TRATAK - POWERFUL Candle Gazing MEDITATION- Benefits, Steps & Short GUIDED MEDITATION
Quiet The Mind & The Storm Shall Pass
Tratak Meditation?is a special process of yogic purification and a method of meditation that involves staring at a single point such as a small object, black dot, Om symbol or a candle flame. It is said to bring energy to the third eye and promote various psychic abilities like intuition and clear knowing etc.
Meaning- Trataka means to concentrate the mind & brain on something. This meditation helps in the concentration between the eye and the mind, increases mental strength, achieves Divine Hidden Powers or let’s say your super powers, and strengthens the eye muscles.
This meditation technique is a form of tapas, which is a Sanskrit word that means to heat and cleanse the body -(to heat, to give out warmth, to shine, to burn.) Tapas helps us burn up all of the obstacles?that stand in our way, and connects us to our divine consciousness.?
Purpose- By fixing the gaze on the candle flame, the restless mind comes to a halt. Modern science even believes that the control of the?blink?reflex stimulates the?pineal gland?which is located at the centre of the brain, which the Kundalini Yoga identifies with the third eye. Trā?aka is said to enhance the ability to concentrate. It increases the power of memory and brings the mind to a state of?awareness, attention and focus. I’d like to elaborate & clarify the meaning of awareness here a bit.. (Awareness?is not alertness.. it is aliveness, it is a profound intelligence that lies beyond the intellect, beyond memory, beyond judgement, beyond karma, beyond all divisions. It is the intelligence of existence itself, the very cosmos in the living mind. In yogic traditions it is said that once you distance yourself from the compulsions of your genetic & karmic software, as well as the vested interests and identifications of your intellect, you are in touch with awareness, an unclouded consciousness which is beyond both intellect & memory.?
What is Candle Gazing Meditation?
Candle Gazing Meditation originates from Hatha Yoga where it is known as Trataka and serves as one of the six techniques used for purification. Trataka is a Sanskrit word which means “to gaze” or “to look” and explains the basis of Candle Gazing Meditation. A Hatha Yoga handbook describes it as focusing your sight on a small point until your eyes shed tears.
This meditation works by concentrating on a single point of focus. Candle Gazing has been found to work best not just for beginners but everyone as it offers a lot of flexibility and convenience. It works based on how the eyes send signals to the brain for processing which is then decoded. Continued focus on the candlelight means that no new information is being passed on. So the information flow to the brain slows down, and all other distractions fade off?heightening your focus and awareness on the candle flame.
Eventually, you become fully absorbed into the flame and attain total relaxation, and are able to effectively meditate. Achieving this state allows you to process, examine and look at the past, present, and future with great clarity. It is believed that the practice of candle gazing meditation enables one to open their third eye also known as the Ajna chakra or the third eye chakra which allows one to develop better intuition and gain wisdom. And since It is said to bring energy to the third eye, it is believed to enhance & promote various psychic abilities. While currently, candle gazing meditation is popular for its ease and purification effect,?It also helps with better reflection & introspection due to increased concentration.?
Before we get into the details..
Lets briefly discuss a few?benefits of Candle Gazing:?
Candle gazing can be a very efficient way to practice meditation and is a great option for those who struggle to stop their mind from wandering. Having an animated object to focus on makes it easier to stay focused and entering a state of pure awareness while being present in the now.
Over the years, Meditation has gone from something associated with religion or a spiritual practice to connect & align with yourself to a fad, to now mainstream which is now scientifically accepted as an essential part of personal care. Multiple studies have shown that regular practice of meditation has profound effects on the health and wellbeing of an individual. These benefits include psychological, physical and spiritual benefits.?
Beyond the mind, body and soul benefits, candle meditation also helps in learning and coping with environmental pressures while improving your productivity in the workplace. There are several types of meditation based on props and techniques used. One of the most popular and super effective types is candlelight meditation. It has proven to be quite useful especially for beginners as it helps tremendously with focus.
Detailed Benefits of Candle Meditation
Besides the general ease & usefulness of this meditation, Trataka offers various other advantages like..
1. Improving Your Focus & Concentration- By being able to focus on a single focal point and giving our mind a simple task but a task alright, it gets much easier to concentrate.. with mind not doing the usual monkey business. And the light and warmth from the candle flame make it easier to keep the attention on its tip for longer than you would have done in the absence of such a focal point. As a result, your concentration is higher and continuous practice develops your ability to stay focused on one single point or thing. And with time such ability helps you have more meaningful and effective meditation and also carries on to other areas of your life. You can increase your productivity by staying focused on one thing and closing out all other distractions. Developing mono-focus can prove useful in your personal as well as professional life. Basically all relationships, and especially the one with yourself- the most important alignment of all.
