Trataka (Candle Gazing) Cleansing

Technique


Trataka () is one of the six cleansing techniques mentioned in the
Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the classical text on the practices of Hatha Yoga.
The six techniques are: Neti (nasal cleansing), Basti (yogic enema), Dhauti
(digestive tract and intestinal cleansing), Kapalabhati (breathing technique
involving forced, short bursts of exhalation), Nauli (abdominal churning)
and Trataka (eye cleansing and concentration).
Trataka defined
In an effort to find the origin or the derivation of the word trataka I tried looking it up in the
dictionary. Surprisingly, however, when I checked Aptes dictionary I couldnt find the word there.
In Monier-Williams also it just states that it is a yoga technique for cleansing the eyes nothing
about its meaning or how the word is derived. In his commentary on the Hatha Yoga Pradipika,
Swami Muktibodhananda simply states that Trataka means to gaze steadily at an object.
In shloka 2.31 of Hatha Yoga Pradipika Trataka is defined as "looking intently with an unwavering
gaze at a small point until the eyes begin to tear, is called Trataka by the great teachers".
Trataka can be either internal or external; that is the object that is gazed upon can be an internal
object (for example the third eye) or an external one (for example the flame of a candle). In
general, however, the most commonly practiced form of Trataka involves gazing at a candle
flame. That is the technique that I will be describing in this article.
Trataka technique
Light a candle and place it on a small table around 3 to 4 feet in front of you.
Sit in a comfortable posture with the spine upright and the arms and shoulders relaxed.
You can assume any meditative posture which you can maintain without any movement for
the duration of the Trataka practice.
Make sure that the flame is at the level of your eyes. Also, make sure that you are facing
the candle directly without having to turn the neck even slightly.
It is important that the flame remains steady during the concentration routine. So, make
sure that there no breeze around of any kind to disturb the flame. If needed, turn off any
fans or air conditioner in the room.
Take a few deep breaths to relax. Close the eyes and watch your breath as you inhale and
exhale for about five to seven breaths. This will allow the breath to settle down and bring
you into the present moment.
Now, gaze at the flame intently and keep your gaze on it without getting distracted
towards outer disturbances and thoughts.
Keep your vision focused and steady on the flame without blinking, for as long as it is
comfortable to you. Try to avoid any kind of body movement during the entire practice.
Keep your gaze anchored on some part of the flame, rather than the candle or wick. If
thoughts come up in the mind, just become aware of them and then ignore them. Try to
maintain your awareness and focus on the flame.
Continue to gaze at the flame until you cannot keep your eyes open and tears start
flowing. Once this happens, close your eyes.
When you close the eyes, you may be able to visualize an after-image of the flame with
closed eyes. Try to bring this image at the point between the eyebrows at the center of
the forehead (the third eye location).
The depth and level of your concentration will determine how clear the after-image is. If
you cannot visualize the after-image of the flame with closed eyes, or it wavers constantly
or looses clarity, then re-apply your concentration to restore the position of the after-
image.
When the image begins to fade out completely, bring your awareness back to your
breathing and begin to watch the flow of breath at the tip of the nose for about 7 to 8
