YOGANIDRA

It is an ancient technique overall you can identify the technique as eye fixation and the eye concentration technique .Specifically this technique energies the eye sight and imagination power along with the eye gazing concentration which effect to improving mind concentration .Tratak is exercised by gazing at a point without blinking of eye until the tears come out of the eye and starts flow .Afterwards resist any temptation to rub the eye in case there is any itch ing .This technique strengthens the eye ,as well as concentration and the will power.

Trataka is steady gazing. Write the word Om in black on the wall. Concentrate on it with open eyes till tears come in the eyes. Then close the eyes; visualise the picture of Om. Then open the eyes and again gaze till lachrymation manifests. Gradually increase the period. There are students who can gaze for one hour. Trataka is one of the sad kriyas (six exercises) in hatha yoga. Trataka steadies the wandering mind and removes viksepa (tossing of the mind). Instead of gazing at Om you may gaze at a big black dot on the wall. The walls will present a golden colour during trataka.

You can do trataka on any picture of the Lord, either of Krishna , Rama, or Siva or on Saligrama. You can sit on the chair also. Fix the picture on the wall in front of your eyes. Trataka is the alpha-beta of concentration. It is the first exercise for yogic students in concentration.

Trataka with open eyes is followed by visualisation. Visualisation is calling up of a clear mental image of anything.

Practise trataka for one minute on the first day. Then gradually increase the period every week. Do it gently with ease and comfort, as long as you can. Repeat your mantra, during trataka. In some people who have weak capillaries, the eyes may become red. They need not be alarmed unnecessarily. The redness of the eyes will pass quickly.

Practise trataka for six months then you can take up advanced lessons in concentration and meditation. Be regular and systematic in your sadhana (practice). If there is a break make up the deficiency or loss on the next day. Trataka removes many eye diseases and ultimately brings in siddhis (psychic powers).

Place a picture of Lord Jesus in front of you. Sit in your favourite meditative pose. Concentrate gently with open eyes on the picture till tears trickle down the cheeks. Rotate the mind on the cross, on the chest, long hair, beautiful beard, round eyes, and the various other limbs of his body, and fine spiritual aura emanating from his head, and so on. Think of his divine attributes, various phases of his interesting life and the `miracles' he performed and the various extraordinary powers he possessed. Then close the eyes and try to visualise the picture. Repeat the same process again and again.

Tratak

Notice how easy it is to focus attention within space. By regulating attention in space, the processes of time and causation (chain of mental events) also are easily regulated. Focusing one-pointed attention in a specific space in the inner world of meditation is a real key to transcending time, space, and causation. Start with this image, but then close your eyes and place attention in the space of the navel center, heart center, throat center, or eyebrow center, and similarly go deep into the stillness and silence, which is there.

Start with 15-20 seconds.
Then 30-40 seconds.
Then 1-2 minutes.
Then longer.

(This is a yoga meditation practice called trataka.)

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