Gaze and Stillness

Trataka is an old yogic practice of steady gazing. It asks very little: one point, your eyes, and the decision not to fidget. For three to five minutes you let the flame or the point do the one thing you can’t do on purpose, which is hold your attention still. The urge to shift, scratch or check something will come in waves. Let each wave pass without obeying it.

The working

1. Choose a single small point across the room: a mark on the wall, a knot in the wood, or a candle flame at about eye level, an arm’s length or more away.
2. If you use a candle, set it on a steady, heatproof surface, away from curtains, paper and anything else that could catch, and stay with it until it’s out.
3. Sit still, upright and comfortable. Breathe slowly through the nose.
4. Rest your eyes on the point. Keep your gaze soft rather than staring hard, and blink when you need to.
5. When the urge to move or look away rises, let the slow breath through the nose break the circuit. Notice the urge, breathe, and stay with the point.
6. Continue for three to five minutes. If your eyes start to sting or water, close them, and you may see the flame’s afterimage. Rest your attention on that instead.

Closing

Close your eyes and cup your palms over them for a few breaths. Then look around the room slowly before you get up.