One flame. One point. The wandering mind gathers itself into a single line of light.
Eyes soft and wide, taking in the whole flame and its halo. No effort to fix on any one point. The breath slows on its own.
The gaze narrows to the brightest part of the wick. Blinking slows. If tears come, let them — this is the eyes releasing, a classic sign of correct practice.
Hold the flame without blinking as long as is comfortable. The outer world dims at the edges. The flame becomes the only thing that exists.
Close the eyes. The flame reappears within as a glowing after-image. Concentrate on it at the eyebrow centre — the doorway Trataka was always pointing toward.
"Trāṭaka removes diseases of the eye and bestows the divine sight." — Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā 2.31
Trataka is one of the six purifications. Explore the full path of concentration, breath and inner vision.
Explore All ToolsTrataka is one of the six shatkarmas (cleansing practices) described in the Hatha Yoga Pradīpikā. The word comes from the Sanskrit root meaning "to gaze" or "to look steadily." The practice involves fixing the unwavering gaze on a single point — traditionally a candle flame — training the faculty of sustained attention (dharana) directly and concretely. This timer implements the classical four-stage method exactly as the text describes: sustained open gaze, soft unfocused attention, holding the inner after-image with eyes closed, and finally resting in complete darkness.
Stage 1 — Open Gaze (Bahiranga). Eyes open, fixed on the tip of the flame. The instruction is to gaze without blinking for as long as comfortable. This is the primary concentration phase — the mind is anchored entirely to the external object. Stage 2 — Soft Focus. The gaze softens without losing the object — moving from sharp focus to peripheral awareness. The attention remains on the flame but the quality of looking becomes more receptive. Stage 3 — Inner Image (Antaranga). Eyes close. The after-image of the flame is held in the space between the eyebrows (Ajna chakra). When it fades, the attention rests at the point where it was without forcing it back. Stage 4 — Darkness. All visual attention is released. The practitioner rests in the inner darkness — this is the natural transition point into formal meditation.
Most practitioners attempting to sit in meditation encounter a mind too scattered to settle quickly. Trataka solves this by providing a concrete, tangible object for concentration training before the formless practice of meditation begins. Ten to fifteen minutes of Trataka produces a measurably different quality of inner stillness than sitting without preparation. The ideal sequence is: pranayama to regulate the breath and prana, Trataka to collect and focus the attention, then silent meditation.
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Trataka — the practice of steady, unblinking gazing — is one of the six Shatkarmas of classical Hatha Yoga and one of the most direct methods for developing one-pointed concentration. This timer provides staged intervals aligned with the traditional Trataka protocol.
Trataka (Sanskrit: to gaze steadily) involves fixing the gaze on a single point — traditionally a candle flame — without blinking, until the eyes water. It is simultaneously a physical cleansing of the eyes and a concentration practice that directly strengthens the Ajna chakra.
Bahir Trataka (external gazing) uses a physical object — candle flame, black dot, or full moon. Antar Trataka (internal gazing) closes the eyes after external gazing and holds the afterimage in the mind's eye, developing precision and stability of visualisation.
Strengthened concentration and working memory · Improved sleep when practised with a candle before bed · Reduced mental chatter · Development of intuitive perception · In traditional texts: the eventual arising of clairvoyant capacities in advanced practitioners.
Sit at eye level with the flame, 60–90 cm away. Gaze at the brightest point without blinking. When eyes water, close them and hold the afterimage. When the image fades, open eyes and resume. Begin with 5 minutes; gradually extend to 20 minutes over weeks.