The Trataka Meditation to Elevate your Mind (Script and Description)
Trataka is a Sanskrit word meaning “to look” or “to stare”.
This term thus designates a meditation technique involving fixing a precise point, placing all our concentration there.
Most of the time this point will be the flame of a candle. This is how this meditation is traditionally practiced, and how we will practice it today.
Contents :
Discover this meditation in video format
What is the principle of trataka?
The effects of this meditation
Preparing for trataka meditation
Discover this meditation in video format
What is the principle of trataka?
Trataka is a practice quite similar to mindfulness meditation. The origins of the two practices intersect throughout the great history of Indian civilization. Trataka meditation also shares some roots with yoga, which also includes visual concentration exercises.
In its most solemn version, practicing trataka means sitting in a dark room in a temple where only the light of a candle shines... and staring at it for as long as possible. By watching the fire dance and calming our breathing, we might achieve second states that some describe as spiritual trances.
Among the five senses, sight is undoubtedly the most powerful. To perceive through touch or taste, we must be in contact with the object. To perceive a smell or sound, we must be close to the source of that smell or sound. Our sight goes beyond all these barriers.
The Hindus were not mistaken and developed a theory describing sight as the most sacred sense, the one allowing us to most easily get closer to the reality of things. When we observe a work of art, our sight transports us. When we walk in nature, it is our view that offers us the most beautiful landscapes.
Where our eyes stand out even more from the rest of our organs is in their unique connection to our minds. The connection between vision and the brain is documented by tons of scientific studies, but that's not what we're interested in here.
According to Indian tradition, trataka meditation acts directly on our third eye (also called “Ajna”), the chakra governing consciousness, intuition, perception of reality and the possibility of spiritual awakening.
Calm down, relax
thanks to meditation and its tools
The effects of this meditation
Through its unique form, trataka meditation provides unique benefits. Whether we are talking about mentality, posture or respiratory benefits, there is no shortage of virtues.
Even if you find the usual restful and soothing effects of spiritual meditations, this one takes on a radically particular character.
A potentiation of our brain functions…
Modern science has largely confirmed to us that, yes, our eyes and our breathing (two elements put into action in trataka) directly influence our brain activity. Around 80% of the sensory data our brain processes comes from our vision. Such a source of activity can only have a huge impact on it.
Without going into details, it has been proven that the “sensory calm” brought by trataka meditation allows certain areas of our cortex to rest which feel regenerated. Even more interesting, this practice would stimulate others linked to emotion regulation, memory and mental clarity.
Elements of this order have also been confirmed by studies carried out on elderly people who, after having practiced trataka, saw their results on cognitive tests improved!
Increased vital energy, new serenity and potentiated brain capacities. What more !
…and the development of new
The practice of trataka can thus improve our memory and our concentration, to name just these two things.
However, we all possess these qualities to a certain extent. We have also all heard of this or that technique (sometimes effective, sometimes not, but that's another debate) to improve them. Here again, trataka meditation will stand out greatly, in the sense that it will create new abilities point blank.
Through its extraordinary action on the third eye (some speak of an awakening, others of a regeneration), it will open new spiritual doors in us. Testimonies of clairvoyance, mediumship or even sensitivity to psychic energies have been noted.
Be skeptical or not, but the fact is that these testimonies are disturbing. (Be careful though, this will require regular practice.)
An ability to perceive reality
The image of work on our eyes capable of helping us to see better, even “spiritually”, is attractive. In any case, Hinduism and Buddhism (the two main Indian philosophies to promote trataka) seem to move in this direction.
As we said earlier, the third eye chakra is linked to intuition and the ability to perceive. Developing it can only help us see the world in its reality.
When you think about it, this ability is simply essential. If we are on a spiritual path, knowing how to discern truth from falsehood will prevent us from falling into traps... and therefore help us get closer to spiritual enlightenment/awakening. If we are simply an actor in this world, there again better answers will be available to us, in the sense that we will be able to perceive the real nature of the questions to which they will answer.
An improvement in our vision
Faced with the other virtues of trataka meditation that we have just cited, this one may seem somewhat trivial: yes, this practice could well sharpen our vision. By focusing your gaze on a specific point, you activate the muscles surrounding your eyes, making them more powerful.
In the same way that working on the breath during breathing exercises can improve our cardiovascular capabilities, vision can benefit from active practice.
To obtain this benefit, however, the trataka must be practiced correctly. Don't go too fast, build up your skills gradually by staying attentive to your body's signals and everything should be fine.
Preparing for trataka meditation
Trataka is an ancient meditation, and therefore quite codified.
Most sources tell us that the best time to practice it is at sunrise or sunset, and preferably on an empty stomach. However, the regularity of the practice will be more important than its precise timing.
As we said, you will have to fix a particular point. The flame of a candle will most often be used, but any fixed point will actually do the trick. If you experience too much sensitivity to light, it might even be a good idea to start with something less bright.
