Tratak Meditation

Tratak Meditation (Eye Gaze Meditation)

Tratak literally means to gaze on one object with continuous focus.Tratak is practiced as cleansing technique in classical hatha yoga whereas in tantra it is practice as form of dharana (concentration). Tratak practice is very powerful because it increases hypnotic power, focus mind and increase the awareness for higher spiritual awakening.

Instructions for Tratak meditation

• Sit in any comfortable meditative posture.

• Remove your glasses and wrist watches.

• Keep your spine neck and head straight.

• Collapse your shoulders.

• Close your eyes and adapt namaskar mudra.

• Maintain a smile on the face throughout the practice

• Calm down your mind and concentrate on your breath.

Preparatory eye exercises (Before starting Tratak)

• Open your eyes with few blinks.

• Gently move your eye balls up and down or vertically.

• Move your eyeballs left and right or horizontally.

• Move your eyeballs diagonally in both directions

• Gently move your eye balls clockwise and anti-clockwise

• All above steps should be done ten times.

• After every step rub your palms against each other, form a cup of your palms and cover your eyes.

• Gently give press and release with palms over eyes.

• Feel the different sensation after every round.

• Relax for few seconds after every round by closing eyes.

Tratak Meditation – Jyoti Dhyana

First place a candle at an arms length distance. The wick of the candle should be at the same level as your chest.

Stage 1- Focussing at Flame (30 seconds)

• Start looking from tip of the candle the base of the candle up to tip of the flame.

• Start gazing at the whole flame without any effort

• Do not blink your eyes. You may feel some irritation in eye but use your will power and keep gazing in a relaxed way.

• If tears appear allow them to flow. This is sign of good practice. Let the tears wash away impurities from the eyes.

• After 30 sec close your eyes and relax and do palming over the eyes.

Stage 2 – Intensive focussing at the tip of the wick of the flame (30 seconds)

• Start with stage 1 and start gazing at the wick of the candle , the small black chord this is a practice of focus and concentration.

• Keep on gazing with your will power , let the tears come out. Try not to blink your eyes

• By practice the gaze becomes steady. Gaze at the flame for 30 second.

• After 30 sec close your eyes and relax and do palming over the eyes.

NOTE: Gradually increase the duration of Stage 1 and 2 up to 60 second over a few weeks of practice.

Stage 3 – Defocusing

• Start with stage 1 and finish stage 2 .

• Slowly shift your vision to the flame of the candle.

• First fix your attention at the flame and gradually widen your vision.

• Start de focusing the gaze on the flame with expansive attention

• Collect all the details of the flame such as colour, shape, aura, etc.

• Observe the aura expanding more and more and see the small, light particles around the flame.

• After 1 minute of this de focusing slowly close our eyes and retain the image in your mind

• Visualise the flame between your eyebrows and collect all the details with lose eyes.

• When the image disappears, give palming to both eyes. This time with palming adapt Bhramari pranayama.

Stage 4 – Silence

• Feel the silence and relax for a while.

• Sit quiet for sometime and feel the deep comforting effect off the patience

• Be aware of the changes taking place inside you.

• Gently, exhale and bend down toward the floor and surrender to the amighty.

• Come back while you inhale.

Benefits of Tratak Meditation

PHYSICAL

• Keeps away the eyestrain

• Cleanses tear glands

• Purifies optical system

• Improves stamina of eye muscles

• Provides Deep relaxation to eye muscles

• Makes eyes radiant and bright

THERAPEUTIC

• Corrects errors of refractions

• Strengthens the ability of eye lens

• Balances nervous system

• Relieves nervous tension & anxiety

• Helps in insomnia and depression

SPIRITUAL

• Helps to develop intense concentration

• Improves memory

• Helps to develop strong will power

• Excellent preparation for meditation

LIMITATION

Epileptics should avoid gazing flickering candles. They can choose a steady object only. If you have insomnia this practice at night will make your mind too widely awakened and difficult to go to sleep. In case of tensional headache avoid this practice. It may aggravate pain.

Also check,

Healing Meditation: A Journey Into Wholeness and Inner Light