meditate in five minutes. Or three minutes. Or one minute. In fact, time doesn’t matter at all.
Can You Really Meditate in the Shower?
When I first started shower meditations, I didn’t actually call them meditations at all. I wasn’t purposely trying to label what I was doing. I just wanted to relieve my mind from persistent worrying thoughts.
The shower is an interesting place. In Untamed, Glennon Doyle writes about how her kids describe the shower as this magical portal to brilliant ideas that just come to them effortlessly. I remember reading this part and thinking, “Yep! I know exactly what they’re talking about!”
I’ve had some of my most brilliant and creative ideas in the shower. (Well, in my head, they’re brilliant . . .) Sometimes, I’ve had several different ideas come to me at once, tumbling through my head like dominoes.
I’ve also spent entire shower sessions lost in worries and anxiety, so engrossed in my own thoughts that by the end of the shower, I don’t even remember washing my hair. (A smell test confirms I did.)
As I began to cultivate more mindfulness in my life, I started to pay closer attention to the paths my mind would wander in the shower. I have a lot of negative thoughts in here, I realized.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way?
What if I could change my story and use the shower as a place to wash away those negative thoughts and realign with my highest, truest self?
So I decided to take back my story and change the way I approached showering. I started to be intentional with my thoughts. And because I tend to shower in the morning, this proved to be an effective way to start my day on a positive note.
Below, I list several different methods you can use for a powerful and effective shower meditation. I’ve used all of these practices, and I can attest that they don’t just change the way I approach showering; they positively affect my thoughts, emotions, and overall mood for the entire day.
And to answer the question I posed in the heading: yes, you can absolutely meditate in the shower. One of the myths people often hold about meditation is that it requires sitting still cross-legged on the floor. And while I do meditate like this every morning, I’ve also done walking meditations, laying down meditations, and even quick breathing meditations when I get anxiety at the grocery store.
You can meditate anywhere it feels right to you. And the shower is a perfect place to start.
Shower Meditation #1: Wash Away Negativity
Where do your thoughts go when you’re in the shower? Do you worry about the day ahead? Do you replay events of the past 24 hours? Do you create imaginary worst-case-scenarios in your mind of things that probably will never happen?
Notice where you feel tension in your body. Notice what you’re currently worried or stressed about. Simply notice anything going on internally that doesn’t serve your highest good.
Now close your eyes. Take a deep, soulful inhale and a rejuvenating exhale. Concentrate on how the water feels on your skin. As the water falls around you, imagine it washing away any negative thoughts and emotions you’re holding onto. The water takes your tension and carries it to the drain. Anything that doesn’t serve your highest good is washed away from your body.
Feel your body becoming lighter. Your mind is clear. Your heart is open. Anything that doesn’t serve or support your total well-being has been washed away, swirling down the drain, where it will be cleansed by the earth.
When you’re done, smile and express gratitude. Feel the strength of your body, mind, and spirit.
You are worthy, powerful, whole, and more than enough. Carry those feelings with you throughout your day.
Shower Meditation #2: The Flow of Abundance
This is similar to the practice above, but instead of imagining the water washing something away from you, you visualize the water carrying something to you.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath. What are you seeking in your life today? Whatever you’re seeking, you are going to attract an abundance of it to you.
If you’re seeking creative ideas, imagine an abundance of inspired ideas and creative thinking washing down on you.
If you’re seeking financial prosperity, visualize gold coins and beautiful jewels raining down all around you.
If you seek peace, envision the water carrying infinite peace throughout your entire being.
Whatever it is that you seek, know that it is always available to you. And because all that you seek is already within you, you’re literally creating everything you desire within and attracting it to your being.
I like to think of the water as a metaphor for your limitless capacity to create and have anything you want. The water is constantly flowing, and because you know more is coming, you don’t have to cling to every droplet that falls down on you. You can appreciate when it comes, let it go, and find gratitude knowing that more is on its way.
The same is true for abundance. You have access to an infinite flow of abundance. It is your birthright, and it will never be taken away from you. So instead of clinging onto the inspired ideas, financial prosperity, peace, and anything else you desire, you can simply let it go, knowing more is on its way.
Shower Meditation #3: Positive Affirmations
A positive affirmation is a present-tense statement that is designed to uplift and encourage while boosting self-belief and supporting your overall wellbeing.
One of my favorite ways to lift my vibrations, take back my story, and release anything that doesn’t support my highest good is through positive affirmations.
I use positive affirmations when I’m driving, working out, at the grocery store, and throughout the day to affirm my worthiness and remind myself of my inherent limitlessness.
So I guess it’s no surprise that I started using positive affirmations in the shower, too.
To start, come up with a list of positive affirmations that resonate with you. If you need help getting started, here’s a list of positive affirmations for success, one for self-confidence, spiritual affirmations, and affirmations to end your day. If you’re well-versed with using affirmations and would rather come up with some on the spot, that’s okay, too!
If you want, you could try printing your affirmations and laminating them so you can hang them up in front of you to see. I haven’t tried this, but I imagine with a little ingenuity, you could get it to work.
As you shower, take conscious inhales and exhales. I like to spend a minute or two envisioning the water washing away and carrying any negativity from my body. Now, you can start saying your positive affirmations, either internally or aloud. Continue to repeat as you go about your normal showering tasks.
If you want to take it a step further, I like to close my eyes for a minute while I’m doing this. I’ve noticed that when I close my eyes in the shower, I don’t see pure darkness; instead, I see a faint golden hue shining behind my eyelids. you may notice this, too. Breathe into this light as you say your affirmations: I am worthy. I am enough. I am strong. I am powerful. I am loved. Envision the golden light surrounding you, cloaking your entire being. Feel the positive words in every cell of your body.
As you step out of the shower, you’ll find yourself feeling lighter, more peaceful, and simply radiant. This is one of my favorite ways to begin the day.
Shower Meditation #4: Golden Light
That golden light I mentioned above?
This light is always there. It’s always within.
And there are so many powerful ways to connect with this light to support your highest good.
One meaningful practice is to simply envision this light surrounding you as you close your eyes. See the light growing from within, radiating through every cell of your being. Spend several moments consciously connecting with your inner light. How does it make you feel? Peaceful? Empowered? Loved? Feel these positive emotions within.
You can also envision the water droplets themselves as beams of light raining down on you like loving nudges from the Universe. These nudges are a reminder that you’re not alone. You are always supported, protected, loved, cherished, treasured, and adored. Concentrate on the feel of the water hitting your skin. When you imagine these droplets of the Universe’s loving light, how does that make you feel?
Sometimes, I like to stand in the light and simply be. When I’m tired and weary, I feel the light surrounding me. In this moment, I know I don’t have to do or be anything. The Universe is taking care of me.
Shower Meditation #5: Chakra Healing
If you’re familiar with chakras, including the color and locations of each of the seven main chakras, you might enjoy doing a chakra meditation from time-to-time.
While you can definitely do this out of the a shower, I find something soothing about the warmth and peacefulness of the shower that makes this an especially perfect time to align the chakras.
Admittedly, I’ve always multi-tasked in the shower, so while my conditioner is setting in my hair, I’ll use this time to wash the rest of my body or shave my legs. But I’ve found that not forcing myself to multitask and just standing still for a minute or two can often be more supportive of my overall well-being. One of my favorite things to do during this time is get in touch with my chakras.
To start, close your eyes and take a deep breath. I usually start with my root chakra and work my way up, but if you’d rather start at the crown and work down, that’s totally fine. Inhale deeply, and as you inhale, see a bright red light at your root chakra growing bigger. As you exhale, this light grows brighter. Repeat this for one or two more cycles. Then, move up to your sacral chakra and repeat this process. Continue this until you finish at the crown. When you’re finished, imagine the light of energy flowing freely throughout your body.