breaths.
You can open your eyes at this point and repeat the full gazing routine as given above one
more time.
In the beginning you may feel that the eyes begin to water after only a few minutes. However,
with practice, your eyes will be able to continue the gaze for longer periods and you can practice
Trataka for up to twenty minutes or so.
Benefits of Trataka
Shloka 2.32 of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika states "Trataka eradicates all eye diseases, fatigue and
sloth and closes the doorway to these problems". Some of the benefits associated with Trataka
are:
Improves eyesight and vision.
Improves concentration, intelligence and memory.
Excellent method as preparation for mantra meditation.
Enhances self-confidence, patience and willpower.
Develops greater work efficiency and productivity.
Calms the mind and provides inner peace and silence.
Brings greater clarity in mind and improves decision-making ability.
Helps to overcome mental, behavioral and emotional ailments.
Provides stress relief and deep relaxation.
Deepens the sleep and cures sleep related disorders such as headache, insomnia,
nightmares, etc.
According to Gherand Samhita (shloka 5.54), Trataka promotes clairvoyance or perception
of subtle manifestations.
Tips for Trataka Concentration
Trataka is best practiced on an empty stomach during early-morning hours or late evening
hours just before going to bed. If you practice it during the daytime, make sure that the
room is dark so that focusing on the flame is easier.
Try getting a decent sized flame by adjusting the size of the wick. It will help in achieving
a better after-image of the flame and it will be easier to visualize it with improved
concentration.
Do not strain your eyes while gazing on the flame. The eyes adjust naturally in due course
of time and it becomes easier to concentrate and gaze on the flame for longer periods of
time.
As I mentioned earlier, because Trataka develops deep focus and concentration, it is used
as a very effective pre-meditation stage. At the end of the Trataka routine, you may
continue with your own mantra meditation.
Tratak
OUR MIND I S ALWAYS OCCUPIED WITH THE INCESSANT FLOW OF THOUGHTS. IT IS
ALWAYS IN A STATE OF DISTURBANCE, AND HAS A HABITUAL TENDENCY FOR
DISTRACTI ON. THIS LEAVES US FEELING SO MUCH FRAGMENTED THAT WE FIND
OURSELVES SCATTERED IN ALL DI RECTIONS. I T IS NO EXAGGERATI ON THEN, TO SAY
THAT OUR MIND CANNOT STAY STILL FOR LONGER THAN A FEW MOMENTS, WHICH
EVENTUALLY RESULTS IN LACK OF CONCENTRATION AND LOSS OF MEMORY. WE ARE
UNABLE TO GRASP AND FOCUS I N THE PRESENT MOMENT.
Now, how do we enhance our power of concentrati on and
strengthen our memory? A uni que medi tati on techni que
cal l ed Tratak i s an answer to thi s. It has many benefi ts. Tratak not
onl y bri ngs an end to the mi nd s di stracti ons but al so enhances the
abi l i ty to concentrate. It i ncreases the power of memory and bri ngs
the mi nd i n a state of awareness, attenti on and focus. Tratak i s an
i deal medi tati on techni que for peopl e of al l age groups, especi al l y
for students who need to concentrate on studi es. Ol der peopl e who
often tend to forget every now and then can greatl y benefi t from
thi s techni que. As a resul t of i ts conti nuous practi ce, you wi l l
wi tness an i mmense ri se i n your confi dence l evel , stabi l i ty i n your
thoughts, and an abi l i ty t o focus on whatever task you undertake.
Method
Li ght a candl e (or di ya) i n your medi tati on room or wherever you are comfortabl e, three to four feet
i n front of you. Si t i n front of i t. Remember, the fl ame shoul d be at the l evel of your eyes so that
you can see strai ght at i t wi thout bei ng uncomfortabl e.

