Trataka — Fixed Gazing Meditation
Trataka (fixed gazing) is the Tantric practice of concentrating the gaze on a single object — candle flame, yantra, or the guru's eyes — until thought dissolves into one-pointed awareness.
Trataka (Sanskrit: 'to gaze') is one of the six shatkarmas (cleansing practices) of Hatha Yoga and a primary meditation tool of the Tantric tradition. The practice involves fixing the gaze without blinking on a single object — traditionally a candle flame, the Shiva Lingam, a yantra, or the space between the eyebrows — until tears flow and the gaze is then transferred to the internal image retained in the mind's eye. Trataka works through multiple mechanisms: it activates the Ajna chakra (third eye) through the concentrated gaze at the eyebrow center; it develops one-pointed concentration (dharana) by giving the wandering mind a single anchor; it opens the third eye capacity for inner vision; and it purifies the eyes and the optical nerve through the concentrated gaze and subsequent tearing. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika prescribes Trataka for eye diseases, poor concentration, and all disorders of the mind.
Fix the gaze on one point until thought ceases and awareness alone remains — this is Trataka, the king of concentration practices.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika lists Trataka among the six shatkarmas and prescribes steady, unblinking gazing until tears flow, both to steady the wandering mind and to cleanse the eyes.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
Written about in
- What Tantra says about habit and discipline
Trataka is unblinking gaze at a flame, a lingam or a yantra until tears come, then holding the after-image inwardly. It is the rare tantric practice with an unmistakable endpoint — you know whether you did it — which is precisely what a wavering habit needs.