If you’d like, you can end this with an empowering mantra, such as “All is well,” or, “I am aligned with my highest self.”
Shower Meditation #6: Breathing Meditation
Sometimes, when nothing else seems to work, what your soul needs is a simple breathing meditation.
There’s nothing fancy here. But simply paying conscious awareness to your breathing is a powerful way to cultivate mindfulness and restore harmony within.
Inhale deeply. If you want, you can inhale to a count of four or five. Pause for a brief moment when you reach the end of your breath. Then exhale for a count of five or six. Continue doing this as you shampoo, condition, wash your body, shave, and complete your various shower tasks.
There’s a good chance that as you do this, you’ll notice your thoughts begin to stray. That’s okay. When you notice your thoughts straying, don’t suppress them, and don’t be hard on yourself. Simply notice, and then let that thought drift away as you come back to your breath. Every time you have a thought, allow yourself to return to your breath. You may do this dozens of times throughout your shower, and that’s okay.
This is a simple yet meaningful way to meditate in the shower, as it returns you to the present moment, helps you to cultivate a sense of mindfulness, and promotes peace and tranquility within.
And there you have it: six powerful ways to meditate in the shower. Have you ever tried meditating in the shower? What are some of your favorite shower meditation practices? Leave a note in the comments below!
For more meditation tips, plus a daily dose of positive affirmations and self-love, be sure to connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest!
Pin this! How to Do a Shower Meditation (6 Powerful Practices) Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
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How to Start a Meditation Journal (With Links)
A meditation journal is a powerful tool to cultivate mindfulness, get in touch with your inner self, and track your meditations. Discover how to start your own meditation journal today, plus get links and recommendations to some of my favorite meditation and mindfulness journals. And don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post for your free meditation journal printable template!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product using my link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Pin this! How to Start a Meditation Journal (With Links) What is a Meditation Journal?
The answer, unfortunately, isn’t as straightforward as you’d think.
You see, a meditation journal is essentially anything you want it to be.
I know.
Least helpful answer ever.
But hear me out.
Depending on your personal goals and needs, a meditation journal can be any of the following:
- If you have an established meditation practice, or are looking to start one, then a meditation journal can be a way for you to reflect upon your daily practice. After each meditation, you can use your journal to write about what thoughts and sensations came up for you during your meditation. I’ll go into more detail on this below!
- You might view a meditation journal kind of like a mindfulness journal. This kind of journal can be a complement to a meditation practice, providing prompts that allow you to better understand your own mind and cultivate more mindfulness throughout your day.
- And you might also view a meditation journal simply as a way to record your meditations. You can write when you meditated, how long, and what kind of meditation you did.
In this post, I’m going to cover how to start a meditation journal from scratch. For the purpose of this blog post, I’m mostly going to cover the first bulletpoint above: creating a meditation journal that allows you to reflect upon your daily practice. This type of journal will require you to have some kind of notebook, whether it be a plain notebook, a hardcover journal, a notebook with inspirational quotes at the top of the pages, or something else that strikes your fancy. I’ve linked to some of my favorite lined journals and notebooks below!
However, if you don’t want to start from scratch, there are some awesome guided meditation journals out there. These journals give you everything you need to create a meditation journal today. Some allow you to reflect on your daily meditation practice while others help you to embrace mindfulness in your life, so choose what best fits your needs! I’ve also linked to some of these below, so you have plenty to choose from!
Now let’s get started on how you can create your own meditation journal today! P.S. Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of the post to download your free printable meditation journal templates!
How to Create a Meditation Journal
Getting Started
Before you begin creating your journal, it’s important to step back and gain clarity on your intentions. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- What do I want to get out of this meditation journal?
- How can this meditation journal support my growth?
- Do I want to track progress through time, or do I simply want a space to record my reflections? (Or both?)
- What do I need to ensure I continue to keep up with both my meditation and meditation journaling practice? How can I ensure I get what I need?
Now, let’s break down these questions a little deeper:
What do I want to get out of this meditation journal?
This question is meant to clarify your purpose or intention for creating a meditation journal. Do you want to have a space to record and reflect upon the images and emotions that arise during your meditations? Why? Will this allow you to become more aligned with your true self? Keep asking yourself “why” until you get to the root of your reason. If you’re having trouble, you might rephrase the question like this: “After six months of meditation journaling, where do I want to be? How do I see myself? How am I different?” If you see yourself being more peaceful, self-assured, confident, compassionate, and/or loving, that may be your why.
How can this meditation journal support my growth?
This question spins off the above question. Do you feel like you allow stress and anxiety to take up too much space in your life? Then maybe this meditation journal will support your growth by helping you to cultivate more inner peace and tranquility. Do you feel like your brain all too often replays events of the past or worries about the future? Then this meditation journal could be a way for you to cultivate more mindfulness. There’s no right or wrong answer here. The ways in which this journal can support your growth will be personal to your own journey.
Do I want to track progress through time, or do I simply want a space to record my reflections? (Or both?)
If you love data, then you might enjoy keeping track of different elements of your meditation. Here’s a few things you can track:
- Length of meditation
- Time of day
- Type of meditation
- Emotions before/emotions after
- Guided/unguided
Again, this one’s entirely up to you. If you want to track it, go for it! If not, skip it. Do what you feel best supports your needs.
What do I need to ensure I continue to keep up with both my meditation and meditation journaling practice? How can I ensure I get what I need?
Keeping a meditation practice and adding an element of journaling to it requires dedicated time and space. So how can you make sure you get the time and space you need? This question is meant to set you up for success. Let’s remove any barriers and obstacles in the way now so you can continue to have a successful meditation and journaling practice moving forward.
Related: How to Create a Meditation Table (A Complete Guide)
Unstructured vs. Structured Meditation Journal
In this section, I’m going to first outline how to create a free-flowing, stream-of-consciousness meditation journal. This is for those of you who thrive on finding your creative flow and don’t want anything too structured. Afterwards, I discuss how to set up your own structured meditation journal, for those who crave a little organized structure in their routine. There’s no right or wrong way to approach your meditation journal; it’s all just personal preference!
Unstructured Meditation Journal
This is quite possibly the simplest and most straightforward way to start a meditation journal as it doesn’t require a lot of pre-planning from you. In fact, if you have a notebook and a writing utensil, you can start writing today!
The goal here is to reflect upon your meditation, and if you choose, you can go a little deeper and explore the emotions, thoughts, and images that arose for you.
So what do you need to do? Keep your meditation journal and a writing utensil next to you during your meditation. Once you’re finished meditating, turn to the next blank page and begin writing. (If it isn’t convenient to keep your journal next to you, it’s okay to move to a more comfortable writing spot.)
Here are a few things you might write about in your journal:
- What emotions arose during your meditation?
- What images did you see?
- What thought patterns did you notice?
- What challenges did you encounter?
- Did anything unexpected arise for you?
- What benefits did this meditation offer?
- How did you feel immediately after? Five minutes after? Ten minutes after?
If you want to track specific details about your meditation, you can also write down time, place, and length of the meditation. You might also want to track details like whether it was guided or unguided and what particular type of meditation it was.
Another option is to make your journaling a type of continuation of your meditation. For instance, let’s say you did a meditation with affirmations for self-love. When you pull out your journal, you could write down the affirmations that resonated with you and continue to write more positive self-love affirmations.
Or maybe you did a visualization meditation and you want to keep the visualization going. You can write about all the images that came up and are continuing to arise for you. I like to do this in first-person, like everything in my visualization is happening right now. So if I’m walking in a beautiful meadow in my visualization, I’d write something like, “I’m walking in a gorgeous meadow with a sprawling sea of pinks and oranges and yellows spread out as far as my eyes can see.“
What I like about this method is that the possibilities are endless. I also like the flexibility. One day, you might want to reflect upon a particular image that came up for you during your meditation, and the next day, you might want to solely write about the thought patterns you noticed as you were meditating. This practice gives you the freedom and versatility to spend your time writing about anything you want.
