From Karma Gaia:
Balancing The Third Eye
Your third eye chakra is known by the Sanskrit term Ajna. It is a spot on your brow between your eyes and is connected to intuition, insight, and inspiration. We have a profound grasp of both our inner and outside worlds when ajna is in harmony.
While our physical eyes are associated with the past and the present experience as it unfolds, it’s said that ajna looks to the future. We can envision our next moves with confidence and clarity when we are not distracted by uncertainty and confusion.
Most often, when our ajna is underactive, we lose touch with our own inner wisdom. The good news is that you can do a lot to help ajna grow, thrive, and be in balance.
1. Using a Bija Mantra
The ajna's bija mantra, or seed syllable, is "om" or "aum." The best technique to connect with your insight and intuition is to chant om while closing your eyes and concentrating on the brow point. Setting your purpose can be especially effective in the morning or at the beginning of an ajna-centered yoga practise.
2. Working with Hakini Mudra
The hakini mudra is connected to ajna and is believed to encourage awareness and focus, which improve insight and intuition. When reflecting intently, many people will naturally adopt this mudra; perhaps they sense its value in aiding in the connection with knowledge and insight.
3. Ajna Balancing Asanas
The stance most frequently connected with ajna is Asanas Balasana, also known as the child's pose. There are two basic causes for this. First, the forehead can touch the mat to physically ground and link the brow point to earth.
This area can benefit from additional massage provided by gently swaying the head from side to side. Secondly, child’s pose is a gentle and supported forward fold. Forward folds can aid in fostering self-reflection and research.
Uttanasana (standing forward fold) and prasarita padottanasana (wide-legged standing forward fold) are other front folds that can aid in balancing ajna. A block or bolster positioned beneath the forehead will increase stimulation.
4. Nadi Shodhana Pranayama
Nadi shodhana pranayama, or alternate nostril breathing, is already well-known for its balancing properties as a separate practise. This variation can improve its impact on ajna:
To keep your attention on ajna, place your right hand's index and middle fingers on the brow point.
Using your right thumb to cover your right nostril, take a four-count breath through your left nostril.
Exhale for four counts via the right nostril while closing the left nostril with the left ring finger.
For a count of four, inhale through your right nostril while keeping your left nostril shut.
Thumb-shut the right nostril, then open the left and exhale for four counts.
For several minutes, repeat steps 2 through 5, possibly extending the count to 6 or 8 to further relax and centre the mind.
After you've finished the breathing exercise, give yourself a minute to settle back into your regular breathing pattern and focus your awareness on the moment.
From Karma Gaia
7 Resilience Strategies Therapists Use Themselves When Life Gets Overwhelming
Even the professionals who guide others through emotional turbulence need their own coping mechanisms. Therapists face burnout, compassion fatigue, and personal challenges just like everyone else. The difference? They've mastered practical resilience techniques that work—and use them in their own lives. Here are seven powerful strategies that therapists rely on when life becomes overwhelming.
1. The 5-5-5 Breathing Reset
When anxiety spikes, therapists don't just tell clients to "take a deep breath"—they practice structured breathing interventions themselves. The 5-5-5 technique involves inhaling for 5 seconds, holding for 5 seconds, and exhaling for 5 seconds.
"I use this between sessions when I'm feeling emotionally flooded," says clinical psychologist Dr. Maya Chen. "It activates the parasympathetic nervous system in just 90 seconds, giving me immediate physiological relief and mental clarity."
2. Scheduled Worry Time
Therapists don't suppress their worries—they contain them. Many block 15-20 minutes daily as designated "worry time" to process anxieties without letting them consume the entire day.
"When worries arise outside my scheduled time, I jot them down to revisit later," explains therapist James Moretti, LCSW. "This simple boundary prevents rumination from hijacking my day while still honoring that these concerns need attention."
3. The Perspective Shift Question
When facing obstacles, therapists reframe situations by asking: "What would I tell a client facing this exact situation?"
"This question creates instant emotional distance," notes family therapist Sonia Williams. "It bypasses my emotional brain and accesses my rational, solution-focused thinking. I'm consistently more compassionate and wise with myself when I use this technique."
4. Micro-Self-Care Integration
Rather than waiting for the elusive "self-care day," therapists integrate tiny restorative moments throughout their day.
"I practice micro-self-care—60-second interventions I can use between clients," says trauma specialist Dr. Kai Park. "This might be stretching, applying a scented lotion, or stepping outside for fresh air. These brief resets prevent exhaustion better than waiting for larger self-care opportunities that might never materialize."
5. The Validation-Before-Solution Rule
When overwhelmed, therapists validate their feelings before attempting to solve problems.
"I literally say to myself: 'It makes perfect sense you feel this way given what's happening,'" shares grief counselor Eliza Montgomery. "Only after acknowledging my emotional reality do I move toward solutions. Skipping validation always backfires."
6. Physical State Changes
Therapists recognize that mental states are connected to physical states, and deliberately change their physiology to shift their psychology.
"When I'm stuck in negative thought patterns, I don't try to think my way out—I move my body instead," explains neuropsychologist Dr. Theo Jackson. "A brisk 10-minute walk, dancing to one energetic song, or even splashing cold water on my face creates an immediate state change that interrupts the mental loop."
7. The 'Tomorrow Self' Technique
When motivation wanes, therapists make decisions based on how their future self will feel.
"I often ask myself: 'What can I do now that my tomorrow self will thank me for?'" says positive psychology practitioner Leila Hassan. "This creates immediate motivation and shifts my perspective from short-term comfort to longer-term wellbeing."
These strategies aren't just professional knowledge for therapists—they're daily practices that form the foundation of their personal resilience toolkit. By implementing even one or two of these techniques into your own routine, you can begin building the same psychological strength that helps mental health professionals weather life's inevitable storms.