One of our last mediations to do in Yoga Teacher Training was called Tratakum. It’s a bit of a strange meditation, but its very effective. It reminded me of esoteric practices I’ve read about in the past.
“In the yogic Scripture it says, “Even a glance from the eyes of a holy man can cure mental and physical imbalances.”
– From The Aquarian Teacher Manual, Level One Instructor Yoga Manual
Tratakum is a meditation to connect to the Guru and through the Guru his teacher, and the teacher before that until you connect with Infinity. It is a meditation that will bring to you the qualities of the Guru you are looking at, and it has the power to erase your karma and have your destiny expanded.
To do this mediation, set a photo of the guru, in this case Yogi B, who made a special photo for best results for this practice (a neutral photo with a direct stare from the eyes) and place it about 3-6 feet away. Place one or two candles in front of the picture so it can be clearly seen. The rest of the room is dark.
Sit straight in a meditative posture and cover your head and body with a blanket. If you have a sheepskin sit on it.
Tune in, set the intention that the Higher Self will guide you and that you will receive guidance in all matters.
Open your eyes wide and look into the eyes of the picture. Completely still the body. The breath will automatically become lighter, and lifting up the lower lid a bit will make it so you don’t feel the need to blink. Look at the light in the eyes of the Guru and travel mentally through the picture to the source of that light.
Meditate from fifteen minutes up to four hours. Keep your gaze on the light of guidance in the eyes.
This is a must meditation for any Kundalini Yoga Teacher.
My Experience
I had a lot of trouble with this meditation. I had to restart it three times! I noticed a great impatience in myself when practising. It was easy for myself and most of my classmates to tune into the voice of Yogi B though! We still talk about what Yogi B said in our meditations.
One time I was flying away thinking about something else, and I heard him say, “Where are you going? What are you doing? Come back to Earth!”.
In one of my last meditations with this practice I was asking him what I should do in my life. He said to me, “You will make a good yoga teacher, yes, you will be a good yoga teacher, much loved. But you, you must follow the crystals.” And I saw the image of my yoga mat surrounded by crystals.
I wasn’t really sure what he meant by that but its getting clearer as time passes. 😉
Its really neat knowing that I have access to the consciousness of Yogi B at any time I desire it or feel I need it. It’s also neat knowing that if I want to tune into the lineage of the Golden Chain I have direct access any time I want.
This is definitely not my favourite meditation though. I’m not sure why, but I feel resistance surrounding this meditation. It is a different type of resistance than I experienced with Kirtan Kriya, but I am happy I did this meditation.
What have your experiences been with Tratakum? Have you ever used Tratakum with someone else not Yogi B?
Sources for Tratakum
KRI Instructions w/ a PDF of the Photo for Download
3HO Article