Structured Meditation Journal
While the above method of keeping a meditation journal gives you the freedom and flexibility to write about anything, there’s actually something kind of calming about having an organized, structured element to your journaling practice.
And luckily, it’s super easy to create a structured meditation journal from a blank notebook!
To start, let’s look back at the questions you answered in the “Getting Started” section above. Did you note anything you wanted to track? How can this journal support your growth? What’s your why? You want to make sure all of these elements are incorporated into your journal in some capacity.
Now let’s set up the first page of your journal. I like to keep this pretty simple so that I can simply write in my headings the day of instead of creating a bunch of pages in advance. But if you want to get creative, go for it! I encourage you to do what makes your soul happy. If you want to add in some stickers, washi tape, or pretty illustrations, you can do absolutely anything. At the bottom of this post, I’ve linked to some fun items you can incorporate into your practice.
Here are some of the different elements you might want to incoporate into your journal:
- Date
- Time
- Length of Meditation
- Mood/Emotions Prior to Meditation
- Mood/Emotions After Meditation
- Type of Meditation
- What was your intention for this meditation?
- Reflection: How did your meditation go?
- What thought patterns did you notice come up during your meditation?
- What emotions did you feel during the meditation?
- What images arose for you during the meditation?
- What benefits did the meditation offer?
- Final Thoughts
Make sure you leave the bulk of your notebook space for the questions that will require longer answers. If you like to create your pages in advance, I’d encourage you to only make a few to start. You might find that you want to change some of the questions or leave more or less space for some of your answers.
For help getting started, be to scroll to the bottom of the post to download your free printable meditation journal templates!
Monthly Reflections
This is optional, but I also like to include some space for a monthly reflection as I find it helps me to get re-centered when I check in with myself every once in a while. You can do this after meditating or choose a different time of day when you have some quiet time to reflect.
Here are some questions to ask yourself during a monthly reflection:
- Is my meditation practice supporting my highest good? Why or why not?
- Have any unexpected problems or issues arose in the past month?
- Is my meditation practice supporting my growth in the way I hoped? Why or why not?
- What internal changes have I experienced in the past month?
- Is there anything I want to change about my meditation practice?
- What profound lesson have I learned in the past month due to my meditation and journaling practice?
- Have there been any unexpected positive benefits?
- Is this practice worthwhile?
It’s important to check in with yourself to make sure that this practice is always supporting your highest good. If not, why? Do you feel like meditation has become something you “have” to do rather than “want” to do? Then maybe it’d be helpful to stop tracking your meditations and release the pressure to have a perfect meditation streak. Or maybe you’ve only been doing one type of meditation, and it’d be helpful for you to incorporate other types into your practice.
Whatever your answers are, hold love and compassion for yourself. None of us are perfect. Remember that each day is a beautiful opportunity to start anew.
Guided Meditation & Mindfulness Journals
Below, I’ve linked to some of the best meditation journals available today. Note that these are all a little different, so choose what works best for you. Some are designed to reflect upon your daily meditation practice, while others are geared toward helping you to cultivate more mindfulness in your life. And if you’re looking for blank journals, I’ve linked to some of my favorites in the next section!
Meditation: A Day and Night Reflection Journal
This beautiful Meditation: A Day and Night Reflection Journal is a unique meditation journal that allows you to both record and reflect. Record your mantra, intentions, and any aids (cushions, candles, music, etc.) you use in your meditation, and reflect on the benefits, inner dialogue, emotions, and thought patterns that came up for you during your meditation. Perfect for beginners and experienced meditators alike! Click here for current Amazon price.
Inner Peace: A Guided Meditation Journal for Beginners
Inner Peace: A Guided Meditation Journal for Beginners is a gorgeous meditation journal filled with easy-to-follow meditation prompts, powerful reflection questions, and inspiring quotes and mantras that will resonate at the very center of who you are. This is the perfect meditation journal for beginners to help you find your inner serenity and spread your inner peace into your outer world. Click here for current Amazon price.
A Year of Zen: A 52-Week Guided Journal
This one’s an absolute game-changer. The first time I discovered A Year of Zen: A 52-Week Guided Journal, I was blown away. This journal contains 52 weeks of journal prompts, designed to bring your attention to seven areas: meditation, liturgy, work, body, study, art, and the world. The powerful reflection questions in this journal are unlike any I’ve found in any other, encouraging you to explore the metaphors of your life, embrace your creativity (some of the prompts include drawing), and bringing more mindfulness into your daily life. Click here for current Amazon price.
The 5-Minute Mindfulness Journal
The 5-Minute Mindfulness Journal is a perfect complement to your meditation practice as it’s filled with thought-provoking journal prompts designed to help you embrace mindfulness while cultivating deep inner peace. It’s filled with quick yet profound prompts that will help you better understand your thoughts, and as a bonus, there are inspiring mindfulness quotes throughout the journal. Click here for current Amazon price.
Mindfulness & Meditation Guided Journal
This Mindfulness & Meditation Guided Journal is specifically designed for beginners and is the perfect companion to anyone just starting their meditation practice. It lovingly guides you through 30 days of lessons, teaching you both the basics of meditation as well as how to use meditation to build a deeper relationship with yourself. Each lesson comes with a journal prompt that will solidify the lesson and help you to apply what you’ve learned to your daily life. Click here for current Amazon price.
Present, Not Perfect
Present, Not Perfect is another mindfulness journal that acts as a complement to your meditation practice. The subtitle says all you need to know about this one: A Journal for Slowing Down, Letting Go, and Loving Who You Are. This gorgeous journal is filled with inspirational quotes, beautiful designs, and incredible prompts that encourage you to pay attention to your inner and outer worlds, embrace mindfulness, and love yourself fully. Click here for current Amazon price.
A Mindfulness for Beginners Journal
A Mindfulness for Beginners Journal is another perfect complement to your meditation practice and the ultimate guide for beginners. It’s filled with simple exercises (like focusing on your breathing), powerful prompts, and inspirational quotes and affirmations. If you want to learn more about how mindfulness can benefit your life, and how you can cultivate more mindfulness during your day, this is the perfect journal for you. Click here for current Amazon price.
For more mindfulness tips and self-care ideas, plus lots of gentle nudges and loving words, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!
Are you ready for your freebies? Enter your name and email address below for your free printable meditation journal template! (Note that it may take an hour or two for the email to come through.) Plus, receive a weekly newsletter with resources, affirmations, and new blog post updates straight to your inbox. (Don’t worry, I hate spam, too! I only send one email a week, never share your personal info, and you can unsubscribe anytime.)
Pin this! How to Start a Meditation Journal (With Links) Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
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Sahasrara: Activate & Heal Your Crown Chakra
In this post, I cover all things Sahasrara, also known as your Crown Chakra. Discover how to heal, activate, and balance this energy center of spirituality, connection, and enlightenment. Plus, get some powerful spiritual affirmations and journal prompts designed to connect you to your highest self. And if you need a refresher on what chakras are, be sure to check out my beginner’s guide to chakras here.
Also, be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page for some awesome freebies! You’ll receive 35 free printable affirmations and 30 journal prompts to open and heal the crown chakra. Don’t miss these powerful healing tools!
Sahasrara: Activating, Balancing, and Healing the Crown Chakra Discover More About Chakras
- Overview: A Beginner’s Guide to Chakras
- Root Chakra
- Sacral Chakra
- Solar Plexus Chakra
- Heart Chakra
- Throat Chakra
- Third Eye Chakra
Sahasrara: The Crown Chakra
Have you ever felt like something was just missing from your life?
Sometimes, that thing can be hard to pinpoint, especially when, from the outside, it looks like you have everything.
I know this feeling intimately.
