It is said that when we open our eyes,
we close our third eye,
that when we are in this world looking through the senses
of the regular five senses,
we miss our sixth sense: our greater sense,
this place of wisdom and intuition.
So in a lot of yogic meditations,
we close our eyes and bring our awareness inward,
even awareness to this area,
with the intention of opening our third eye,
with the intention of gathering a greater sense of wisdom
and intuition.
My name is Ann Swanson
and I am the author of the book, "Science of Yoga."
I'm a yoga therapist
as well as an anatomy and physiology teacher.
Many yogis say, by focusing on this area,
we increase blood flow and activity to that area
and encourage the function of the pineal gland.
So are the yogis right?
Well, we actually don't have specific research
that's measuring just that.
I mean, who would pay for that study?
It is not what we're studying in the labs currently
in the science of yoga.
So we don't know for sure.
It does make sense.
The yogis say, "Where our attention goes, energy flows."
And it makes sense that it may help.
And it certainly can't hurt.
Those of you that know me know that I love to study Spanish.
And one of my Puerto Rican friends,
he constantly says the same thing.
Whenever he's faced with a dilemma or a challenge
or somebody who's trying to debate something,
he always just calmly says, "Puede ser."
It could be.
We just don't know.
It's an interesting thing to discuss.
And it really sparks a lot of curiosity.
Puede ser.
Science and the way of thinking
through the scientific method requires evidence,
and evidence that we can gather mainly
through our five senses.
But spirituality does not require that evidence.
It's really just something that's experienced and lived.
And if it makes you feel better, you continue doing it.
There is a saying in the scientific community.
It is, "Lack of evidence does not mean evidence of lack."
Just because we don't have the research that shows
that we are simulating our pineal gland
and releasing more melatonin directly
from the yogic practice,
doesn't mean that it's not possible.
And these yoga traditions have stood the test of time
for a reason.
They do help you feel better, sleep better,
focus better, have better relationships.
There are improvements that have been passed down
from generation to generation.
And yogis, especially the yogis
that have devoted their life to these practices,
monks and ancient yogis,
they had very, very acute observation practices
where they could feel much beyond
what we in the modern world can feel
as we go through our everyday lives often mindlessly.
They had a greater sense of awareness.
And through this acute observation,
I believe it's very possible that they were feeling things
that we can't even prove in the labs yet.
It is said when you open your third eye,
you can finally see things clearly.
And that you can even gain superpowers
like clairvoyance or precognition:
the ability to know when things are gonna happen
before they actually happen.
Maybe it's not really a super power or a siddhi.
Maybe it is.
Maybe it's just the ability to see things more clearly,
to be more intuitive, to be a more accurate observer.
Maybe you can read people better
and read the situation better
and you can more accurately guess what's gonna happen.
That is a skill that I think we would all like to have;
that greater sense of focus and being an accurate observer
with non-attachment.
And that's what yoga really gives you.
Yoga gives you the ability to focus better
and to relax more and it improves your mood.
All of these things also improve your sleep.
And then when your asleep improves,
you are able to focus better and relax more
and improve your mood.
So it becomes a cycle
and you get into this like health cycle.
You know, so much of the time we get
in these negative cycles,
these unhealthy cycles that are hard to break out of?
Well, we can also get into a health cycle
through practicing yoga,
where you start to see improvements just add and add and add
on top of each other.
So in conclusion, we don't know for sure
if these yoga practices
are directly stimulating your pineal gland.
But we do know that they help you improve your sleep,
improve your mood and mental health and feel better overall.
So really, in conclusion, do more yoga.
If you found this interesting,
make sure you click the subscribe button below
and comment below with any of your reflections or questions.
I love to hear from you.
And head on over to my website,
www.scienceof.yoga
to learn more about my book
and my upcoming course on SCIENCE OF YOGA.
And you can even download a free handout
of the top 10 things you need to know
about the science of yoga.
You'll see those links below in the description.
Thank you so much and be well.
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