त्राटक
Trataka — Candle Gazing
trāṭaka = to gaze steadily
One flame, one gaze — the ancient practice of steadying the mind through the eyes.
In the simplest words
Look quietly at a candle flame without moving your eyes, like the flame is a tiny golden bird you don't want to scare away. When your eyes get tired, close them — you'll still see the flame glowing inside! Watch that inside-flame until it melts away.
What it is
Set a single flame at eye level in a dark, still room and simply look at it — softly, steadily, blinking as little as comfortable — then close the eyes and watch the flame's after-image glow at the brow until it fades. That is trataka, one of hatha yoga's six purifications (shatkarma). The eyes and the attention are so tightly wired together that steadying one steadies the other: when the gaze stops wandering, thought has nowhere to ride. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika promises cleansed vision and a still mind, and of all the shatkarmas this is the one every household can do tonight with one diya or candle.
Where it comes from: Classical hatha yoga — one of the six shatkarmas (Hatha Yoga Pradipika II.31–32); practised with a lamp across Indian traditions.
Before you practise — health first
Skip trataka if you have epilepsy or light-triggered seizures (a flickering flame can trigger them — gaze at a black dot instead), glaucoma or recent eye surgery. Remove contact lenses if eyes dry out. Never gaze at the sun. Stop when the eyes ache — watering is normal, pain is not. Keep the flame away from curtains and children.
How to practise
After dark, sit in a quiet room with no draught. Place a steady candle or diya at eye level, about an arm's length (50–75 cm) away.
Sit tall and let the body become completely still. Take three slow breaths.
Rest your gaze on the brightest part of the flame, where the gold meets the blue at the wick.
Gaze softly, blinking as little as is comfortable — never forcing the eyes wide. If tears come, let them; the texts count them as the cleansing.
When the eyes tire (a minute or two at first), close them gently.
Watch the flame's after-image at the space between the eyebrows. Hold it quietly until it dissolves.
Repeat the gaze once or twice more if you wish, then rub the palms warm and cup them over closed eyes to finish.
Practise now
The flame
This animated diya is for learning the method. Trataka itself is practised with a real flame in a dark, still room — light one when you are ready.
When & how long
Begin with 1–2 minutes of gazing and grow slowly over weeks toward 5–10. Late evening suits it best. Our animated flame below is for learning the method — the real practice is a real flame.
What it is kept for
The tradition's own practice for concentration and memory — students before study, japa practitioners before the mala, anyone whose attention scatters.