For years, I lived my life the way I believed I was “supposed” to live it. After graduating college, I found a comfortable office job and continued on the path of stability and security for many years.
And don’t get me wrong: stability and security are really, really important things, and I was grateful every day to have these privileges.
But something just felt empty inside me.
It took many years to learn that what was missing from my life was a spiritual connection to a higher power.
I had big dreams but believed that I was on my own to make them come true. I didn’t believe there was any higher presence trying to guide and help me. I wanted to believe this, but there was always a disconnection. I couldn’t let go of control and learn how to trust.
Cultivating this connection with a higher power – you might call this power God, Source Energy, the Universe, the Divine, All That Is, or any name that feels right to you – has been one of the greatest positive shifts in my life. And it’s not over: it’s something I’m still learning, discovering, and growing into every single day. In fact, I don’t think this process of growing and becoming every really ends.
There is a beautiful, peaceful, loving path to cultivating true connection: connection to yourself, connection to a higher power, and connection to your soul’s purpose.
The Sahasrara chakra is the gateway that gently guides you to taking that first step.
Why Balancing the Crown Chakra is Important
Have you ever heard stories about high-ranking CEOs and corporate bigwigs suddenly leaving their high-paying jobs, selling everything, and moving across the country to pursue their soul’s purpose? I remember reading once about a guy who was making millions in his high-ranking job, who gave up everything to follow his calling: growing coffee beans on an island somewhere, where he lived a quiet and humble life with his family.
At least, that’s how the article told the story.
I don’t know him, but I believe if you asked him, he wouldn’t say he “gave up” anything; rather, he received more than he could ever dream of.
Often, in these stories, you hear the person say they followed their intuition. They might call it an inner knowing or a calling. Often, we fight this feeling because it seemingly doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t follow logic and reason as we know it in our human experience. It seems absurd.
But something kind of magical happens when you surrender control to something higher than yourself and step into your calling:
Everything starts to unfold perfectly for you, better than you ever could’ve imagined.
This is what the crown chakra does for you.
The crown chakra is your energy center for spiritual connection, enlightenment, inner wisdom, and connecting with your highest self. When your crown chakra is open and flowing freely, you gain a sense of clarity and vision. You become more trusting, learn the beauty in surrender, and feel a sense of deep inner peace.
And if that still sounds kind of scary to you, know this: surrendering to a higher power doesn’t mean giving up your sense of personal power or identity.
Rather, it’s the opposite.
It allows you to step into your power and become more than you ever dreamed possible.
And it also helps you to accept and see the beauty in this human experience, even on the days when nothing seems to go as planned.
Below, I discuss the attributes of the Sahasrara chakra, or the crown chakra, and provide you with ways to heal and restore harmony to this energy center of spirituality. I also provide you with some gentle affirmations and powerful journal prompts to help guide you in your journey.
As you step forward onto the path of connection with your Sahasrara chakra, set the intention to connect with your inner self, and allow this intention to guide you forward through each step of your journey.
Crown Chakra Attributes
- Sanskrit Name: Sahasrara (“Thousand-petaled”)
- Location: Top of Head
- Color: Violet (White is often associated with this chakra as well.)
- Body Parts: Skull, Cerebral Cortex, Right Eye
- Symbol: Thousand-petaled lotus with a divine circle in the center
- Element: Thought/Consciousness
- Mantra: OM (or silence)
- Gemstones: Selenite, Clear Quartz, Amethyst, Diamond, Moonstone, Sapphire
- Essential Oils: Frankincense, Sandalwood, Saffron, Jasmine, Cedarwood, Lavender
Signs of a Balanced Crown Chakra
When your crown chakra is balanced, you feel a deep connection with a higher power and a sense of spiritual enlightenment. Rather than try to control every step of your journey, you know when to step back, surrender, and trust. When it comes to your future, you feel a sense of clarity, vision, and purpose. You take inspired action and trust your inner knowing to guide you down the right path.
Often, a balanced crown chakra means your lower energy centers are likely in harmony as well, as we’re best able to connect with our spiritual selves when our other needs are met. (Note that there may be exceptions.)
And when your energy centers are balanced, it’s likely that you’re truly living as your highest and most authentic self.
Here are some signs of a balanced crown chakra:
- Spiritual
- Enlightened
- Sense of clarity
- Focused
- Creative
- Trusting
- Peaceful
- Connected to a higher power
- Connected to oneself
- Feeling of divine peace
- Sense of inner wisdom
- Able to surrender to a power higher than oneself
- Trust in inner knowing
- Connected to your soul’s purpose
Signs of an Imbalanced Crown Chakra
When you experience imbalances in any of your energy centers, this imbalance could go one of two ways; it can become overactive or underactive.
With an overactive crown chakra, you might start to lose touch with yourself because you wrap your entire identity in spirituality. This may also cause you to become judgmental of others’ spirituality because you feel like you know the “right” answers.
When your crown chakra is underactive, you may lack a spiritual presence in your life. You feel a deep sense of isolation and disconnection, not just from a higher power but from yourself. You may also be more skeptical and close-minded toward the idea that a higher power even exists.
Below is a list of signs that your crown chakra may be imbalanced:
- Cynical
- Close-minded
- Disconnected from yourself
- Disconnected from a higher power
- Lack of faith
- Lack of purpose
- Frustrated with life
- Scattered
- Forgetful
- Confused
- Excessive isolation
- Lonely
- Unable to connect with others
- Critical of other’s spiritual beliefs
Physical Signs of an Imbalanced Crown Chakra
In addition to spiritual and emotional symptoms, you may experience physical symptoms when the energy flowing through your chakras is out of balance.
When the crown chakra is imbalanced, corresponding physical manifestations often arise in and around the area of the head.
Here are some of the signs and symptoms you may experience with an imbalanced crown chakra:
- Migraines and/or recurring headaches
- Nerve pain
- Insomnia
- Nightmares
- Neurological disorders
- Schizophrenia
Crown Chakra Affirmations
When using affirmations for your crown chakra, allow yourself to go within and focus on your inner world as well as to your divine connection to the Universe. Take a deep breath and let a flood of deep inner peace wash over you. Don’t try too hard; just simply allow yourself to be.
As you recite the affirmations below (or your own powerful crown chakra affirmations) you might envision a white light entering the crown of your head and washing over your body. You could also imagine a soothing purple light filling your aura.
Here are some peaceful and profound affirmations you can use to heal and activate the crown chakra:
- I honor the sacred divinity that exists within me.
- I am pure, beautiful, radiant light.
- I am divinely protected, inspired, and guided by the Universe.
- I surrender to the loving will of the Universe.
- I am aligned with my purpose and truth
- I am always divinely and lovingly guided.
- I release the need to control my life and surrender to a higher power.
- I trust my intuition and listen to the wisdom of the universe.
- I am always gently held and lovingly guided by this Universe.
- I release doubt and welcome faith.
- Every day, I feel more connected to my spirit.
- I openly accept spiritual guidance from a higher power.
- I am love. I am light. I am connected to all.
For more powerful crown chakra affirmations, be sure to check out my post, 35 Crown Chakra Affirmations for Spiritual Connection. And be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to get your free printable affirmations and journal prompts.
Crown Chakra Journal Prompts
Journaling is a powerful way to balance, heal, activate, and simply seek to understand all of your energy centers. I find it especially helpful when it comes to the crown chakra, though, because it really allows you to connect with your inner self.
And it’s that inner work that’s truly going to allow you to connect to your spirit as well as to give you a sense of clarity and vision.
There’s no “right” way to journal, nor is there a right time. I like to journal in the morning, while many others like to journal at night. Simply find what works best for you. The most important thing is that you have some time to truly focus without distractions. This is especially important when it comes to the crown chakra, as you really want to be able to focus on connecting with the inner you.
