Candle Gazing

Candle gazing is a lovely way to quieten the mind. It can also be especially helpful when other forms of meditation feel out of reach because the mind is too agitated. This practice guides you through the preparation needed followed by 2 rounds each of outer and inner seeing of a candle flame.

Transcript

Candle gazing is a lovely way to steady the mind when other forms of meditation feel out of reach because the mind's too agitated.

It works with both your outer and inner sight,

Using them as an anchor for your attention.

Firstly,

A soft,

Steady outward gaze at the light of a candle flame,

Followed by closing your eyes and seeing any imprint of that light on your closed eyelids.

This afterimage is then likely to fade.

Both phases involve a soft,

Steady seeing.

For this meditation you'll need to do some preparation.

You need a lit candle that's burning with a steady flame.

If the flame isn't steady,

You could try blowing it out and trimming the wick a little.

Your meditation is unlikely to be calming if the flame is unsteady.

The flame needs to be about arm's length away on a safe surface.

You need to be able to see the whole flame and while maintaining a loose,

Easy neck position throughout the meditation.

It's important your neck isn't under strain and you can sit comfortably whilst also seeing the candle.

Remove any eyeglasses.

You can pause the recording here if you need to arrange things better.

With the candle ready and safely near you,

Gently close your eyes and relax into your sitting position,

Feeling yourself to be stable and as upright as suits you.

Feel where your body is making contact with the chair or the floor so that you can feel into the sensations of the weight of your body as it is settling.

Along with your weight,

Sense the density of your body and also your shape,

The space you're taking up.

Arriving here more fully in your body.

Being here and being yourself as you are.

Leaving behind what's already been in your day and what may be coming and for now dropping everything else but this.

And not forcing anything,

Dropping any idea about how you should be,

How this should go.

You're not trying to get somewhere else.

A soft,

Awake attention.

On your next inhale,

As your belly inflates,

Allow your chest to open as well.

As you exhale,

Lengthen the muscles along the back of your neck and tuck your chin down and in a little.

Again,

Breathing into the expanding belly and opening your chest.

Breathing out,

Deflating the torso but feeling the body tall through the back of the neck with the jaw relaxed.

And one more intentional,

Soft,

Inflating inhale.

Slowly releasing and lengthening on the exhale.

As you loosen your jaw,

Escort your attention from your breath to feel all your facial muscles softening.

Imagine all the muscles of your face melting a little and especially all the small muscles around your eyes.

Letting any tension in the face and around the eyes fall away.

In a moment,

I'm going to suggest you gently open your eyes in order that you can rest your gaze on the candle flame.

Be aware of the intention to open your eyes before and as you do it.

Doing it slowly with awareness.

Your eyes need only open a small amount and you may find that as you do this,

You need to move your head or neck a little so as to be comfortable.

So now open your eyes and see the candle flame.

Allow the image of the flame to occupy your mind.

Allow your gaze to settle on the candle before you.

The flame.

The light of the flame.

The shape of the flame.

And the colours within the flame.

Softly seeing.

No need to label what you're seeing.

Just being absorbed with the seeing.

Watching with a soft,

Steady gaze.

You may find your eyes smarting a little and you may find you're blinking a lot to compensate for this.

That's okay.

It may take time to settle to it and you can take a break any time.

Gently returning your attention to seeing the flame.

Allowing the image of the flame to fill your mind.

Seeing its movement and the colours within it.

Be intrigued.

See how it moves.

Sense the energy emanating from it as you see.

Feel its presence as you see.

Remain anchored to the flame.

You may need to remind yourself to re-relax your seeing.

You may notice tension arises from trying to see,

So re-relax the muscles around your eyes and your neck and shoulders.

Relax.

Soft seeing.

When you become aware of being distracted by thoughts,

You can relax,

Knowing it's normal,

Gently releasing the thoughts and returning your awareness to your sense of sight,

To seeing the flame.

As you're seeing,

Widen the range of your peripheral vision.

You can become aware of objects,

Shadows to the sides of the flame.

