बिन्दु त्राटक
Bindu Trataka — Gazing at the Dot
bindu = point, drop — trataka on a still black point
All of trataka's stillness with none of the flame — a black dot on the wall, and you.
In the simplest words
Draw a black dot on paper, stick it on the wall at eye height, sit back, and look at it quietly without moving your eyes. When they're tired, close them — the dot glows inside! It's the candle game, but safe for daytime and for everyone.
What it is
Trataka needs a fixed point more than it needs fire: a filled black circle the size of a small coin, at eye level on a plain wall, serves the classical method completely. This is the form traditionally given to students who practise by daylight, and the form this site recommends outright to anyone with epilepsy or light-sensitivity, since it removes the flicker that a flame carries. The method is unchanged — soft unbroken gaze, tears allowed, then eyes closed on the after-image. Many practitioners keep a dot drawn inside their study cupboard door: concentration, one glance away.
Where it comes from: Classical trataka (Hatha Yoga Pradipika II.31–32) practised on a fixed point — the standard flameless form.
Before you practise — health first
Gentle for nearly everyone. Respect the same eye-comfort rules: no straining wide, stop at aching, remove drying contact lenses, and skip during active eye infection or soon after eye surgery.
How to practise
Make a filled black dot about 2 cm wide on white paper; fix it on the wall at seated eye level.
Sit an arm's length to a metre away, spine tall, body completely still.
Rest a soft, steady gaze on the dot, blinking as little as is comfortable.
After a minute or two, close the eyes and watch the after-image at the brow until it fades.
Two or three gazing rounds, then palm the eyes to finish.
Practise now
Practice timer
Finished sessions are added to your sadhana log — stored only on this device.
When & how long
Any hour — daylight suits it fully. Grow gazing time slowly, exactly as with the flame.
What it is kept for
Students before books; the safe trataka for epilepsy and light-sensitive eyes; offices where candles can't go.