![]() ![]() ![]() You can find early mentions of trataka in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a 15th-century Sanskrit manual on yoga. History and cultural contextĬandle meditation has roots in ancient Indian yoga practices. “When you are looking at one object, it helps you with focus and…emptying your mind,” she says. Saini says everything from technology to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has made it difficult for people to focus their minds and find a state of calm. “People are so distracted,” says Nisha Saini, board certified holistic health practitioner, Panchakarma specialist, and founder and CEO of New York Ayurveda & Panchakarma Center. In Sanskrit, a classical language of Southeast Asia, the word “trataka” means to look or to gaze. See if there is a rhythm that arises in you, a movement that matches the flicker of the flame.Candle gazing meditation is also known as trataka, or yogic gazing. If you feel like you want to move, go ahead and get up, move your body. Close your eyes and notice how you still see the light behind your eyes, the movement beyond your lids. I invite you to just sit in a candlelit room while watching the flicker of the flame and movement of the shadows. If you've never experienced the quiet comfort of candlelight, I invite you to give it a try. I will forever have a soft spot for candlelight yoga classes! It burns away my stress, leaving me feeling new. It helps remove that constant hum of energy that flows around us. ![]() I move my body while closing my eyes, yet still seeing the light that surrounds me. Sometimes, I practice at home, lighting a candle, resting in a restorative pose. I have practiced in candlelight many times since my first class. It was my first experience of feeling my inner peace. Suddenly the world that surrounded me was just that, my surroundings. It may have been the dark that allowed me to look farther inward, rather than constantly looking out. That candlelit room burned away my expectation, burned away that comparison to others. That is a very hard thing ( or at least it’s a very hard thing for me). It was a warmth that provides comfort, something deep down inside of me that said “I'm here, and I'm safe.”.Īs yogis, we are asked to let go expectation, to not compare ourselves or our practice with others. It was like sitting by a fire, or slipping into a bath. I found a quiet rhythm in my body, a movement that then transferred into my mind. As the instructor lead us through a meditative flow, watching the candlelight move, seeing the shadows dance on the walls, I was able to find peace. Before we even started to move, the darkness in the room gave me the capability to let go, I felt tensions begin to release much quicker than normal. As I entered the room and laid out my mat, the candlelight provided a warmth that I hadn't expected. It was something special, something more than nice. I knew it would be nice, but would it really be that different? It was. Heading to my first candlelight yoga class, I wasn't sure what to expect. My hope is this will persuade you to give candlelit yoga, meditation, or movement a try. I thought I would share a little about my first candlelight yoga experience. ![]() Did you know that some yoga classes are conducted in candlelight? I find candlelight, or firelight to be quite magical. ![]()
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