Question: I get frequent headaches, and quite often have pain in the back of the neck and in the back.

Sri Chinmoy: When you concentrate or meditate, what actually happens is that you put pressure on your third eye. You put pressure, but you are not aware of it. That eye is not at your command. On the contrary, the third eye commands all the psychic centres in your body. So when you meditate, try not to put any pressure on the third eye. God’s Hour has to be respected. The third eye has to be opened spontaneously in the Supreme’s own way.

Sometimes when you are talking to someone, from a distance I see so much tension in your forehead, and your neck, back, everything, becomes stiff. The entire problem starts from the third eye. When you are doing something or saying something, do not keep the forehead tense.

Then, early in the morning if you can do a certain Indian exercise, it helps a lot. You breathe in water very gently through your nostrils and bring it out through your mouth. Then the tension goes away from the forehead. Alternate nostril breathing also helps. You can learn these two exercises from a Hatha Yoga teacher.