In celebration of the winter solstice,
I wanted to offer a Tratak meditation,
Also known as a candle-gazing meditation,
To reduce stress,
Improve concentration,
And assist in equalizing the nervous system.
The winter solstice is the longest night of the year,
And as such it also marks the return of the light,
As the nights that follow will become gradually shorter.
The solstice is often celebrated with bonfires and candlelight to symbolize and celebrate renewal,
Rebirth,
And the return of that light.
You will need a candle for this meditation.
If you would prefer to use an electronic candle for whatever reason,
Or even substitute a low-wattage lamp,
Please feel free to use what you have.
Once you have located your candle or candle substitute,
Place it in a draft-free area so that the flame,
In the event you are working with a lit candle,
Will be as stable as possible.
Place the candle about an arm's length away from you on a stable surface,
So that the flame of the candle is roughly at high level,
Or just below it,
So that you might be able to effortlessly send your gaze down the bridge of your nose to land on the flame of the candle.
Light your candle as appropriate,
And take a comfortable seat.
Once you have identified what a comfortable seat is for you and your body today,
Perhaps you're sitting on the floor,
On a cushion,
On a chair,
You may even be lying down,
Just take a moment here to notice the points of contact between you and the surfaces that are gently supporting you.
If you are sitting,
Allowing the hands to come and rest gently in your lap,
Palms up in a gesture of receptivity,
Or perhaps palms down to assist you to ground,
Allowing the eyes to be closed or the gaze simply softened,
Softening the belly now,
Releasing and relaxing the jaw,
Allowing the back of the tongue to drop down and away from the roof of the mouth,
Allowing shoulders to drop down and away from the ears,
Creating a sense of length between the navel and your nose,
And taking a moment here just to do a moment of a body scan,
Noticing where you might be experiencing tension,
Or perhaps ease,
And if you notice that you are carrying any stories or judgments around whatever tension may mean for you today,
See if it's possible for you to release those ideas,
Release those judgments,
Simply allowing whatever you are feeling today in your body to be as it is,
As you are in this moment,
And now bringing your attention to your breath,
Taking a moment here to notice the quality and state of it,
Is it smooth and easy,
Is it ragged,
Is it catching in places,
Just noticing,
Noticing the ebb and flow of your breath today,
Noticing how it is,
How it moves,
Again without feeling any need to change or augment or correct it,
Whatever that might mean to you,
Just noticing what your breath is like today,
Allowing your attention to ride that ebb and flow of the breath,
And now gently open your eyes,
Bringing your line of vision,
Your attention,
To the flame in front of you,
Noticing the shape and movement of the flame,
Noticing its colors,
Keeping the gaze as steady as is available to you at this moment,
Center your awareness upon the flame,
Taking in the glow of the candle,
If any thoughts should arise,
If any external sounds should call to your attention,
If you find memories creeping in from the past,
Or perhaps your mind jumps forward into the future,
Notice that,
Notice all of that,
As movement of the mind is the nature of the mind,
Simply notice what arises for you,
And then see if you can release that,
See if it is available to you,
To simply allow these thoughts to pass from your mind,
Bringing your attention back,
And back,
And back,
To the flickering flame in front of you,
If the eyes grow tired,
Or begin to water,
Allow your eyes to gently close,
Bringing your awareness to the after image of the flame behind your eyelids,
Perhaps training that after image at your third eye,
That space between your eyes,
And slightly above your eyebrows,
If the after image of the candle flame begins to move,
Or shift from behind your closed eyes,
Notice that movement,
And then see if it might be available to you,
To somehow stabilize that image within your mind's eye,
Or call it back to you,
If you notice that it begins to wane,
Or disappear,
If you find the after image is no longer visible to you,
Simply reopen your eyes,
And begin again,
Repeating the process as necessary,
Allowing the gaze to rest gently upon the image of the lit candles flame,
From a safe distance,
Once again allowing the eyelids to close,
And rest,
Should the eyes tire,
Holding the after image in contemplation,
For as long as it remains visible,
From behind your closed eyes,
If your attention should wander,
Or waver,
From its point of focus of the lit candle,
Notice where your attention has gone,
Notice without judgment,
And then simply bring your attention back to your practice,
Back to your point of focus,
Back to the image of the candles flame,
If your eyes are open now,
See if you can allow your eyes to gently close at this time,
Again bringing your attention to the after image,
Fixing the image of that candle flame,
With your attention,
Until it disappears,
Bringing hands to heart center,
And then drawing them a couple of inches away from the chest,
Rub your palms together,
As if to create heat,
Then bring your warmed palms,
To gently cup around the outsides of your eyes,
The heels of your hands,
Gently resting at your cheekbones,
The tops of the palms,
Resting and warming the crest of your eyebrows,
Your fingertips,
Resting at your hairline,
Bring your attention now,
To the ebb and flow of your breath,
And then allow your hands to gently return to your lap,
As you reopen your eyes,
Thank you for sharing your practice with me,
And may you have a beautiful solstice.
