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Hatha Yoga - Tratak

A guided meditation for the Haṭha Yoga practice of Trataka, or candle-gazing.

"Now slowly open your eyes and gaze at the flame. There is nothing existing for you except this flame."

"Gently close your eyes and gaze at the inner flame. In the Cidākāśa, at the center of your eyebrows, is a beautiful tiny flame."

An instructor leads a session in the "Yoga in Daily Life" tradition, providing detailed instructions for physical posture, breath awareness, and visual concentration on a ghee lamp flame. The practice involves multiple rounds of external gazing followed by internal visualization of the flame at the Ājñā Chakra, described as a process of purifying perception and awakening inner divine light (Śakti). The guidance incorporates mantra repetition and concludes with a Sanskrit prayer and a return to bodily awareness.

Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Summer seminar

Prepare yourself for the practice of Trataka. This kriyā is according to Yoga in Daily Life. It is a Haṭha Yoga kriyā. Adjust yourself in a comfortable way. In front of you is a ghee lamp. Now light the ghee lamp. Adjust your body comfortably. Sit straight upright and close your eyes. Do not open your eyes without my instructions. Do not move your body, because if you move, you may disturb others. Close your eyes and do not open them again without my instructions. Relax the whole body from the toes to the top of the head and from the top of the head to the toes. Relax your legs. Relax your back muscles. Relax your stomach muscles. Relax your elbows and shoulders. Relax your neck. Relax your scalp. Relax your facial muscles. Have no tension in your facial muscles. Relax your jaw. Do not clench your teeth. Do not have your teeth clenched. Your eyelids are relaxed. They are gently closed. Your eyes are relaxed. Your eyebrows, the center between your eyebrows. Your body is relaxed. You feel comfortable and your body is straight upright. Feel the motionlessness of the body. No limbs are moving. Feel the pleasant feeling in the body. Now bring your awareness to the breath. You know that you are inhaling and you know that you are exhaling. Do not change your breath rhythm. Let your breath flow as naturally as it is. I told you not to move, or you will knock your candles over. No movements, even if you die. If you die in these minutes, you will attain liberation. Do not open your eyes, no matter what happens. Please follow the instructions. Relax inwardly. Know that in front of you is burning a very nice ghee lamp flame. When I instruct you to open your eyes, you will open them, but you will gaze only at the flame. Now you should know that you have not moved any limbs of your body. It does not matter what happens. Especially when your eyes are open, please do not move. Now slowly open your eyes and gaze at the flame. There is nothing existing for you except this flame. Breathe gently. Do not blow your breath toward the flame. Do not close your eyes without my instructions. You may feel that your eyes are burning or that some tears are coming. It does not matter; that is a purification for the eyes. The flame has three colors: below, red and dark; then the brightest part in the middle; and then on the top, a little smoky. You should gaze at the brightest part, the tip of the brightest flame. If your flame is moving, then with your concentration, stop the flame from moving. Just gaze at the flame. Now gently close your eyes and gaze at the inner flame. In the Cidākāśa, at the center of your eyebrows, is a beautiful tiny flame. Sometimes it appears, sometimes it may disappear. It does not matter. Do not try to catch it. Just observe. Observe the color of the flame, its form, and its distance. Be relaxed. Observe the Cidākāśa, the inner space, and the flame on the wall of the forehead, behind the forehead's wall. Exactly there where the Ājñā Chakra is. Relax. Mentally repeat your mantra and observe the lightning in the Chidākāśa. Enlightenment of the Chidākāśa. And prepare for the next round. Do not move your body, but be relaxed. Now, slightly and gently open your eyes and look at the flame. Now gently, softly open your eyes and look at the flame, at the top of the brightest part of the flame. There is nothing else for you, only this flame. Become one with the flame. You feel relaxed, you are comfortable. And you are concentrated, you feel inner harmony. The divine Śakti, the Kuṇḍalinī Śakti, is awakening within you. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. Lead us from the darkness to the light. This divine light is passing through the chakras, and Śakti is reaching your Ājñā Chakra. Uniting Iḍā and Piṅgalā with the Suṣumṇā. The union of Śiva and Śakti in divine consciousness. Slightly or gently close your eyes and gaze on the inner flame. In Chidākāśa, the entire Chidākāśa is illuminating. Divya jyoti, divine light, light of the self. The entire Chidākāśa is enlightening. You see thyself sitting in the Chidākāśa doing Trāṭaka with a beautiful ghee lamp. Ghee dīpak. The color of the flame, the form, and the distance. Sometimes it is coming, and you try to catch it, but it disappears. Therefore, do not try to catch it. And now, prepare again for the third and the last round. This time you should observe the flame exactly. This is the third and the last round for you. Gently open your eyes and gaze on the flame which is in front of you. Become one with the flame. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. Lead us from darkness to light. Oṃ Dīp Jyoti Parabrahma Dīpam Sarve Mohanam Dīpanam Sajate Sarvam Sandhyā Dīpam Sarva Satyam Śubham Karoti Kalyāṇam Ārogyam Dhana Sampada Śatru Buddhi Vināśaya Dīp Jyoti Namastu Te Oṃ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ. Feel the light. Feel the light in the whole body. You are surrounded by this divine light in the whole body. Carefully observe the flame. Gaze on the flame. Become one with the flame and take this flame into your Chidākāśa. Take this flame with you into the Chidākāśa. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. Take the flame within the Chidākāśa. And slowly close the eyes. Light in the Chidākāśa. The awakening of the inner Śakti, the discovering of thy divine self. Awakening of the divine consciousness in the Ājñā Chakra. That means the Gurū, the inner Gurū. The entire Chidākāśa is illuminated. Inhale. And chant Oṃ with me. Oṃ. Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān. Slowly fold your palms. And inner prayer. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. Lord, lead us from the darkness to the light. Mahāprabhujī, bless us with your divine light. And now, rub your palms and place the palms on your face. Rub your face, muscles, and the eyelids, and open your eyes. Adios. Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Summer seminar

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt, what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

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