There are so many types of meditation and so many ways to practice this technique; it seems that there are always new ways that one can benefit from meditating and there is a practice for everyone.
One of these is a candle gazing meditation which is known to be one of the most effective meditation techniques and there are certainly many benefits of candle gazing meditation.
In this article, we are going to be taking a closer look at this meditation technique and showing you how you can use the power of a flame to calm your mind and make you feel so much better.
What Is Trataka Meditation?
Trataka is a word that comes from the Sanskrit language which is used in things like hatha yoga and other practices. Unlike other types of meditation practice that require you to close your eyes and focus on inside the mind, Trataka meditation has the practitioner focus on the flame of a candle.
There is a lot of evidence to show that any meditation practice will benefit the body and mind and if you already love spending time in a room filled with candlelight, then this could be a good option for you.
One of the great benefits of Tratahe is that you don’t have to focus your attention on a candle flame, if you prefer, you can use a dot on the wall or any other object where you can hold your gaze. It’s just that most people find a candle to be the best type of focal point.
What Are The Benefits Of Trakata Meditation?
There are a number of benefits of Trataka candle meditation and it is important that you make sure that you are aware of these so that you know why you are taking part in this candle gazing meditation. Let’s explore some of the great things that you will experience when including this incredible sort of meditation in your day to day life.
1. Improves Concentration And Your Memory
One of the great benefits of a candle gazing practice is that as your keep your gaze on the flame, this can drastically improve your concentration levels, something that many people struggle with.
During your practice, you will encourage yourself to put your thoughts to one side and focus your mind and your gaze on the flame. Thoughts are natural but we can train ourselves to simply observe these thoughts rather than interact with them and candle gazing meditation is an excellent way to do this.
This improved concentration and training the thinking process in the brain will leave you with an improvement in your memory when you work with candles over time. Not to mention the self-discipline that you will develop.
2. Better Eyesight
There is some suggestion that using candles and focusing on their image can serve as a way to improve your sight. There is no denying that over our life, and as we get older, our eyes begin to weaken and the sight is affected.
However, those that practise this type of mono focus meditation have been noted to have better sight than those who do not do a regular meditation with candles.
3. Relaxation
It is common knowledge that meditating, whether with the light of candles of any of the other techniques can bring about a feeling of peace and more energy. However, some of the greatest things about Trataka meditation are the sense of inner peace and comfort that you will experience which is intense and can have a dramatic effect on your life.
During your day to day life, you may find that you are unable to shut down your mind and place your attention on yourself. This can mean that a lot of us experience anxiety as a result of the constant chatter of thoughts in the mind.
However, there is enough evidence to show how meditation affects the cerebral cortex and that includes Tratake meditation. You will not only notice that as you enter this meditative state, your stress levels decrease but after you have taken your gaze away from the candles, you have much more energy and feel renewed. You might even notice that this improves your self-confidence.
The Bonus Advantage Of Using A Meditation Candle
As you place your attention and focus your gaze on the light from the candle’s flame, there is a lot more going on inside your body and mind. This meditation state can have an intense healing effect on your third eye – or Ajna, the chakra that is located in the center of the forehead.
This chakra is known to help you be more intuitive and receptive. It is known to be a slightly difficult chakra to open but the energy levels within it can be easily improved through a meditation session such as this.
You can balance and cleanse this chakra and all of the others using methods such as certain hatha yoga poses and with healing stones. However, if yoga and stones are not for you, then Trataka candle method might work well.
As you keep your gaze and your mind focussed on the light of the flame, there is enough evidence to suggest that a lot is going on in the brain. Incredibly, scientists have now noted that the image of the flame can stimulate the production of certain hormones in the pineal gland. In Ayurvedic medicine, this stimulation is thought to open, cleanse, and balance the third eye chakra. And we think that is pretty amazing!
Conclusion
There are many types of meditation and a popular session is the candle meditation. This involves practitioners placing their awareness on a flame. However, if you prefer not to use a flame, you can concentrate on another object or point in the room.
It is important to do this type of meditation somewhere that you won’t have any distractions. Look at the candle and when you feel the eyes becoming tired, you can close them and hold your attention on the after image in your mind.
You will notice many advantages to this type of technique including greater concentration, lower anxiety which leads to inner peace, and improved energy levels throughout the day. You will also notice that this is a very effective technique for opening the third eye chakra and there is now scientific evidence to show the benefits of this.
This is a very easy kind of meditation to begin since it does not require anything but a simple candle and some of your time.
How To Do A Candle Gazing Meditation
Getting started with a candle meditation like this is easy and requires nothing more than a quiet room, a candle, and your awareness.
To begin your candle gazing meditation, find a room where you will not be disturbed and there will not be any distractions; and light your candle. You can do this with the eyes open. Sit comfortably and focus your attention on the flickering flame. Keep your awareness on the candle flame without moving the eyes or blinking. This can take some getting used to but when you feel your eyes getting tired or watery, you should close your eyes and focus your awareness on the after image of the candle in your mind.
Once you feel that the eyes are ready, you can open them again and focus once again on the candle flame. At first, you will likely find that the eyes struggle to focus on the candle for more than a few seconds at a time and this is totally normal as your body gets used to it. Over time, you will become used to candle gazing and notice an improved concentration. It can also help to have the candle at eye-level so that you are comfortable while you take part in the practice.
Some people become so good at this candle gazing meditation that when they get more accustomed to it, it is something that they are able to do when closing the eyes and can practice on keeping their awareness on an image of a candle in their mind.
A Warning About The Eyes
When you place your candle at eye level and focus on the flame, this can be a strain on your eyes and the eye muscles when trying to keep the eyes open for longer periods of time. For this reason, many experts suggest that you take a break from doing the technique regularly. It is recommended that you make sure that you give yourself a two week break at least every two months.
Taking this break is a good way to ensure that no damage is done to the eyesight from the light of the flame which could serve as a way to hurt the retinas.
