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Tratak: Meditate by staring into a candle flame.

January 15, 2015 By Monica Stone 2 Comments

During my yoga apprenticeship, I learned about a form of meditation called Tratak where you stare into the flame of a candle until your eyes start to water.

I know, it sounds like a scene out of A Clockwork Orange, but I promise that candle meditation isn’t a form of torture. It’s actually a form of meditation, and one I thoroughly enjoy!

This meditation technique is a form of tapas, which is a sanskrit word that means to heat and cleanse the body. Tapas helps us burn up all of the obstacles that stand in our way, and connects us to our divine consciousness. 

Here are a few benefits of staring into a candle flame: 

  • Tratak has been known to treat several eye disorders such as weak eyesight, and it improves the internal and external optic function.
  • It improves concentration and internal strength.
  • It helps in disconnecting and becoming unattached to the distractions of the external world and the monkey mind. 
  • It helps develop intuition as you focus on the third eye. 

tratak-yoga

I’ve rediscovered Tratak lately, and I’m excited to share it with you here.

There’s a little more to it to just staring at a candle until your eyes water. Check it out…

Here’s how to practice:

  1. Find a candle. If you want to get super traditional, find a candle made from ghee. However, any candle will work. 
  2. Sit in meditation pose in front of the candle. Sit about a foot away and make sure the candle is raised to eye level. No need to sit in lotus, but cross legged or any comfortable meditation posture will do. 
  3. Open the eyes and look at the flame without blinking. 
  4. As you look into the candle, think of a guru or deity. Think of a deity that has a quality you want to focus on and bring out from within. For example: Lakshmi is the goddess of spiritual wealth. Ganesha is the remover of obstacles. Shiva is the god of destruction. (Here’s a great book to help with deities if needed!)
  5. As you concentrate on the deity, continue to look into the fire and visualize the qualities within you.
  6. Become aware (but not distracted) of the visions, shapes, and concepts you see in the fire & what arises in your mind
  7. Once your eyes start to water and you absolutely have to blink, close the eyes for a few seconds. Focus on your eyebrow center.
  8. Repeat the practice 3 times.
  9. Then, lay in Savasana, close the eyes, and focus on the flame that you should still see in your eyebrow center. 

Tratak is one of my favorite forms of meditation because it allows me to open the mind in a different way, and work with the visualizations I see in the fire. The practice time should gradually build.

Your Homework: 

A. Find a candle that to practice Tratak with. Make sure it’s special and something that resonates with you. Create a spiritual connection and use that candle. I found these ghee candles on Amazon right now, which I think is frickin’ amazing that you can get ghee tealights.

B. Think about what you want to work on this month. Maybe take a night or two to journal about it. Come up with qualities that you want to bring out from within (abundance, confidence, strength). Research hindu deities that match those qualities, and choose a deitiy for the focus of one month. 

C. Practice Tratak twice a week for one month! Schedule in two days to practice before bed. I like Monday and Thursday!

Comment below & tell me what deity you choose and how it goes!

Filed Under: Instruction Tagged With: Meditation

Monica Stone

About Monica Stone

Monica is a lover of all things yoga, a vegetarian, an avid tea drinker, and never gets sick of soup and noodle dishes. She teaches yoga, practices daily, and runs a Spiritual Book Club in Orlando, FL. She likes to challenge the strict rules of yoga, and makes it accessible for everyone - especially people who suffer from daily life and work stress.

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Hi! I’m Monica

Monica StoneWell hello there! I'm Monica. I'm a yoga & meditation teacher (and junkie). I teach yoga practices that are quick and effective for the busy person who just needs a few minutes of quiet time in their day. Click around and you'll find quick meditation tips for calming the mind to simple stretches to relieve stress and tension. If you are sick of being intimidated by yoga or just confused by all of the different styles out there - then this page is for you. Yoga helps me daily & I know it will help you too! I'll show you how! Welcome to The Yogi Movement :)

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Testimonials

  • Jaime ShearerJaime ShearerYoga Student Since 2012

    Monica is dedicated to her own practice and the true path of yoga - the one of personal experience - which makes her an outstanding teacher. She is warm and easy to talk with, and she allows the student to have their own experience on the mat. She explains postures and breath in ways that are understandable so that the student "gets it." She makes yoga real and tangible in ways that truly serve the student. Work with Monica. You'll be glad you did.

  • Jacob AbercrombieJacob AbercrombieYoga Student Since 2011

    have always wanted to try yoga, but was always nervous. Monica took that fear away and made me feel like i was the only one in class with a room full of strangers. She is able to work with multiple students during the same move and still make it a personalized class for one.

  • Serena JonesSerena JonesYoga Student Since 2010

    Monica has been a highly influential teacher to me. She creates a safe environment for learning and practice. I have always felt grounded in her classes, and she pushes me beyond my own expectations. She inspires and motivates! I can't imagine my life without sharing a path with her!

  • Angela OrofinoAngela OrofinoYoga Student Since 2011

    Monica is a caring, wise, thoughtful, and talented yoga instructor. She has an in-depth knowledge of the philosophy and spirituality of Ashtanga yoga. My previous yoga experience had mostly just been at my local gym. Luckily, last year I found Monica. She has been guiding my practice at least once a week since then. As a newcomer to Ashtanga yoga, Monica made me feel comfortable and had the patience to teach me the basics. She also encouraged me to start an at home practice so that I was able to obtain a deeper understanding of Ashtanga. Monica is always encouraging and lets me know in subtle ways when she feels that I am ready to move deeper into my practice. I feel that the growth in my practice over the last year has been tremendous. Not only do I notice the change in me but others around me do as well. I am so grateful to have found Monica!

  • Sasha TamarSasha TamarYoga Student Since 2012

    I’ve come across many a yoga instructor over the years, but Monica stands out as genuinely amiable, as she glows with an infectious inner light, and highly devoted to and passionate about her practice. Her dedication to Ashtanga as a lifestyle is very clear, and creates for a contagious motivating force. Every time I’ve practiced with her, she eagerly transmits her devotion and passion of Ashtanga and meditation to everyone in class; she makes the most fledgling beginner feel at home, and simultaneously challenges the more advanced students. While I only practice Ashtanga with her, I know she provides therapeutic yoga sessions as well as meditation. And, if her methods of guiding students out of the Ashtanga vigor into the more meditative savasana are indicative of her meditational techniques, I’d recommend her to anyone

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