Posture
Thi s i s the most essenti al part of any medi tati on techni que. Keep your spi ne erect so that i nner
energy can fl ow easi l y through the subtl e channel s of the body and render t ranqui l i ty to the
restl ess mi nd.
Si t wi th your l egs crossed or i n Padmasana. Si t graceful l y, wi th poi se.

Determination
You can deri ve maxi mum benefi t from thi s medi tati on techni que onl y when you are determi ned to
practi ce i t. Keep your gaze fi xed at the fl ame wi thout bei ng di stracted wi th the outer di sturbances
or thoughts.
Never gi ve up! And do not move your body whi l e you medi tate.

Stage 1
Thi s powerful techni que of medi tati on i s based on fi xi ng one s gaze at the fl ame of a candl e or
di ya. The fl ame shoul d burn steadi l y and i t wi l l do so onl y when we cal m the ai r around i t.
Begi n wi th sl ow and deep breathi ng. As you i nhal e, l et the stomach expand, and breathe out wi th
compl ete contracti on. Whi l e you breathe i n thi s manner, keep a steady gaze at the fl ame.
Keep your eyes focused. Gaze at the fl ame, not the wi ck or the candl e or the di ya; j ust the fl ame.
Let your vi si on be at the f l ame. If thoughts ari se, si mpl y i gnore them; do not struggl e to remove
them. It i s i mportant to be wakeful and vi gi l ant.
Stage 2
Imagi ne the fl ame i s enteri ng your body through your eyes and i l l umi nati ng your i nner bei ng. At
thi s stage, i t i s good to l et the eyes cl ose wi th ease. Now, try to i magi ne the same fl ame wi th
cl osed eyes as you were seei ng i t wi th open eyes. If you are abl e to practi ce tratak wi thout bl i nki ng
your eye, i t wi l l be easy f or you to see the fl ame wi th cl osed eyes.
If you are not yet abl e to experi ence the spreadi ng i l l umi nati on of the fl ame, open your eyes agai n,
do tratak (fi x your gaze at the burni ng fl ame), and then shut them. Gradual l y you wi l l fi nd that your
gaze has grown more peaceful and tranqui l .
Once you are establ i shed wi thi n, watch yoursel f separate from thi s body, and be di stant from your
mi nd. Thi s di stance wi l l el i mi nate the cl utter from the mi nd and mvake i t si l ent, peaceful , and
tranqui l .
Tratak i s a gui ded medi tati on techni que whi ch can hel p you i mprove your concentrati on, memory
and i ntel l i gence. Studi es have shown that Tratak medi tati on can si gni fi cantl y benefi t i n the
fol l owi ng ways:
Increases concentrati on, memory, and mental power.
Devel ops the confi dence, i ntel l i gence, and pati ence.
Increases work effi ci ency.
Improves moti vati onal power and foresi ght.
Strengthens the wi l l power and deci si on maki ng abi l i ty.
Hel ps i n getti ng ri d of many mental , emoti onal , and physi cal ai l ments and di s eases.
Reduces stress and tensi on.
Leads to Heal thy and Bal anced l i vi ng.
It i s onl y when we l earn t o medi tate that we l earn t o l i ve l i fe meani ngful l y. Medi tati on i s an
experi ence i n i tsel f whi ch enhances the qual i ty of l i fe and hel ps one di scover the exube rant i nner
bl i ss.
Wi th mounti ng pressures and endl ess pursui t to achi eve l ofty ambi ti ons, we go on runni ng
ti rel essl y. Ami dst al l thi s chaos, take a deep breath and expl ore the benefi t s of Tratak medi tati on,
an i deal medi tati on techni que for peopl e of al l age groups.
It i s hi ghl y recommended for students and worki ng professi onal s for greater effi ci ency.
When to practi ce?
Thi s techni que i s best done duri ng the earl y hours of the morni ng, or i n the ni ght when i t i s natural
dark. The i dea i s to l et the fl ame of candl e/di ya el i mi nate the darkness of i gnorance whi ch i s
rooted deep i n the mi nd. If you are doi ng i t duri ng dayti me then practi ce i t i n a dark room.
Tratak with Sublime Music
In order to faci l i tate the seeker, the medi tati on techni que,
Tratak -A Di vi ne Gaze i s avai l abl e i n the form of Audi o CD and Audi o Cassette. Desi gned and
devel oped by Anandmurti Gurumaa, thi s techni que i s hi ghl y apt for students, professi onal s, and
anyone wi th short memory.
Thi s techni que coupl ed wi th the musi c whi ch paves the way to medi tate wi th ease and be i n a state
of sheer thoughtl essness. Because i t i s onl y when t he mi nd i s at rest and sti l l ed, i t can be more
focused and rel axed.

