According to the Glaucoma Research Foundation, 12 to 22 mm Hg is considered normal intraocular pressure (IOP). An IOP reading higher than 22 mm Hg can result in ocular hypertension. Ancient science of health Ayurveda mentions Tratak kriya as a technique helpful in maintaining ocular health.
“A classic 15th-century Sanskrit manual on yoga, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, mentions Tratak as, “Being calm, one should gaze steadily at a small mark, till eyes are filled with tears. This is called Trataka by âchâryas. Trâtaka destroys the eye diseases and removes sloth, etc.” Another Sanskrit manual Gheranda Samhita explains Tratak as, “Gaze steadily without winking at any small object, until tears begin to flow.” source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134736/
The Tratak Kriya
The yoga-based Tratak kriya leads to contraction and relaxation of ciliary muscles leading to increased outflow of aqueous humor, in turn lowering the IOP.
Steps to Practice:
- To begin with, sit in a meditation pose in front of a candle. Place the candle about an arm’s length away from you with the wick of the candle at the same height as your chest. If the candle is placed too high, it can create tension at the eyebrow centre, or produce a burning sensation in the eyes.
- The flame should be still and not moving in a draft. Close your eyes. Mentally repeat your Mantra as in meditation.
- Open your eyes and look at the flame without blinking. The flame has three zones of colour. At the base of the wick is a reddish colour, in the middle it is bright white and at the tip, it is slightly smoky. Concentrate on the upper part of the flame where it is brightest.
- Close the eyes again. If the image of the flame appears within, gently concentrate on that image without creating any tension. Try not to pursue or hold onto the image, otherwise it will fade and disappear.
- Repeat the practice 3 times.
- The practice time should gradually build. In the initial stage, look at the flame only for about 10-15 seconds. Slowly increase this time, so that after about one year you can look at the flame for 1 minute and then concentrate on the inner image with closed eyes for about 4 minutes. Under no circumstances should this recommended length of time be exceeded.
- You can also practice Trataka while looking at a white point on black paper, or a black point on white paper. When one concentrates on a white point, one sees this as a black image when the eyes are closed, and vice versa with a black point.
Benefits of Tratak Kriya:
- Purifies the eyes
- Strengthens the eye muscles
- Improves vision and memory.
- Helps with sleeping difficulties and bedwetting.
- Strengthens the ability to concentrate.
- Develops intuition, the ability to visualize, and willpower.
Note: Yoga enthusiasts with glaucoma are instructed to avoid headstands and “head-down” positions during their routines. At the very least, the duration of the positions should be kept to a short period to prevent possible contribution to future vision loss. (https://glaucoma.org/)