You'll find when you do this,

Your front and central vision softens.

Notice the stream of golden photons coming towards your eyes from the candle.

In a moment you're going to close your eyes.

Again,

Be aware of your intention to do this first.

Now go ahead and slowly close your eyes and relax.

Find your bearing inside and continue with your seeing,

Your attention lightly on what you're seeing behind your closed eyes.

As if you were looking at the back of your closed eyelids.

An imprint of the flame will probably slowly come to you.

You may see an afterimage of the flame in some way.

It may come immediately or take some time.

There's no need to search for it and if it doesn't arise,

That's not a problem.

Notice whatever afterimage or images you see,

Any patches of colour or light.

You may see what you're seeing as if with your third eye between the eyebrows at the centre of the forehead.

You may see black,

But after a time notice there is a red or blue hue.

Just watch,

Just relax,

See,

Accept what's there.

No searching.

Again,

When you become aware of being distracted by thoughts,

You can relax,

Gently release them,

Returning your awareness to your sense of sight behind your closed eyes,

To seeing whatever is there.

The afterimage may glow brightly and then fade.

It may drift,

Waver,

Disappear and then return.

If it disappears,

Return your focus lightly to the front and centre.

And often the afterimage will come back to you and meet you there.

Notice any colours,

Colours at the edges,

Layers,

Just seeing them.

There may be layers of colour around the edges of the afterimage that are in a constant state of flux.

Enjoy your seeing with no expectation.

Each time it will be different.

When the afterimage has faded,

When you've spent some time with your inner vision,

You can begin the process again.

So become aware of the intention to open your eyes again before you do it.

And now gently,

With awareness,

Open your eyes a little,

Just enough to see the flame once more.

Seeing the flame with a soft gaze.

Relaxing the muscles around the eyes.

Checking the neck is relaxed,

Being absorbed by seeing.

Taking time to see the flame fully.

To be held in its presence.

Intrigued by its shape,

By the colours within it.

Its movement.

Soft vision.

Soft eyes.

All your attention on what you are seeing.

Looking at the flame.

And whenever you notice your mind has wandered,

Relaxing,

Releasing and returning back to seeing the flame.

Being absorbed by it.

Seeing its detail.

Soaking up its presence and energy through seeing.

And again,

Being aware of your intention to close your eyes before you do so.

Now,

Closing the eyes gently.

Noticing what you see behind your closed eyelids.

Relaxing the jaw,

The muscles around the eyes.

Sitting with the images that come to you.

This time may be very different,

But there's no need to judge.

Just accept what you see this time.

And softly maintain relaxed moment by moment,

Seeing.

Seeing as if it were for the very first time.

Experiencing the afterglow of the candle and its light for the very first time.

Colours.

Movement.

Shifts in light.

Always letting the image come to you.

Cultivating a gentle curiosity in what the sense of sight is bringing you.

And coming back to that.

You can continue with this practice,

Alternating between the flame and the afterimage for as long as you'd like.

Moving from the outer seeing to your inner seeing in your own time,

At your own speed.

A minute or two of each may be an ideal amount of time,

But you can choose your own interval.

If you're ready to close the practice at this time,

I'd like to suggest you titrate your return to the room before ending the practice.

To do this,

Slowly open your eyes a little for a few seconds.

Slowly just seeing a wall or a ceiling,

A small portion of the room,

Then gently closing them again.

Returning to that connection with your inner seeing and experience.

Then repeating this,

Coming back again to the room slowly for a short time,

Maybe 10 seconds or so,

Before again returning to your closed eye experience.

Doing this,

Building the time you return to the room,

Getting used to moving to and from your inner and outer seeing.

You can experiment with this at the end of any practice and enjoy developing your connection to your inner awareness.

Move slowly and see more deeply as you return to your day.

Reviews

Thank you, Lorna, this was an interesting and calming experience. I found the candle a helpful focal point for quieting the mind. 🙏

Thank you Lorna. Beautiful, relaxing experience. 🙏