Below are some detailed prompts you can use to heal and better understand your crown chakra:
- What does it mean to me to surrender? How do I practice surrendering? When are some times when I can surrender more? Are there any experiences in which I shouldn’t surrender? How do I surrender without losing my personal power?
- What (or who) is God to me? What is my relationship with a higher power? Do I feel like this higher power is something I find within me, outside of me, or both? Did I have any childhood experiences that negatively affected my belief, attitude, or relationship toward God (or The Universe, Source Energy, the Divine, or any other name that feels comfortable)? Describe in depth what God means to you.
- Visualize a day in which you are your highest and most authentic self with a balanced crown chakra. How do you feel when you wake up? How do you move about your day? How do you speak to yourself and others? What self-care activities do you prioritize? Write about this day in the present tense, and as you write, allow yourself to feel the positive emotions you imagine yourself feeling in this envisioned life.
- Describe your connections to other living beings: people, animals, plants, the earth, and the universe as a whole. Have you ever experienced a sense of oneness with some or all? What does it mean to you to be connected to all? Is it possible to have an individual identity while feeling connected to all?
For more powerful crown chakra journal prompts, be sure to check out my post, 30 Journal Prompts to Open and Heal the Crown Chakra. And be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to get your free printable affirmations and journal prompts!
Activating and Healing the Crown Chakra
Color Therapy
Color therapy is essentially the act of surrounding yourself with the color of the chakra you’re intending to heal or activate. For the crown chakra, that means immersing yourself in all things violet (with a touch of white, if you’d like.) Eat purple foods like purple grapes, purple carrots, prunes, purple potatoes, and plums. Write spiritual affirmations on purple post-it notes and place them around your home and workspace. Wear violet clothing and jewelry. Paint with purple and white. Place violet items around your space and let them bring you serenity.
Detox/Fast
Your physical body needs food for nourishment, but your spiritual self doesn’t really need food in the same way. Unlike your other energy centers, which have associated foods that allow for healing, the crown chakra is best healed by detoxing or fasting.* This helps you to clear your mind while flushing out toxins that may be harming your body. When detoxing, focus on fresh fruits, veggies, and lots of water.
*If you choose to detox or fast, just make sure you’re following the proper guidance of a medical professional.
Nature
Try to find an open field or special spot that gives you lots of space to think, turn inward, and simply be. If you feel safe and comfortable enough to meditate outdoors, this would be the perfect time to meditate. If the weather allows, journaling outdoors is also another powerful practice for healing.
Yoga
Yoga is a beautiful restorative practice that allows you to balance and heal your body’s energy centers.
To activate or heal the energy in your crown chakra, you could actually perform poses that focus on healing the lower six chakras. It may seem weird, but the truth is, it’s more difficult to have a balanced crown chakra when your other energy centers are imbalanced. By focusing on the energy below, you’re better able to heal the energy above.
To heal or activate the crown chakra, you can also choose poses that allow you to look within. You might already have a few poses in mind that allow for this type of inner work.
Here’s a list of poses that may help in healing the crown chakra:
- Lotus Pose
- Corpse Pose
- Tree Pose
- Headstand
- Fish Pose
- Standing Prayer Backbend
And here’s a great 10-minute crown chakra yoga routine from Yoga with Christina if you’re unsure where to start.
Meditation
Meditation is a powerful healing tool for any of your energy centers, but it’s especially profound when it comes to the crown chakra as the crown chakra’s associated element is thought/consciousness. Connecting with your inner self is key to opening up and healing this energy center.
When you meditate, you might imagine a beautiful white light entering through the crown of your head and filling your entire being. You could also envision a soothing, violet energy filling your aura.
Here are some free guided Sahasrara chakra meditations you can find on the Insight Timer app:
- Crown Chakra Healing Meditation by Nicole.For.Real
- Crown Chakra Guided Practice for Connecting with Higher Power by Natalie Perez
- Crown Chakra: Connect with Spirit by Amy Patee
Journaling
You can use the journal prompts above or write down some beautiful crown chakra affirmations as you journal. You might also choose to sit down without a prompt and simply connect to your inner self.
Sahasrara Chakra Affirmations
You can repeat Sahasrara (crown chakra) affirmations as you wake up in the morning and as you’re getting ready for the day. You might also repeat them at night before you go to bed. I also like to find creative ways to incorporate affirmations throughout the day, like sticking post-it notes around my home and work space and setting up phone notifications to pop up with uplifting affirmations written on them.
Sahasrara Chakra Gemstones
Keeping crystals associated with the crown chakra will promote spiritual connection and help you to feel peaceful, trusting, and aligned with your highest self. You can use crystals in numerous ways. For instance, you might wear them as jewelry, keep them around your work space, meditate with them, or set up a sacred space with crystals at the forefront.
Here are some of the crystals associated with the crown chakra:
- Selenite
- Clear Quartz
- Amethyst
- Diamond
- Moonstone
- Sapphire
Sahasrara Chakra Essential Oils
Essential oils promote feelings of peace, harmony, and balance within. They’re a great method for balancing your energy centers because they can be used in conjunction with other items on this list. For instance, you can meditate or journal while essential oils are in your diffuser, and you can even add some crystals or color therapy as well.
Intentions are everything, though. So before you use your essential oils, set the intention to balance, heal, or activate your crown chakra. Even if you have a diffuser going in the background as you’re working, focus on the feelings of peace, inner harmony, and connection with both yourself and a higher power. Let these calm and soothing feelings guide you as you continue on your day.
Here’s a few essential oils associated with the Sahasrara chakra:
- Frankincense
- Sandalwood
- Saffron
- Jasmine
- Cedarwood
- Lavender
Do you have any experiences with healing or activating your Sahasrara chakra? What practices help you to heal an imbalanced crown chakra? Share your experiences in the comments below!
For more more chakra resources, plus uplifting affirmations and self-love encouragement, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!
Are you ready for your freebies? Enter your name and email address below for your free printable crown chakra affirmations and journal prompts! (Note that it may take an hour or two for the email to come through.) Plus, receive a weekly newsletter with resources, affirmations, and new blog post updates straight to your inbox. (Don’t worry, I hate spam, too! I only send one email a week, never share your personal info, and you can unsubscribe anytime.)
Sahasrara: Activating, Balancing, and Healing the Crown Chakra Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
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15 Best Meditation Gift Ideas for 2020
Looking for high-quality, thoughtful meditation gifts for the meditator in your life? Check out the 15 best meditation gifts of 2020, sure to please both beginner and experienced meditators alike.
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product using my link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
15 Best Meditation Gift Ideas for 2020 Best Meditation Gifts
So what exactly do you get someone who meditates?
It might seem like a weird concept at first. After all, to meditate, you don’t truly need anything except your own presence.
And while this is absolutely true, there are a lot of items that can enhance a person’s experience, both while meditating and outside of meditation.
Below are 15 of the best meditation gift ideas you can get for the meditator in your life in 2020. All products are high-quality, highly rated, and sure to please beginner and experienced meditators alike.
A Soft Meditation Cushion
If you were to ask me to name only one thing I’d recommend any meditator have, it would definitely be a meditation cushion.
Meditation cushions can reduce pain, increase comfort, and improve your posture by tilting your hips forward, which gives you better support in your back and aligns your spine. This alignment may also help you to experience smoother, easier breathing, which in turn, helps you to quiet your mind and look within.
This gorgeous Florensi Meditation Cushion is my go-to cushion for daily meditation. It’s soft, comfy, and absolutely beautiful. Also, note that even though the outer cover is described as “velvet,” the manufacturer has assured that it’s completely vegan with no animal by-products. (The cover is 100% polyester and inside it’s filled with 100% buckwheat hull.)
