Candle Meditation: The Benefits of Integrating Candlelight Into Your Yoga Practice

Dedicated yogis are fond of bringing new elements into their practice because they are aware of the opportunity for deepening their understanding of yoga and self. With an open mind and an open heart, integrating different features into a yoga session can assist in a person’s individual growth and awareness of the world around him/her. Put in simpler terms, trying new approaches to yoga keeps things interesting. The more interested and engaged we are, the sharper our senses become, allowing us to embrace our surroundings and our very own existence in the world.

Candle meditation can be one way to liven up your yoga practice by the introduction of a new element. Continue reading to discover the ways that a little candlelight can have a big impact on your yoga development.

Impermanence

A candle does not burn forever. As it burns, the wax begins to melt, the flame changes shape and the wick shortens until it stops burning. Just as a candle is forever changing, we too are always changing and transforming into something new. Becoming aware of the candle’s impermanence can help yogis appreciate their own constant transformation. This also becomes an opportunity to meditate on the importance of embracing the present moment, one of the fundamental goals of yoga. Impermanence is not a bad thing that should cause sadness—instead, accepting and embracing impermanence can help us to live more fully by embracing every moment as it comes.

Detox

A burning candle can be used as a very practical detox within one’s practice. One meditation strategy is to stare into the flame of a burning candle for as long as you can without blinking. Resisting the urge to blink soon gives way to letting go of this need. Having a strongly defined focal point in the flame can allow you to better focus on your breathing, too. As moments pass, you will notice that the tear ducts in your eyes have been stimulated, and your eyes will begin to water. This is a fantastic strategy for flushing out the staleness of tear ducts that have not produced tears in some time. With this meditation strategy, yogis will also be stimulating and cleansing some of the most integral pathways—the eyes.

Namaste

As most yogis are aware, the salutation “Namaste,” roughly translates to, “The divine light in me recognizes and honors the divine light in you.” This powerful phrase that we so commonly associate with yoga deserves a much deeper consideration. Having a candle burning throughout your practice can help in reminding you of the significance of this phrase, remembering that we have a divine light within ourselves, just as everyone else. Do we treat each other as if we are carrying a divine light? Do we treat ourselves as if we are? Let the light of the candle remind you of the power that Namaste holds.

Light a candle during your next practice for deeper unification of mind, body, and spirit.

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