2. Improves Your Vision & Eyesight- Candle Gazing Meditation helps relieve eye fatigue and also apparently blocks the doorways to eye problems and diseases. It also cleanses the cerebral cortex (the outer surface of the brain associated with higher level processes such as consciousness thought, emotion, reasoning, language and memory- you get the picture) and provides exercise to the eye muscles. We don’t realize it, but eye muscles do need exercise to maintain their vitality and prevent diseases or eyesight degeneration.?
3. Cleanses Your Eyes & Etheric Body- It is not for nothing that candle gazing meditation makes up as one of the cleansing elements in Hatha Yoga. It provides cleansing for the eyes. The tears shed from the fixed gaze help remove any dirt or objects present in the eyes. Regular practice leads to further purification and even management of some eye conditions. Beyond the physical cleansing, trataka is also regarded as?yoga for the eyes?& the ethereal body?which results in a more in-depth development of clarity and intuition making it easy to see issues in a new light and find solutions to them. Like a completely renewed perspective.
4. Helps Achieve Intense Calm & A Profound Sense Of Inner Peace- It enables us to calm our thoughts & emotions and helps develop a deeper understanding with enhanced focus resulting in a more profound sense of inner peace. The light & warmth of Candles naturally have a calming & soothing effect which explains their usage in spas, dining areas and even in all the sacred places. These relaxing properties are what lead us to a deep meditative level and help release unwanted thoughts and their accompanying stress from the mind as we move towards a more settled state where the mind comes to a comforting calm and stillness. All the worries of the world, turbulent thoughts and emotions just fall off, and we feel more at peace. With regular practice, this calm & tranquil state can be quickly achieved when you feel unsettled or find yourself in a mental turmoil.
5. Enhances Patience, Willpower & Self-Discipline- Committing to practice candle gazing meditation regularly will require you to have self-discipline. You will have to set time aside for yourself and adhere to your schedule. You will need to be patient with yourself and push yourself to the limits as you learn to hold your focus to the candle longer every time you practice the technique. It is not going to be as comfortable and as simple & straightforward as it seems at first, however, with time & practice you will be able to focus for longer and you’ll willingly increase your mediation time. This whole process builds up your willpower and tolerance muscle. You’ll be able to apply these learnings and benefit from them in all areas of your life. The tolerance and perseverance learned will help you handle even unfavourable situations in a more efficient way.
6. Revitalizes the body- With the state of relaxation achieved during this meditation, the body feels rested and rejuvenated. And all the tension eases mentally and across all the muscles. This well rested state allows the body an opportunity to rejuvenate itself, and when you come out of the meditation, you feel refreshed & energised. And while the rejuvenation effect is common to all kinds of meditation techniques, the practice of candle gazing meditation goes one step further. The clarity and vision acquired on different aspects of life give a new sense of purpose and boost self-confidence. New insights greatly help in overcoming doubts & indecisiveness which otherwise rob us of our mental & physical energy. And with the enhanced energy & determination as a result of this practice, it becomes easier to achieve success and handle the hard times without losing focus, confidence and balance.
7. Helps Manage & Overcome Psychological & Emotional Challenges- Am sure by now its pretty evident that the candle gazing meditation has a strong and positive impact on several issues in different areas of life. This practice greatly helps with willpower & discipline which aid in overcoming emotional issues like anger, grief and disappointment while also addressing the behavioural issue such as procrastination that affects our productivity adversely.
8. Provides Relief From Stress & Anxiety- This meditation technique also helps relieve stress, depression and anxiety, as it teleports you into a state of calm & relaxation. With time, the longer and sharper your focus becomes the more the internal turmoil is moved to the periphery. Any & all source of conflict within then falls off once you have new insights or perspective and calm in your mind and soul.
9. Deepens Sleep & Helps Relieve Insomnia- Insomnia is greatly relieved with the calming influence of this meditation technique. You are so relaxed after the candle gazing meditation that you feel drowsy and are ready to hit the bed. No medication needed. This meditation is the best medication with no side effects but only more sound sleep and you wake up refreshed.
Steps: How To Do Candle Gazing Meditation
The benefits of candle gazing meditation we discussed are among the many you can enjoy but only if you do the technique correctly. Here are some tips and guidelines on the right way to do trataka correctly. The first step is determining the time you will be doing it. This kind of medication relies on the effectiveness of candlelight as a focal point so it will not be beneficial to do it in broad day light or when the sun is bright outside. So the most effective time to practice would be first thing in the morning if you’re an early riser or make it the last activity in the evening just before you sleep.
1. Choosing The Candle- First step once you know your time is picking the right kind of candle to use for the meditation. Choose a non-toxic type of candle so that you won't be inhaling poisonous fumes that will affect your concentration & focus and also cause several health risks.