Mindfulness Cards
Meditation is just one of many ways to practice mindfulness, and the use of mindfulness cards is a really powerful way to cultivate mindfulness in one’s daily life. When your gift recipient is feeling stressed, scattered, or just needs a minute to pause and breathe, they can pull out a card and follow the practices on the cards. These can also be used as part of a daily routine to practice good habits and learn more about mindfulness.
I love these Stress Relief Cards for Meditation Relaxation. Each pack comes with 46 cards (that are small enough to fit into a bag or purse), and the cards have simple yet powerful mindfulness exercises to relieve stress and bring you back to the present moment.
Affirmation Cards
Incorporating positive affirmations in my daily routine has truly enhanced my life in every way. Not only has it boosted my self-esteem while helping me to find my inner courage to follow my dreams, but it’s also helped me to better cultivate mindfulness.
Instead of letting my brain wander off into five bazillion stress-inducing directions, I have the power to choose my thoughts. And I’ve found that affirmations offer me a way to choose positive, uplifting thoughts that support my total wellbeing.
Affirmation cards are an incredible source of inspiration to add into your daily routine. These beautifully designed Lamare Affirmation Cards are my favorite. Not only are they pretty, but they’re uplifting and serve to support your (or the meditator in your life’s) total wellbeing.
Crystals
Crystals offer a way for you to heal your energy centers (chakras) as well as to manifest your desired intentions, whether that be love, abundance, health, creativity, friendships, or any other powerful dream you wish to manifest into your reality.
Meditating with crystals can be a deeply healing practice. For instance, Amethyst is a stone of balance that promotes peace and calm within, while Blue Lace Agate calms your mind and soothes your spirit.
If the meditator in your life is new to working with crystals, this Premium Healing Crystals Kit is a perfect introduction to working with crystals. It even comes with a Chakra Healing Reference Guide that they can download as an e-book. There’s also options for a Deluxe Prosperity Collection and Deluxe Chakra Collection. Even if the person you’re shopping for has experience with crystals, these are awesome options that any crystal lover would be happy to receive.
Coloring Books
Coloring books have multiple benefits for both the gift giver and receiver. For the giver, they’re relatively inexpensive, so you can buy multiple ones with some colored pencils or pair it with another gift, like some mindfulness cards. This makes for a super thoughtful all-around gift that shows you took care and effort in your selections.
For the receiver, coloring books offer a great stress-reducing outlet to unwind and stay in the present moment. They also allow a person to embrace their inner creative artist, which is something we all need from time to time, no matter our age.
Here are some really awesome mindfulness-centered coloring books:
- Moments of Mindfulness: Anti-Stress Coloring & Activities
- Coloring Books for Adults Relaxation: Flowers, Animals and Garden Designs
- Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Animal Designs
Tibetan Singing Bowls
Tibetan singing bowls have a rich history that dates back thousands of years. Singing bowls have the ability to adjust the electrical frequencies within your body and brain, allowing you to access theta waves, which better help you to relax. Inner peace is definitely one of the major benefits of using singing bowls, but they’re also known to help stimulate creativity as well as to allow you better access to your subconscious brain.
This Tibetan Singing Bowl Set is an incredible option as it’s both beautiful and functional. It also comes with a User’s Guide ebook to help even someone with no experience get started right away. This is a great gift option to enhance anyone’s meditation experience.
Mandala Rug
Many meditators like to create sacred spaces for themselves that promote calm, harmony, and relaxation. Crystals, candles, plants, mirrors, pillows, blankets, rugs, wall art, and other meaningful objects can all be used in one’s sacred space.
This gorgeous Boho Mandala Bedroom Circle Rug is the perfect edition to anyone’s meditation space. It has three color choices, and I love that the colors are muted so that they can match anyone’s space, no matter the decor. This gift is sure to be an instant hit with the meditator in your life.
Candles
Candles are another great option that a meditator can use in their sacred space or simply place around their home to fill their rooms with relaxing scents. Some meditations also have the meditator stare at the flame of a candle for a certain amount of time, so there’s a functional component to this gift as well.
This Chesapeake Bay Candle Scented Candle, Reflection + Clarity (Sea Salt Sage) has a pleasant, soft aroma that won’t bother even those who are sensitive to scent. It also has an balanced, elegant look to it that invites a sense of calm and serenity to anyone in its vicinity.
Himalayan Salt Lamp
Himalayan salt lamps are known to purify the air and balance electromagnetic radiation while increasing one’s mood, improving cognitive performance, and even reducing allergies and asthma. While there is still a lot of testing to be done to know if any of these claims are actually true, I can tell you from personal experience that I find these lamps to be extremely calming. In the evenings, instead of using bright and/or harsh lighting, I use the soft and gentle ambient light of the Himalayan salt lamp around the home. It’s peaceful, relaxing, and puts off just the right amount of light before bed.
You’ll find Himalayan Salt Lamps in all different shapes and sizes, but I personally prefer the sleek look of this 100% Authentic Natural Himalayan Salt Lamp – Hand Carved Modern Rectangle. It’s the perfect addition to a bedroom, office, living room, or meditation space.
Inhale/Exhale Wall Art
Sometimes, simplicity is key. And that’s exactly what these are. Simple. Timeless. Perfect for the meditation lover in your life.
These 8×10 Inhale Exhale Wall Art Prints can easily fit perfectly into a bedroom, living room, meditation room, office, or even a bathroom. (Just don’t forget the frames!)
Meditation Bench
If the meditator in your life already has a meditation cushion, this is a great alternative that may be new to even advanced meditators. Meditation benches offer the chance for even deeper breathing and better focus. They’re unique, and they also are a good alternative for those who get uncomfortable sitting cross-legged on the floor.
I love this Monk & Llama Kneeling Meditation Bench with Foldable Legs & Cushion for so many reasons: it has a cushion, it has foldable legs and a carrying case for travel, and it’s made from 100% natural sustainable bamboo.
Essential Oil Diffuser
An essential oil diffuser is one of the best self-care purchases you can make to serve and support your total wellbeing. So when you purchase this for the meditation lover in your life, you show how much you care about their health and happiness. Essential oils are known to help you relax, sleep, boost energy, relieve stress, and even help with alleviating headaches. Additionally, different essential oils are associated with your body’s chakras, helping to balance and heal the energy centers within your body.
This BAIESHIJI Metal Vintage Essential Oil Diffuser comes in four different styles, and each one is absolutely beautiful. It has four timer setting modes and an automatic shutoff function. For essential oils, I’d recommend this Cliganic USDA Organic Aromatherapy Essential Oils Set of 8. They’re USDA certified organic and also have a Cruelty Free Certification, guaranteeing the products haven’t been tested on animals.
Gratitude Journal
“It’s not happiness that makes us grateful. It is gratefulness that makes us happy.” Keeping a gratitude journal is a way to come back to yourself. It reminds you of what’s really important and gives you perspective.
This Gratitude: Day and Night Reflection Journal gives you the opportunity to set morning intentions and reflect on your day in the evening. It’s the perfect, thoughtful gift to show someone you care. (And it’s also really pretty.)
Tea Sampler Set
Okay, I’m not purposely playing into the stereotype that all meditators drink tea. But the fact is, it’s hard to go wrong with tea. It has less caffeine than coffee, and many different types of teas come with a list of positive health benefits. For anyone who is mindful of what types of food and beverages they consume, tea is a perfect option.
This Taylors of Harrogate Classic Tea Variety Box comes with 48 packages of 8 different varieties of tea, including Organic Peppermint, Lemon & Orange Tea, and Green Tea with Jasmine. This is a high-quality tea that will definitely please any tea-loving meditator in your life.
Books
And last but not least . . . books. Books are truly the ultimate present for anyone, no matter their age. By picking out a book for someone, you show thought, care, and consideration.
Of course, with the sheer amount of books out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices.
When choosing a meditation book for someone, I’d encourage you to not pick out something generic just because it has the words “meditation” or “mindfulness” in the title. Instead, pick something with meaning and substance that truly has the potential to change a person’s life for the better.