Benefits of Trataka
Shloka 2.32 of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika states Trataka eradicates all eye diseases,
fatigue and sloth and closes the doorway to these problems. Some of the benefits
associated with Trataka are:
Improves eyesight and vision.
Improves concentration, intelligence and memory.
Excellent method as preparation for mantra meditation.
Enhances self-confidence, patience and willpower.
Develops greater work efficiency and productivity.
Calms the mind and provides inner peace and silence.
Brings greater clarity in mind and improves decision-making ability.
Helps to overcome mental, behavioral and emotional ailments.
Provides stress relief and deep relaxation.
Deepens the sleep and cures sleep related disorders such as headache, insomnia,
nightmares, etc.
According to Gherand Samhita (shloka 5.54), Trataka promotes clairvoyance or
perception of subtle manifestations.
Tips for Trataka Concentration
Trataka is best practiced on an empty stomach during early-morning hours or late
evening hours just before going to bed. If you practice it during the daytime, make sure
that the room is dark so that focusing on the flame is easier.
Try getting a decent sized flame by adjusting the size of the wick. It will help in
achieving a better after-image of the flame and it will be easier to visualize it with
improved concentration.
Do not strain your eyes while gazing on the flame. The eyes adjust naturally in due
course of time and it becomes easier to concentrate and gaze on the flame for longer
periods of time.
As I mentioned earlier, because Trataka develops deep focus and concentration, it is
used as a very effective pre-meditation stage. At the end of the Trataka routine, you
may continue with your own mantra meditation.
source
This technique was used by the ancients priestesses in Egypt, gazing into a bowl of still-
water. Other cultures gaze at the full moon.
Two divisions of Trataka are offered Bahiranga outer gazing and Antranga inward gaze.
The technique of outer gazing further develops your spiritual powers.
The physical side effects are an improvement or correction for short sightedness.
It has the wonderful effect of calming your mind, removing anxiety, by bringing a stilling
of the mind so that a wondrous relaxation steals over your whole body.
Shanti Gowans in her book Calm the Mind tells us This training in one pointedness of
the mind is the first step in learning not to cling. The goal of meditation is to free
awareness from its identification with your Trataka And The Amazing Benefits Of
Candle Gazing | In5D.comsenses and thoughts.So freed your awareness, permeates
every thing but clings to nothing. Sooo practice one-pointedness (Trataka gazing)and
the exclusion of all other considerations, even when these considerations happen to be
enticing.
Shanti also says The eyes are doorways to the mind,and intimately related to it. when
the eyes are fixed and unmoving, th e mind also becomes the same and the thinking
process automatically ceases as concentration increases and deepens.
How does it work?
Sit with a straight spine, position the candle close to you. ( If you are teaching in a class
sit students in a circle around the candle level with their gaze.Students with contact
lenses need to close their eyes after about 20 seconds. So a s not to burn the retina
through the lens.)
As the candle flame stills so will your breath and mind. Gaze for a few minutes at the
flame, at the golden glow above the wick.Rest your eyes on the golden white light,now
blow out the flame, close your eyes and await the image that will appear on the inside of
your eyelids. do not worry if nothing appears, sit with the no image, the blank screen
of your mind.
We are not all visual people, but practising this technique will improve that sense.After a
while the image will fail.
To lift this technique to another level.
Take your mind back to the time when the candle was newly lit. See it again in your
minds eye. The candle, the black wick, the brilliant golden white light surrounded by a
subtle halo or aura. Picture this halo as expanding, your soft breathing is feeding the
expansion so now your point of focus is the candle flame. Hold this until it fades. Slowly
come back into the room. Calm and Blessed. Peace.
Tratak - Discover the Ancient Yogic
Concentration Meditation for Achieving
Sharper Memory, Outstanding
Concentration & Blissfulness in Life!
Tratak is an excellent meditation technique to improve concentration and strengthen
memory. It helps to bring the distracted mind towards a state of one-pointedness.

A continuous flow of thoughts goes on in our mind at all times. Our mind has the tendency
to get distracted. This makes us feel scattered in different directions and we lack a feeling
of integrity.

This inability of our mind to stay still at one point for even a few moments results in a lack
of concentration. This also leads to a lower than optimal memory.

Students can highly benefit through the practice of Tratak as it significantly improves the
level of concentration and retention of knowledge. Old people can enjoy a sharper
memory.

Its regular practice improves confidence levels, leads to greater stability in thoughts and
improves your ability to focus. Memory retention also improves and your ability to be
aware, attentive and focused increases.
Concentration Meditation Technique of Tratak
1) Light a candle or an earthen lamp on a small table. Place it around 3 to 4 feet in front of
you and sit in a comfortable posture looking at the direction of the candle. Make sure that
the flame is at the level of your eyes.

It is important that the flame burns steadily during the concentration meditation. So, make
sure that the air around is calm and there is no breeze around of any kind.

