What is Trataka?

निमेषोन्मेषकं त्यक्त्वा सूक्ष्मलक्ष्यं निरीक्षयेत् । पतन्ति यावद्श्रूणि त्राटकं प्रोच्यते बचधैः ।53।। एवमभ्यासयोगेन शाम्भवी जायते ध्रुवम् । नेत्ररोगा विनश्यन्ति दिव्यदृष्टिः प्रजायते ।54।।

Translation: Stopping Nimesha-Unmesha (the closing and opening of the eyelids) and gazing steadily at a subtle point until tears begin to flow is called Trataka. Its practice leads to the state of Shambhavi Mudra. By removing defects of eyesight, divine vision is attained. 53–54.

Method: Sit in a meditative posture to achieve physical stability. The back and neck should remain in a straight line. Sitting in this position, light a candle or a lamp and place it about a metre and a half away, directly in front of your eyes. Close your eyes and become aware of your whole body. Let the whole body become like a statue. Now open your eyes and gaze steadily at the flame, into the very heart of the flame. Simply look at the flame and forget everything else.

The main effort in trataka is not blinking the eyelids. Do as much as you can voluntarily, without causing any strain, for thirty to forty seconds, up to two or three minutes. When the eyes start to become irritated and the tear glands tire and begin to release tears, close them and keep them closed until you see the reflection of light against the clear sky of your inner vision. At first, if you don't see this reflection, don't worry. Simply keep thinking of the flame. If any thought arises in the mind, let it arise. Observe your thoughts from the position of a witness. These are the two essential conditions of Sukshma Trataka. Keep your eyes closed until the tiredness passes and you are able to continue looking at the light. Open your eyes and repeat the exercise following the method described above. When you wish to end the practice, close your eyes and continue gazing at the darkness in front of your closed eyes. Practise this for a few minutes, then open your eyes and put out the candle. Trataka should not be practised while wearing glasses.

If our aim in practising trataka is only the physical body, we should not do it for longer than five minutes. This duration depends on the individual and on the Guru's instructions. Five minutes of practice is enough to remove any defect of eyesight. To go further, for the subtle and pranic bodies, the guidance of a Guru is necessary. The best time for this practice is morning or evening.

Benefits: Trataka has a beneficial effect on three levels. First, "Netraroga Vinashyanti" — it removes defects of eyesight. This is trataka's physical benefit. Second, "Divya Drishti Prajayate" — divine vision arises. This is its divine benefit. Third, "Shambhavi Jayate Dhruvam" — the attainment of Shambhavi Siddhi. This is its spiritual benefit.

By keeping the gaze fixed during the practice of trataka, you can make your mind stable and free of stress. Through this concentration of the mind, the pineal gland opens and a higher state is attained. Trataka is a simple way to increase memory capacity. Trataka builds self-confidence. It affects the brainwaves — the waves connected with our physical, mental, and emotional excitement — their rhythm gradually begins to adjust, and the frequency of their vibration begins to drop. This awareness frees the mind from thought and disturbance; it removes the disturbances caused by emotion. We reach a state free of emotional disturbance. In this way, by calming every dimension of inner agitation, this practice grants alertness and strength.

From Muladhara to Ajna Chakra, the Ida and Pingala nadis cross at every chakra, but unite at Ajna Chakra. This means that feeling begins at Ajna Chakra. "I" and "he" become one. With the awakening of Ajna Chakra (the sixth chakra — the third-eye chakra), the dormant layers of the mind are stirred. As these dormant areas awaken, the distinction between what is conscious, what is subconscious, and what is unconscious begins to dissolve. This shift takes place at the level of Ajna Chakra. Understanding, illumination, and mental awakening occur at the level of Ajna Chakra. This state of awakening must be given direction, and this is achieved through the practice of trataka. The sixth practice of hatha yoga is trataka, a way of achieving optimal concentration of attention and mind.

We can therefore say that the first three practices — neti, dhauti, and basti (practices of Niyama — Shaucha) — purify the physical structure, preparing it for the awakening of the subtle energies in the body. The fourth practice, nauli, stimulates the source of energy and brings balance to the entire pranic body, the pranamaya kosha. The fifth practice, kapalbhati, is a way of clearing the mind, the subtle body, and the pranic body of impurities and of the accumulation of samskaras and impressions that clutter the mind. The sixth practice, trataka, is a technique of Dharana that focuses the mind on a single point or a single object of concentration.

When the physical body and the subtle body are loosened and relaxed, and the pranic body is controlled through pranayama, we move into a state of concentration through the practice of trataka. Trataka means "to see", "to gaze". Visual perception is the most powerful sense, the most powerful sense organ, in the manifest material world. The reach of sight (not of the eyes) extends beyond physical dimensions. One can see for many miles, perceive what is happening many miles away, without actually being there. The visual distractions that affect our concentration and awareness must be minimised, and this is achieved through the practice of trataka, steady gazing.

Hatha yoga texts describe many forms of trataka, of which the simplest and most commonly used is gazing at a candle flame. Other forms of trataka can be practised using different objects of concentration, such as a yantra, a chakra, or a mandala. Various objects from nature can also be used, such as the moon, a star, a flower, a leaf, or a point. Through the practice of trataka, one can develop the ability to focus the mind at any moment, which is essential for the higher practices of yoga.

There is also a very profound meaning behind the practice of trataka. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali explain that even in the highest state of meditation, or samadhi, certain impressions, ideas, or experiences remain in the consciousness and thereby disturb the concentration of the mind. These deep impressions or ideas, which do not disappear even in samadhi, are known as pratyaya. (PRATYAYA is a Sanskrit term referring to a person's conscious impressions, or the inner seeds that do not disappear even in the blissful state of samadhi. In Buddhism, the concept of pratyaya refers to causes, particularly of mental activity, and is divided into four types: hetu-pratyaya (the direct cause), samanantara-pratyaya (the immediately preceding cause), alambana-pratyaya (the object as cause), and adhipati-pratyaya (the predominant cause).)

When the mind has not been trained in concentration, and we have practised concentration only superficially and occasionally, then when these pratyaya manifest in deep meditative states, their pull is very powerful, because there is nothing on the other side of the mind to counterbalance them. The ability gained through the practice of trataka becomes useful at exactly this point. Once visual distraction is arrested, we are able to experience a stillness of mind like the surface of a lake without waves. The various forms of trataka, such as concentrating on the moon, a star, a candle flame, or a crystal, also help to focus and direct the pranic energies. When these energies are directed, it affects the entire subtle body. The mind becomes stable and balanced, and begins to function more efficiently.

When practising trataka, besides concentrating the mind, you must also be a witness to what is happening in the mind from moment to moment. Concentration of the mind is an outer act that we attempt to perform. We make ourselves sit straight and still, gazing until the eyes begin to water, and then we close our eyes and try to hold the image within. This is the effort of concentration, but beyond this effort there is an awareness trying to attune itself. It is precisely this awareness that allows us to hold on to this point of concentration and to witness what is happening in the mind. Ultimately, this is the result we are seeking in trataka.

— Piyush Mittal, Nirmala Institute of Yoga and Ayurveda

This text was written on the basis of my own practice and of the book Yoga Darshan: Vision of the Yoga Upanishads, by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati (link)