Trataka - Concentration on a Point or Candle Flame

Technique: Sit in meditation pose in front of a candle. Place the candle about an arm’s length away from you with the wick of the candle at the same height as your chest. If the candle is placed too high, it can create tension at the eyebrow centre, or produce a burning sensation in the eyes. The flame should be still and not moving in a draft. Close your eyes. Mentally repeat your Mantra as in meditation. Open the eyes and look at the flame without blinking. The flame has three zones of colour. At the base of the wick is a reddish colour, in the middle it is bright white and at the tip it is slightly smoky. Concentrate on the upper part of the flame where it is brightest. Close the eyes again. If the image of the flame appears within, gently concentrate on that image without creating any tension. Try not to pursue or hold onto the image, otherwise it will fade and disappear. Repeat the practice 3 times. The practice time should gradually build. In the initial stage...