2) You can sit in any meditation posture which is comfortable. You can also sit on a chair to
practice this concentration meditation. Make sure to keep your spine erect as that helps in
better concentration and focus.

3) Take a few deep breaths to relax yourself and anchor your self in the present moment.
Now, gaze at the flame and keep your gaze on it without getting distracted towards outer
disturbances and thoughts.

Keep your vision focused and steady on the flame without blinking, for as long as it is
comfortable to you. Try to avoid any kind of body movement during the concentration
meditation.

4) Keep your gaze anchored on the flame, and not the candle or wick. When thoughts arise,
ignore them and maintain your awareness and concentration on the flame. Do not blink
while you are gazing at the flame.

5) Continue to gaze at the flame till the point where you cannot keep your eyes open and
tears start flowing out of your eyes. Once this happens, you can close your eyes and start
visualizing the after-image of the flame with closed eyes - at the point between the
eyebrows at the center of the forehead (the third eye).

6) The depth and level of your concentration will determine how clear the after-image is. If
you cannot visualize the after image of the flame with closed eyes, or it wavers or looses
clarity, then re-apply your concentration to restore the position of the after-image.

When the image begins to fade out completely, you can open your eyes and you can repeat
the gazing on the flame again.

7) You can begin with Tratak concentration meditation from 5 to 10 minutes initially up to
20 minutes. Advanced meditators can practice for longer durations.
Benefits of Tratak Concentration Meditation Practice
-- improves concentration, intelligence and memory.

-- enhances self-confidence, patience and willpower.

-- develops greater work efficiency and productivity.

-- calms the mind and provides inner peace and silence.

-- brings greater clarity in mind and improves decision-making ability.

-- improves the eyesight and vision.

-- helps to overcome mental, behavioral and emotional ailments.

-- provides stress relief and deep relaxation.

-- deepens the sleep and cures sleep related disorders such as insomnia, nightmares, etc.
Tips for Tratak Concentration Meditation
1) The concentration meditation technique of Tratak is best practised during early-morning
hours or night hours. If you practice it during the daytime, then make sure that the room is
dark, so that focusing on the flame is easier.

2) Try getting a decent sized flame by adjusting the size of the wick. It shall help in
achieving a better after-image of the flame and it will be easier to visualize it with
improved concentration.

3) Do not strain your eyes while gazing on the flame. The eyes adjust naturally in due
course of time and it becomes easier to concentrate and gaze on the flame for longer
periods of time.
Benefits of Trataka
Shloka 2.32 of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika states "Trataka eradicates all eye diseases, fatigue and sloth and
closes the doorway to these problems". Some of the benefits associated with Trataka are:
Improves eyesight and vision.
Improves concentration, intelligence and memory.
Excellent method as preparation for mantra meditation.
Enhances self-confidence, patience and willpower.
Develops greater work efficiency and productivity.
Calms the mind and provides inner peace and silence.
Brings greater clarity in mind and improves decision-making ability.
Helps to overcome mental, behavioral and emotional ailments.
Provides stress relief and deep relaxation.
Deepens the sleep and cures sleep related disorders such as headache, insomnia, nightmares, etc.
According to Gherand Samhita (shloka 5.54), Trataka promotes clairvoyance or perception of subtle
manifestations.