If you have chosen a flame, be careful not to stand too close to it, in which case it can dry out your eyes. Either way, contact lenses will need to be removed.
It will be difficult for a beginner to hold their gaze for more than a few seconds. The practice of trataka involves surpassing oneself, but be careful not to damage your eyes. Your ability to fix the flame will naturally increase with sessions, don't worry.
The different steps
These different stages are actually supposed to follow each other harmoniously, rather than being cut into separate parts.
After all, this guided meditation forms a whole constructed as a single work, a single tool capable of functioning in its uniqueness.
In video and audio, no distinction is made.
The following breakdown therefore has the sole purpose of helping you, a posteriori, to understand the modes of action implemented within the framework of this meditation.
Step #1: Preparing the trataka
Okay, we can get started.
As with any meditation, take a comfortable position, and take a few moments to relax your body.
So start staring at the center of the flame for a few moments.
Notice the muscles around your eyes. Are they tense?
If this is the case, relax them with a few massages, then try to fix the flame again.
The goal is to stare without blinking. However, if the need arises too much, blink, then return to the trataka.
Do this for a few moments, about half a minute.
Tears may begin to flow from your sustained gaze. This is nothing unusual.
It doesn't matter if you can only keep your eyes open for a few seconds at first, the important thing is that during these few minutes you observe this point as much as possible.
Try not to blink.
Step #2: Observe the afterimage in our mind
That's great, you've just done most of the work.
You can now close your eyes. You should see the afterimage of the candle you just stared at. This is completely normal.
Try moving the image of this flame a little above the center of your two eyebrows, where the third eye chakra is located. You might feel a little warm feeling there.
Focus on the image of the flame, exactly the way you focused on the actual candle.
Try to keep it as clear as possible in your mind.
The image will appear, disappear and reappear. Continue to observe it until it disappears completely.
Any thoughts may have crossed your mind during this exercise. This is not surprising. Just observe them and let them flow, let them go as simply as they came.
Step #3: Repeat previous steps of meditation
You have just completed a trataka cycle. This is already very good, but to potentiate the effects of meditation, we are going to do 3 more.
So open your eyes again, and stare at the flame for about 30 seconds.
Once again, try to maintain your gaze without blinking.
[…]
Now close your eyes.
See the flame in your mind, and move that energy to that point between your eyebrows and your forehead.
Keep this image in mind.
Ignore the thoughts.
[…]
Open your eyes again.
Observe the flame.
[…]
Close your eyes, and move the image of the flame.
Feel its warmth, which cleanses your thoughts.
[…]
Open your eyes.
Observe.
Close your eyes.
Step #4: End of meditation
Open your eyes. There you go, we have just completed the last cycle of trataka.
That's very good, you can be proud of yourself.
Give your eyes a few moments to recover. In other words, don't rush to a screen and avoid too intense sun.
Trataka is a wonderful tool capable of purifying our mind of many mental parasites, opening our perception to the sacred and developing our intuition.
These are the points, but many others too, that you have just worked on. Congratulations.
Other guided meditations in our series
Among the many objects that we offer to our community, we have notably collected some meditation tools.
Here is the collection in question, made up of objects from cultures from the four corners of the world but sharing the same goal: to help the practice of meditation or, quite simply, relaxation and relaxation.
In short, you will find singing bowls, various musical instruments, flags and decorations, reiki pendulums and even certain ingredients and crystals.
Here is also a collection of free books that may help you in your life. Between healthy eating, self-hypnosis, prayers and self-confidence, many themes are covered in our library which, once again, has been entirely open to you.
If you would like to discover our other meditations, here is the section of our blog which brings them all together.
Here too, we wanted to deal with the most varied themes possible (within the limits of our knowledge, of course).
If, however, you do not find what you are looking for there, do not hesitate to tell us by leaving a comment in the section at the end of one of the meditations: we will read it and try to take it into account in our future work. !
The history of trataka meditation
Yoga has six branches. The most popular (and undoubtedly the easiest to put into action) is called “hatha yoga”. In its literal translation, hatha yoga means “yoga of strength” or “yoga of power”. Without too much surprise, this branch includes most of the physical exercises of yoga, such as its famous gymnastics, its stretching… but also the practice of trataka.
More specifically, trataka is part of the subcategory of hatha yoga known as “Shatakarma” (or “six techniques”), a set of six techniques aimed at purifying the mind and, more particularly, its presumed center in Hindu tradition: the third eye. Both physically and spiritually, Shatakarma is seen in India as the traditional science of vision.
Interestingly, this idea of a mental purification made possible by a purification of vision is found in many philosophies in many places around the world.
In Japanese Zen, for example, the gaze is crucial in certain meditations, where the practitioner must stare at the ground with half-closed eyes.
In Sufism (an esoteric school of Islam), the so-called muraqaba meditation involves remaining still while fixating on a single point.
In Tibet, certain spiritual practices encourage staring at the sky for as long as possible.