Try & avoid candles made with paraffin and similar chemicals and?instead use candles made from non-toxic substances like soy or bees wax. Choosing a candle goes beyond toxicity. It gets more fun here. You also decide the fragrance and colours. Some people find scented candles more effective for relaxation while others may have an allergic reaction to the fragrance. If you’re going for scented candles, some of the best ones to try out would be jasmine, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Colours?play an important role always and there’s a massive belief that the colour of the candle will enhance your experience since you will be looking at it. It means you will most likely achieve the meditation effect closely associated with the colour of the candle. Lets share an overview of the different colour associations..
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Colours can also signify other qualities & their associations depending on the culture
2. Create a Relaxing Environment- Find a room that is quiet, where you won’t be disturbed for the duration of your meditation. And to make the candle gazing meditation more effective, dim or rather switch off the lights and draw the curtains or window shades. Remove any existing distractions in the room that may interfere with your focus on the lit candle and also switch off any gadgets like your phone. Finally, be sure to wear loose & comfortable clothing during meditation to avoid distraction from discomfort.
3. Correct Position For Candle Gazing- The candle should be positioned at eye-level or just below eye-level to ensure you do not strain by looking up or below. Place the candle 3-4 feet (1 metre plus) away. And remove your glasses during the meditation.
4. Position yourself comfortably- Sit in a comfortable place & position so there’s no fidgeting. Sit in lotus position (Padmasana) or the closest you can manage it without feeling discomfort or hurting yourself. Or you could sit on a chair while keeping your back straight with feet firmly placed on the floor. Your hands should be relaxed on your laps.
5. Focus on the flame & Begin Meditation- Focus on the candle flame and let it fill your mind. Your eyes may begin to feel watery quickly and shed tears due to constant gazing without blinking, but you’ll get used to it and it will fade after a while. However, only do it for as long as it is naturally comfortable for you especially during the first session. You’ll get the hang of it
Once you tune in to that, start focusing on your breath and start taking deep breaths gently. Inhale from your nostrils and exhale from the mouth. Take in every aspect of the flame to help empty the unwanted thoughts from your mind and throw all disturbing and non-positive thoughts into the flame. Its like a letting go and release into the holy fire- one of the five elements of life. And before you know, the auto-pilot of your hyper-active monkey mind will kick in and thats okay. Allow yourself to be lost in the flame and every time your mind wanders, acknowledge the thoughts but bring the monkey (your mind) back to the flame.
This way, you’ll be able to achieve full focus & relaxation. Now here’s a quick trick every time your eyes water with the constant gaze, you close your eyes and focus on the spot between your eyebrows or the third eye. You should be able to see a replica of the flame there. Once the flame fades, open your eyes and begin candle gazing again and repeat the process. Continue the practice as long as you can or want and gradually increase the duration.
Pro Tip:?You can actually enhance your meditation focus by adding auditory experience to it. You could play some soothing/ relaxing music, Om chanting or affirmations as you please. I’m sharing two video links of powerful affirmations in the description for you, along with a playlist you could choose from.
Safety Precaution:?Please DO NOT leave the Candle unattended after the meditation.?Extinguish the flame.
I do hope that the tips and guidelines were helpful and the amazing benefits encourage you to start meditating.
Enjoy the Candle Gazing Meditation Technique & its Benefits.
Our Well-being is our greatest treasure.
Be Well
Take Care & God Bless
Please Note:?Meditation isn’t about trying to clear the noise of your mind. Its about reminding yourself that the noise isn’t your identity. This clears your mind.
A quiet mind is the foundation of inner peace and inner peace translates into outer peace.?
Sometimes taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective. Just like a computer or a phone, sometimes all we need is a reboot. CTRL+ALT+DEL. Human mind is the most advanced technology ever but we all need a reset sometimes and meditation helps us do just that. The more regularly and the more deeply you meditate, the sooner you will find yourself acting always from centre of your Inner Peace.
In as little as 5-10 minutes day, you can train your mind to be still and quiet. And this stillness can be incorporated into your daily life, making you less reactive & irritable, and giving you a greater perspective to see things for the small stuff?they are rather than emergencies.
You become a master of your life when you learn how to control where your attention goes. Value what you give your energy & time to. The true currency of earth is not money.. its Energy. We are all incredibly powerful beings and have the ability to heal ourselves by truly believing in it. This is not wishful thinking. This is a documented fact.
Knowing others is Intelligence
Knowing yourself is Wisdom
Mastering others is Strength
Mastering yourself is Absolute Power… Find your power
Quick Guided Meditation: 2 Minutes
Simple Steps to Meditate:?
Love & Light
M