Abhay Deol Swears by This Ancient Yogic Practice to Stay Focused and Grounded; Here’s How You Can Do It Too

Critically acclaimed actor Abhay Deol is a big fan of regularly doing tratak meditation—an ancient yogic practice—for many years. For Abhay, the activity has helped him not just focus and concentrate but stay grounded as well. “One really effective meditation is tratak, or candle gazing with a ghee lamp. My focus is not on not blinking. My focus is more just concentration, sitting in stillness, observing, and trying to ground myself before I start the day,” Deol said in a recent conversation with life coach Jai Madaan. Abhay says he daily practices Tratak—also known as candle-gazing meditation—which improves focus and mental grounding by fixing one's gaze on a single point, usually a candle flame, without blinking. This ancient practice is known to strengthen

concentration, calm the mind, reduce mental clutter, and have roots in spiritual traditions for self-discovery.

What is Tratak meditation?

Tratak meditation is also known as a kriya, or work with benefits. Traditionally, it has been practiced by yogis in different ways, not only for its beneficial effects on the eyes but also for its tremendous effect on improving concentration and enhancing the cognitive function of the brain. Tratak meditation has been around for generations and has survived over time only due to several benefits, a few of which include:

• Alleviates stress and anxiety
• Improves concentration and memory
• Strengthens your eyes
• Purifies and stimulates the sixth chakra, Ajna, that controls intuition and mental awareness

How to do Tratak meditation?

This meditation is done in six phases by keeping your eyes open and gazing straight ahead at one point. Slowly, without moving the head, move the eyeballs to the right shoulder in one slow, continuous movement. First, light a candle and keep it at least 15 inches away – with the tip of the flame just below eye level. The point of attention must be as small as possible, even if the object may be large. Make sure there is no draft of air and the flame is steady. Then rest your gaze on the right shoulder for a few seconds, without blinking, and slowly begin moving your eyes to the centre at the tip of the flame and then towards the left shoulder. Now return your gaze to the centre point. In the first phase, you need to do upward and downward gaze. From the centre, start looking upwards and hold for a few seconds without blinking. Return to the centre thereafter. Keep your eyes open, and fix both of them on the tip of the nose. Continue to gaze for a few seconds and then close your eyes. Now focus both your eyes on the space between your eyebrows and continue to gaze for a few seconds, and then close your eyes. Now slowly rotate both your eyeballs in clockwise and anticlockwise motions. Stop doing it after three rounds, and with your eyes looking ahead, try to ‘see’ the sides, left and right. Now look into the distance and close your eyes for five minutes. Now open your eyes and blink a couple of times. Thereafter, open your eyes wide and squeeze them shut gently.

What happens when you do Tratak meditation daily?

According to the proponents of tratak meditation, doing it daily for 15 minutes can help:

• Purify your eyes and strengthen the eye muscles by exercising them to focus on a point
• Helps slow short-sightedness
• Helps improve vision, concentration, and memory, and is good for students
• Cures sleep-related disorders like insomnia and nightmares
• Overcomes mental, behavioural, and emotional ailments
• Enhances self-confidence, patience, and willpower