Based on the “Trataka” practice from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika
This meditation is named after the Sanskrit word trataka (त्राटक) which means “to gaze steadily” or “to look”.
WHY PRACTICE CANDLE-GAZING AND VISUALIZATION?
It is a powerful meditation for anybody looking to improve their ability to focus the mind. This meditation is also believed to increase intuition, creativity, and even psychic powers! At our retreat center in Kampot, Cambodia, we find this is a great meditation for beginners and intermediate meditators, as the very specific instructions make it easier to stay with the meditation compared to, say, mindfulness of the breath.
THE PRACTICE
To practice this meditation, you will need a lit candle and a dark environment. The candle should be between 2 feet and 1 meter away from you, as close to eye level as possible.
Sit in an upright position. We recommend sitting cross-legged and taking as many cushions as you need to get your hips elevated above your knees. But if you find it hard to sit on the ground, a chair is fine. The main thing is to keep your spine straight, finding a balance between steadiness and relaxation.
Open your eyes a little wider than you would normally, and stare at the flame of the candle (just above the wick). Do not blink. This may seem a bit strange – or downright uncomfortable – but you do not need to do it for such a long time to start with. When your eyes feel tired, and you cannot resist blinking any longer, shut them. When your eyes are closed, visualize the candle flame, as if you could still see it in front of you. Instead of gazing at the physical flame, you are now gazing at the flame in your mind’s eye. Focusing on the space between and slightly above your eyes may help with this. Try to “see” the flame for a few minutes. Then open your eyes and repeat the previous step for as long as you can.
As with all types of meditation, the mind is likely to wander off. If you find you have forgotten to meditate and are now thinking of something else, just gently return to the practice. If your mind is wandering, it doesn’t mean that you are doing something wrong; the meditation practice is to catch it and bring it back – if you have to do it 1,000 times, that’s fine.
To start with, try this meditation for just 10 minutes, but feel free to slowly increase it to 30 minutes. Also, you may find it is easier to keep your eyes open for longer as you progress. Some people practice this in a fairly hardcore way, getting to the point where their eyes are burning and watering: we don’t recommend this, as pushing yourself too hard in meditation is generally counter-productive. But do try to keep them open for as long as you feel comfortable.
OUR EXTRA STEP
At the Yoga Palace in Cambodia, we practice this in the evening on our rooftop yoga space. Once the initial 10-15 minute meditation is complete, we incorporate an extra step where – for five minutes – we close our eyes and imagine that the building is the candle, and we are the flame. We then imagine this flame shining out into the world: bringing focus and serenity to everybody it touches. Feel free to add this to your practice. You don’t need a rooftop: you can simply imagine you are a flame sending out clarity and focus.