The wonders of Tratak

The wonders of Tratak
What does Tratak mean..
Tratak is one of the six types of hatha yoga, which works
wonder if practiced continuously at constant place and
time without a gap of single day. There are six types of
Hathayoga namely, Dhauti., Vasti., Neti., Nauli., Tratak
& Kapalbhati.
Tratak literally means constant Gazing at particular thing
without blinking the eyes .We can perform tratak on
photograph of Guruji, beloved Deity or on desired object
according to our choice and taste.
What are benefits of practicing Tratak..
It provides us, gigantic will power, self-confidence , and
different supernormal powers. Telepathy, mesmerism,
foresight, magnetic personality are some of the entities
that a seeker develops by practicing Tratak.
How does Tratak work..
There are on-going thoughts that occur continuously in our
brain. A large fraction of our energy is wasted because of
these ongoing thoughts. By practicing Tratak, we develop
a perfect control over these unwanted thoughts and hence
we conserve a greater part of our energy from being
wasted. Later, we can use our conserved energy to do any
of our desired work successfully. While we practice Tratak,
we try to concentrate our mind at a point and the point of
concentration is the point/object upon which we gaze or
contemplate.
There are several mind present in subtle form in each and
every cell of our body. Tratak concentrates every subtle
mind to a Gross equivalent Mind and helps in focussing
our thought to a particular point of interest. It is said that
the Pran (divine vital force) lies in Muladhar chakra or
Swadhisthann chakra in the worldly people. These people
are passionate and are easily excited or we can say they
easily fell a prey of passion as the opportunity knocks. The
Pran is lifted up from the Muladhar Kendra to Agnya
Chakra with regular practice of Tratak. In this article, I
shall elaborate the three types of Tratak , how to perform
them and the ultimate blessings that we receive by
practicing them regularly.
What are the Types of Tratak..
Now, let me explain well. There are three types of Tratak
known as Inner Tratak, Middle Tratak and Outer Tratak.
1.) Inner Tratak:- It involves gazing continuously at mental
picture or an object or concentrating our mind at any of the
seven chakra ( in beginning we concentrate on Agnya
chakra, the point slightly above and between two
eyebrows). With regular practice we try to visualize an
object of our interest and the same picture is then
retended in mind for long time as per our strength and
capacity. When we are able to retain a particular thought
for about an hour then we should try to elongate the time
duration of our practice with great care. Remember,
visualization has tremendous power. When we advance in
the practice of inner Tratak then, we can hold a single
thought for a long time and the visualization of mind
crystalizes and finally manifests in our real life. We can
attract health, wealth, prosperity, respect and much more
in our daily life by using visualization technique.
Advantages- It helps in building confidence, gaining
strong will power and intelligence, improves co centration
and the power of visualization. When we advance in the
practice, we can establish contact with our spirit guide and
seek their help. We develop power to hypnotise anyone.

2.) Middle Tratak:- In middle Tratak we gaze continuously
at the picture of a Deity or statue of God or Shivlinga
crystal for long time without blinking our eyes. In beginning
we may feel burning sensation in eyes and tears flow
within few minutes. Dont worry about . Its normal. We
should gaze continuously without blinking but when tears
start flowing from eyes then we should close the eyes wait
for sometimes and again start continuous gazing.
Note: object/image on which we fix our eyes should be
placed at the level of our eyes kept about 2-3 feet apart
from our body.
Advantages- We develop mental power to read others
mind. We achieve ultimate peace, We also develop
supernormal faculties such as foresight, hypnotic power,
wonderful memory.

3.) Outer Tratak:- Outer Tratak is done by continuously
gazing at sky, moon, star, tree, temple etc. It can be done
at any time of the day. Sometimes we should be calm and
move to open space. We should be alone and , we should
look at vast sky. We must stare at it with open eyes. We
have to think about the wonders of God..about the
almighty, who created this wonderful world, stars,
planets, living creatures and the vast universe. After
having divine thoughts in mind we have to be calm and
observe silence around us. Let the mind be free from
words, images or any further thoughts. This way we
should perform outer Tratak every day.
Advantages- We gain ultimate peace of mind, we get
inspiration to do wonders. Outer Tratak also provides
foresight.
Note:- Person suffering from eye problem should not
practice this. They must practice Jalneti for 3 months
before starting outer Tratak.
How to practice Tratak:-
1.) Sit on an Aasan in comfortable posture either in
sukhasan or kamlasan.
2.) Sit quiet, your back and neck must be straight.
3.) Choose any of the Tratak illustrated above and practice
daily with regularity at same place and time.
4.) Gradually, increase the time of Sadhana from 5 minutes
to about 45 minutes.
5.) Dont shake the body, loosen each part of your body.
The body must be steady and straight during Sadhana.
6.) Brahm muhurh (4a.m to 7 a.m) is the best time for
practicing Tratak. It bestows divine results very soon.
We must achieve peace of mind before starting Tratak for
wonderful and suitable result. Hence, practicing
Pranayama before starting Tratak is of great help and
contributes a lot to the Sadhna