The Protocol: Trāṭaka, the unwavering gaze
Its source, its mechanism, how to begin, what to expect in the first weeks, and the errors that quietly undo the practice.
Trāṭaka is the discipline of the steady gaze — fixing the eyes on a single point, classically a lamp flame, until the mind gathers around it. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika lists it among the six purifications, prized for its effect on attention and on the eyes themselves.
How to begin
Sit at arm's length from a steady flame at eye level. Hold the gaze without blinking for as long as is comfortable, then close the eyes and watch the after-image until it fades. Begin with a minute or two; let the duration grow on its own.
The quiet errors are three: straining the eyes into discomfort, chasing the after-image instead of resting in it, and treating a contemplative practice as a feat of endurance. Steadiness, not duration, is the measure.
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