This 5th edition of the Nuantra newsletter focuses on one of the most famous and effective techniques in the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra: the practice of the Third Eye Center.
This technique is designed to take you from being a person "caught" in thoughts to a person who "witnesses" thoughts, creating an immediate sense of detachment and peace
💡 THE IDEA
The Food of Attention
In the ancient traditions of Tantra, it is said that the "Third Eye" (the space between the eyebrows) is a dormant center of power. It has been described as being "hungry" because it thrives on one thing: your attention.
Ordinarily, our attention is scattered—pulled by social media, work stress, or past regrets. When we are angry, we become the anger. When we are worried, we become the worry.
By bringing your total focus to the center of the eyebrows, you "feed" this center. As it becomes active, a shift occurs. You stop being the person inside the storm of thoughts and become the watcher on the hill, looking down at the storm. The thoughts are still there, but they no longer have the power to move you.
🧘 THE PRACTICE
The Witness at the Center
This practice is based on Dharana 5 (Shloka 31) of the Vigyana Bhairava Tantra.
The Shloka: yathā tathā yatra tatra dvādaśānte manolayam | prapiśya kṣaṇamātreṇa vikalparahito bhavet || 31 ||
(Reference: Vigyana Bhairava Tantra, Verse 31)
Translation: "By fixing the mind at the center between the eyebrows, let the mind be free of thought. Let the form be filled with the essence of breath to the top of the head, and there, experience the radiance."
How to do it:
Find your seat: Sit comfortably with your spine straight. Close your eyes gently.
Locate the Point: Direct both your eyes (behind closed lids) toward the center of your forehead, just above the space between your eyebrows.
The Magnetic Pull: Do not strain. Simply "look" there. You will notice that after a few moments, your eyes feel "locked" or magnetically pulled to that spot.
The Shift: As you hold your attention here, stop trying to stop your thoughts. Instead, just watch them from this center. Notice how they appear like clouds passing in a clear sky. You are the sky; the thoughts are just the clouds..
⚡ YOUR 5-MINUTE WIN THIS WEEK
Today, set a timer for 5 minutes.
Sit in silence and bring your gaze to the center of your eyebrows. For these 5 minutes, every time a thought comes—whether it’s about what to cook for dinner or a work deadline—don't fight it. Just say to yourself, "I am watching this thought from the center," and return your focus to the point between your brows.
By the end of the 5 minutes, you will likely feel a sense of "spaciousness"—a realization that you are much larger than the thoughts that usually occupy your mind.
Source Reference: Vigyana Bhairava Tantra, translation and commentary by Swami Satyasangananda Saraswati (Bihar School of Yoga) or Paul Reps (Zen Flesh, Zen Bones).