Here are my top choices for books to gift to the meditator in your life. These are all deep, meaningful, and will truly show care and thoughtfulness in your selections:
- Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
- The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz
- The Four Sacred Secrets: For Love and Prosperity, A Guide to Living in a Beautiful State by Preethaji and Krishnaji
Other Posts You May Like
- 7 Types of Meditation Practices for Beginners
- 10 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Meditation
- What is Mindfulness? Plus 15 Powerful Mindfulness Quotes
- 10 Ways to Cultivate Mindfulness Today
15 Best Meditation Gift Ideas for 2020 Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
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Ajna: Balancing & Healing the Third Eye Chakra
Your Third Eye Chakra is your energy center for insight, intuition, mental strength, and intuition. It allows you to trust the path in front of you with clarity and a deep, innate inner wisdom. In this post, I provide you with a complete beginner’s guide to all things Ajna, or the Third Eye Chakra. Discover the signs of an imbalanced Third Eye chakra, and learn methods to balance and heal. Plus, affirmations and journal prompts! (And if you need a refresher on what a chakra is, be sure to check out my overview here.)
Also, be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page for some awesome freebies! You’ll receive 40 free printable affirmations and 30 journal prompts to open and heal the third eye chakra. Don’t miss these powerful healing tools!
Pin this for later! Ajna: Activating, Balancing and Healing the Third Eye Chakra Discover More About Chakras
Discover more about chakras using the links below, plus get journal prompts and affirmations for each of your body’s main energy centers! And for deeper insight into chakras as well as guidance on profound chakra healing, check out my Ultimate Chakra Healing Bundle, which includes a Chakra Healing eBook, Chakra Healing Workbook, and 8-Week Chakra Healing Guide. You can also discover more in my online shop.
Introduction to Ajna: The Third Eye Chakra
Would you describe yourself as intuitive?
For years, I was pretty certain that I had a mediocre intuition. I followed my heart often, but I didn’t view this as intuition. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I even perceived this as a weakness as I allowed myself to believe that logical choices were superior to heart-centered ones.
Truthfully, at this time, I didn’t really have a solid understanding of what intuition even was. In my head, it was akin to some kind of magical power that would lead me to picking winning lottery numbers and knowing which door the grand prize was hiding behind.
But even now, as I’ve learned to listen to and trust my inner knowing, if you asked me to define the word intuition, I’m not sure I could.
It’s not that I don’t know what intuition is; it’s that I believe intuition is deeply personal to each and every one of us.
Maybe intuition is the words you hear in your mind when you close your eyes. Maybe it’s the goosebumps that form on your skin when you think about your dreams. Maybe it’s a clenching or widening of the heart. Maybe it’s a whisper. Maybe it’s a soft warmth spreading throughout your entire body. Maybe it’s something inside that you don’t even know how to describe or define; it just is.
And maybe, at different times, it’s all of this, or something else entirely.
I think the reason people are often so fascinated by the idea of the Third Eye is because it’s so hard to define. You can’t quantify it. You can’t put it in a spreadsheet. You can’t explain it.
But you know it’s there. You feel it. You trust it.
Why Balancing the Third Eye Chakra is Important
When you have big goals, aspirations, and dreams, it’s important that the energy throughout all of your energy centers is balanced and in harmony.
Your Root Chakra creates a solid, steady foundation. Your Sacral Chakra is responsible for your creativity and passion. Your Solar Plexus Chakra gives you confidence. Your Heart Chakra opens your heart to love and peace. And your Throat Chakra allows you to communicate your truth and live a life of authenticity. And your Crown Chakra is your energy center for spirituality and connection to a higher power.
These energy centers provide you with the foundation for living a life of meaning, purpose, and truth. They give you the confidence and passion to shine your light. They help you to lovingly embrace your authentic self.
But without vision, you’d have nowhere to go.
Your Third Eye Chakra gives you the vision and clarity to see your path so you can walk forward in your journey. Maybe you don’t know exactly where it’s leading to, and maybe you can’t see every single step of what’s in front of you, but you trust your inner knowing to guide you in the right direction.
The Third Eye Chakra allows you to surrender and trust.
I spent years trying to control every step of my journey. There were times when I heard my inner knowing speak, but I didn’t listen, either out of fear or because it didn’t make sense.
Letting go and consciously choosing to trust wasn’t easy at first. But I did, and then something kind of amazing happened:
Everything I had ever dreamed of started to align for me.
And through these experiences, I’ve learned this: every time I take a leap and trust my inner knowing, I’m always led to really beautiful, really incredible places.
Third Eye Chakra Attributes
- Sanskrit Name: Ajna (“Beyond wisdom.” Can also be translated as “Perceive” or “Command.”)
- Location: Center of Forehead/Between Eyebrows
- Color: Indigo (Also associated with purple.)
- Body Parts: Brain, Eyes, Nervous System, Forehead
- Symbol: Two-petaled lotus with inverted triangle in the center
- Element: Light
- Mantra: OM or SHAM
- Gemstones: Lapis Lazuli, Opal, Sapphire, Amethyst, Sodalite, Apophyllite, Azurite
- Essential Oils: Frankincense, Basil, Juniper, Rosemary, Lemon, Pine, Cedarwood
Signs of a Balanced Third Eye Chakra
When your Third Eye Chakra is balanced, you feel a deep sense of spiritual alignment. You’re able to surrender control because you feel an unexplainable sense of trust in your path. And you also feel aligned and connected to your inner knowing. For some people, inner knowing is just a gut feeling. For others, they see signs from the Universe guiding them on their journeys.
Intuition is most often associated with the Third Eye Chakra, and while this is definitely an important aspect of this energy center, it’s not the only component. When your Third Eye Chakra is balanced, you also feel imaginative, open-minded, and mentally strong.
Here are some of the signs of a balanced Third Eye Chakra:
- Intuitive
- Imaginative
- Perceptive
- Open-minded
- Insightful
- Sense of clarity
- Mentally strong
- Trusting
- Motivated
- Creative
- Embraces truth
- Embraces change
- Spiritually aligned
- Possesses inner wisdom
- Connected to inner knowing
Signs of an Imbalanced Third Eye Chakra
When any of your energy centers are imbalanced, they may be either underactive or overactive. When your Third Eye Chakra is underactive, you may feel disconnected from your intuition. You might also feel like you’re unable to harness the power of your imagination. Rather than feeling mentally strong, you may feel scattered and unable to concentrate or focus.
When your Third Eye Chakra is overactive, you may experience paranoia, and you might start to believe that every little thing you see is some kind of sign.
Here’s a list of some of the signs and symptoms of an imbalanced Third Eye Chakra:
- Lack of intuition
- Unimaginative
- Fearful
- Confused
- Unable to focus
- Close-minded
- Depressed
- Anxious
- Isolated
- Indecisive
- Scattered
- Difficulty concentrating
- Paranoid
- Unmotivated
- Holding onto limiting beliefs
Physical Signs of an Imbalanced Third Eye Chakra
In addition to the signs I listed above, you may also encounter physical sensations and symptoms when your Third Eye Chakra is imbalanced. For this energy center, the physical symptoms you experience often manifest in your head and mind.
Here are some of the physical signs of an imbalanced Third Eye Chakra:
- Headaches
- Migraines
- Nightmares
- Sinus Issues
- Eyesight Problems
- Hallucinations
Third Eye Chakra Affirmations
When using affirmations to activate, heal, and balance the Third Eye Chakra, allow yourself to look within and really focus on your inner world. I sometimes like to inhale deeply and then exhale with a sigh, allowing myself to release control and surrender fully in that moment.
Don’t try to force clarity, trust, and intuition into your experience. Rather, open yourself up and let them come to you. Accept. Allow. Receive.
Here’s a list of affirmations for healing and activating the Third Eye Chakra:
- I listen to my inner knowing in the face of uncertainty.
- I see and think clearly.
- My mind is strong, open, and clear.
- I trust my intuition to guide me to making good decisions.
- My mind is free of resistance and open to all possibilities.
- All that I seek I can find within me.
- I am insightful, intuitive, and imaginative.
- I release doubt and welcome faith.
- I am aligned with my highest and most authentic self.
- I am in alignment with my purpose.
- I trust the signs and synchronicities that show up in my daily life.
- I honor my inner knowing and trust my path.
- I surrender to the highest good for all.
- I surrender control and allow the Universe’s loving presence to guide me.
For more powerful third eye chakra affirmations, be sure to check out my post, 40 Third Eye Chakra Affirmations for Wisdom, Clarity, and Insight. And be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to get your free printable affirmations and journal prompts!
Third Eye Chakra Journal Prompts
Journaling is one of the most powerful ways to truly get in touch with your inner guide as well as to gain clarity, connect to your truth, and even utilize your imagination. When I sit down to journal, I often have no idea where my thoughts will lead me. I simply allow myself to follow the path that appears in front of me and let it lead me wherever it may go.
Some of the questions below ask tough questions about topics like closed-mindedness and surrender. As you answer these questions, I encourage you to be open and honest with yourself. And whatever your answers are, don’t judge yourself. None of us are perfect. We all have flaws, imperfections, and shadows inside of us, but the clearest path to the light isn’t by suppressing these truths; it’s by seeking to understand.
- Reflect on the word imagination. Ask yourself these questions: Was imagination encouraged or discouraged growing up? Do I use my imagination less or more than I did when I was a child? Do I still use my imagination in my daily life? In what ways? How can I embrace using my imagination more?
- What are some past experiences in which following my intuition led me to making the right choice? Have I ever not followed my intuition and wished that I had? What can I learn from these experiences?
- Are there any areas of life in which I can be close-minded? What led me to have a closed mind regarding these people, beliefs, ideas, etc.? Would there be any benefit to allowing my mind to be more open regarding these things? Conversely, in what areas of life am I very open-minded, and what led me to having an open mind regarding these people, beliefs, ideas, etc.?
- What does it mean to me to surrender? Am I able to surrender and trust my path, or do I feel the need to control certain areas of my life? How can I practice surrendering more? Do I feel safe in surrendering? (Remember, don’t judge yourself as you answer these questions. Simply allow yourself to be honest and truthful.)
For more powerful third eye chakra journal prompts, check out my post, 30 Journal Prompts to Open and Heal the Third Eye Chakra. And be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to get your free printable affirmations and journal prompts!
Activating and Healing the Third Eye Chakra
Color Therapy
Immerse yourself in the color indigo (and/or purple). Eat purple foods such as grapes, raisins, prunes, purple potatoes, and purple carrots. Wear indigo/purple clothing. Surround yourself with indigo/purple objects. Write empowering affirmations on purple post-its and stick them up around you. Light a purple candle. You could even embrace your inner creative and paint with only these colors.
Nature
The Third Eye Chakra’s element is light, so embrace opportunities to sit or walk in the sunshine. If you have a sun room or any open rooms with big windows in your home, take advantage of this space by sitting in silence, reading, or doing some crossword puzzles/logic games. You might also try sitting or meditating under the moonlight if it’s especially bright out.
Daydream
I’ll be honest: this one’s my favorite. I was an avid daydreamer as a child, then lost it at some point after I graduated high school. And now, over these past couple years, I’ve truly embraced the return of my inner daydreamer. We live in a world where we are constantly bombarded with “real world” information all of the time. We’re often told to prioritize reality and get our head out of the clouds. Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s okay to stick your head back up in the clouds from time to time. And if you find that you have a hard time doing this, see if some of your favorite childhood movies might inspire you.
Logic Puzzles/Games
It might seem a little weird that I’m recommending you use your imagination and do logic puzzles, but it’s important to keep an active and healthy mind in all capacities. I will recommend that you don’t play these games on your phone, though. If possible, work on a crossword puzzle or play a logic game somewhere you can get natural light.
Journaling
Use the journal prompts above or write down some empowering Third Eye Chakra affirmations. I also love to do simple stream-of-consciousness journaling. This means I sit down without any prompts and surrender control to whatever words want to emerge through me. See if you can simply write whatever flows from your fingers. Follow your inner knowing. And remember, don’t judge yourself. There is no right or wrong, no good or bad. Everything you write is exactly as it’s supposed to be.
Yoga
Yoga is a wonderful healing and restorative practice to balance the energy within your chakras. For healing the Third Eye Chakra, focus on poses where your head is on or directed toward the ground.
Here are some of the poses you might use for healing your Ajna:
- Downward Facing Dog
- Child’s Pose
- Extended Puppy Pose
- Seated Forward Bend
- Head to Knee Pose
- Pyramid Pose
And here’s a great yoga flow video from Allie the Journey Junkie on cleansing the Third Eye Chakra.
Meditation
Clear your mind. (You might imagine a gentle wave washing over your mind, leaving it calm, peaceful, and empty.) Envision a bright, indigo-colored light at the center of your forehead, between your eyebrows. Inhale slowly. As you inhale, that light grows brighter. Exhale slowly. As you exhale, the light grows bigger. Repeat this for several minutes.
I’m a big fan of guided meditations and have found them to be super helpful when it comes to balancing the chakras. Here are a few powerful free guided meditations for healing the Third Eye Chakra on the free Insight Timer app:
- Third Eye Chakra – Heal, Open & Align by Naomi Goodlet
- Third Eye Chakra Healing Meditation by Nicole.For.Real
- Third Eye Visualization by Jenna Pfingston
Ajna Affirmations
I love to use affirmations throughout my day as part of my total self-care routine. For healing, balancing, and activating the Third Eye Chakra, you can use affirmations during meditation, through journaling, or as you’re doing daily activities such as taking a shower or commuting to work. You can also write affirmations on post-it notes and stick them up around your house or workspace, and you can even enable phone notifications to pop up during your day with some empowering affirmations on them.
To learn more about using affirmations, check out my post, How to Use Affirmations (So They Actually Work).
Ajna Gemstones
Meditate with crystals. Wear beautiful gemstones as jewelry. Keep a healing crystal in your pocket throughout your day. Place gemstones in your workspace or somewhere they’ll be close to you throughout the day. Incorporate crystals into your sacred space.
There are so many easy yet powerful ways you can use crystals in your daily life. Here are some of the crystals associated with the Third Eye Chakra:
- Lapis Lazuli
- Opal
- Sapphire
- Amethyst
- Sodalite
- Apophyllite
- Azurite
If you want to learn how to cleanse and program your crystals, check out these blog posts, where I discuss cleansing, programming, and using crystals (and more!):
Ajna Essential Oils
Place a few drops of essential oils into your diffuser and allow the soothing aroma to calm your spirit and heal your energy. I love to use essential oils in combination with other practices on this list. For instance, you could use essential oils while journaling, and you could even incorporate crystals and color therapy at the same time.
Here are some of the essential oils associated with the Third Eye Chakra:
- Frankincense
- Basil
- Juniper
- Rosemary
- Lemon
- Pine
- Cedarwood
Also, if you have a favorite essential oil brand/supplier, be sure to check out their full line as some offer blends specifically for the chakras.
Have you ever had any experiences where trusting your intuition led you on the right path (even if it didn’t make sense to others)? What practices do you do to keep your energy balanced in this energy center? Share your experiences in the comments below!
For more more chakra resources, plus uplifting affirmations and self-love encouragement, be sure to follow me on Pinterest and Instagram!
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Pin this for later! Ajna: Activating, Balancing, and Healing the Third Eye Chakra Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.
