Tratak - intense concentration on an outside object

Tratak has many potential uses, but the word may simply be translated as (intense) concentration. Actually it means an unbroken gaze or attention fixed on an object, a steady gazing at a particular point or object without winking - looking at or into it.

The object need not be material, it could be a thought, an inner symbol, a psychic center, etc. Though this is one of the six purificatory exercises, it is mainly intended for developing concentration and mental focusing.

Tratak is included both as a part of the Hatha Yoga as a cleansing process, and it is very useful for students of Hatha Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Raja Yoga. This practice helps also to improve eyesight.

Through Tratak, you increase your ability to hold your mind on one thing, concentrated, as long as possible. This not only builds up concentration but also willpower and the ability to use your energy and yourself economically. (But this should be done in an easy, relaxed way.)

There are three reasons for using Tratak:

1. Therapy. Relaxation and eye exercise. If you use Tratak as an eye exercise to
strengthen your vision and get rid of glasses, you would do it slightly differently from the description that appears later in this chapter. Certainly you would also use a candle, but instead of closing your eyes before tears come, you would keep them open as long as you can and try not to blink even when tears stream down your cheeks. But rest your eyes and close them now and then. To improve your eyes, you should do Tratak for five to fifteen minutes every day.

Other eye exercises recommended in connection with Tratak are: Move your eyes by looking up and down and from side to side without turning your head, look at objects close by and far away, roll your eyes and then rest them by covering them with your palms which you have first rubbed quickly together so that they are warm. Also Neti, nose cleaning helps.

By arresting the unconscious movements of the eyes, tensions are released in the brain.

Paul McCartney Teaches Yoga for Our Eyes, exercises to strengthen the eye muscles and improve sight

2. Concentration. Tratak can be used to attain greater calm and concentration for studying, work, etc. - and to attain higher ‘powers’, such as in Prana Vidya (knowledge of energy currents in the body), healing of yourself and others by directing this psychic energy and concentrating on tense and diseased areas (see also the previous chapter on Pratyahara).

Tratak gets rid of fatigue and results in natural, effortless concentration.
We have called this chapter ‘Inspired Interest’. With this kind of concentration, you need only decide to do something and direct your attention to it; then in a natural way you will be absorbed in the work in question. The work also becomes fun and satisfying.

3. Meditation. Tratak is used for its own sake and as a preparation for more extensive techniques. Many other Yoga and meditation exercises are enriched by the use of Tratak, which makes the mind sensitive and receptive to finer states.

Outer Tratak, Inner Tratak

There are two kinds of Tratak: outer (Bahir Tratak), gazing on an outer object, image, etc., with open eyes; and inner (Antar Tratak), ’seeing’, gazing or directing one’s attention to an inner object without using ordinary sight, usually with closed eyes.

The first exercise could be said to be a combination of inner and outer Tratak, but we will call it outer because the object we see afterwards with closed eyes, the candle flame imprinted on our retinas, is so coarse that it must be considered outer.

After Tratak it is good to do a ‘little deep relaxation’, to meditate and merge with your personal symbol.

A couple of practical remarks before the exercise:

The room you sit in should be dark with the exception of the candle you use. If you wear glasses, take them off before you start. Finally, and very basic: two seemingly contradictory elements enter into the meditation. We call them straining and relaxing, gathering and dispersing the attention field; holding back and totally giving oneself. The two poles are a basic premise for working on attention. The whole work takes place between these two. When do you do one and when the other?

It could easily lead to inner conflict, if you’re not aware of the problem. In Tratak you must be able to sit relaxed and do the whole exercise like a game, and on the other hand you must stick to the exercise and do it precisely without blinking or moving. Don’t overdo it, do it at the most for fifteen to twenty minutes once a day.

Outer Tratak

Sit right in front of a lit candle. The flame is at eye level or slightly higher and the candle is three to four feet away from your eyes, find the right distance for yourself, the level of your eyes and the candle flame should be in a horizontal line. Your back should be straight and your body motionless as long as you hold this position. Make your body completely calm. Experience the body’s form the whole body, until you are one with it. Hold that a while - the whole body.

Observe the breath in your nose. Feel how air goes in and out of your nose. The natural breath in your nose. Stay with that a while.

When you feel calm, open your eyes and look into the flame.

Look at the little glowing point at the top of the wick. Look at this point without blinking - look as long as you can - without
straining -without blinking -until tears come, or just before tears come.

When you feel a need to close your eyes, do it, but don’t move.

Sit completely calm and motionless, with closed eyes and look at what appears on your retina when you have closed your eyes.

After a moment a light point is sure to appear.

This is the print of the flame on your retina you see now a little star a glowing point.

Look at it as long as you can.

Does it move?

Let it move up to the center between your eyebrows, look at it there. If it wanders elsewhere, do not follow it. Keep it at the eyebrow center as long as you can.
Sometimes the point vanishes then appears again and then disappears.

And the point or background may change colors perhaps the point turns black and the background light, go on looking at it until it disappears.

How to do yoga

How to do yoga is an introduction on the practice of yoga, including the benefits derived therein, the instructions for several exercises, and the attitude of diet. If you have been “on the mat” for years, and have “down dog” down pat, you know there are a many yoga positions and poses built to improve posture.

How to do yoga asanas

Yoga asana (posture) is an ancient eastern exercise that is valuable in today’s chaotic society. Yoga is not only a simple workout regime, but rather it is a complete method of exercise that serves to rejuvenate the body. Yoga is very similar to stretching and is usually performed in a series of movements; today the movements are rather quick in comparison to old yoga schools. Together with a healthy vegetable and whole grain based diet, yoga can improve your quality of life.

For example back and neck pain can often be helped with the right approach to yoga, because yoga is a mind bodywork out system based on poses and the achievement of peace of mind. It is not merely touching the toes, or making a headstand, or folding into a pretzel. Yoga positions have a lot of benefits such that it aims to improve posture and give a straight figure.

Sometimes, it can be a long time we notice our selves in a crooked figure, and if we do anything about it, expect to have a crooked bone in the future.

How to do yoga practice

Practice yoga at your own capability; do not stretch more than is comfortable. Yoga positions are good to strengthen the body giving focus to the thighs, knees and the ankles. If you get uses to practicing yoga positions everyday, it is expected that your bones respond immediately.

Practice keeping the whole series of yoga poses smooth, flowing and even. Practice up to ten, twelve rounds and then relax in the dead pose. Practiced in this sequence, of neck, spine, and leg exercises, yoga should impart a wonderful feeling and a general improvement in overall health. Practice yoga in a quiet spot, where there is fresh air and, if inside, cross ventilation either at sunrise or sunset.

The abdomen and the buttocks is considered a major turn on for both genders. For the male, it is ideal to keep up a good abdomen of the abs. This makes it more appealing to the women.

Having a good butt matters to some women too, a lot of them are practicing in order to gain a lot of figure and shape in their body.

Yoga positions amazingly relieve sciatica. These are some pain that cannot be prevented. If you do yoga once in a while and even regularly, perhaps you will not feel any back or muscle pain.

Here are some techniques on how to maintain a good yoga position. Just follow these steps in order for you to fully understand yoga positions and be able to execute it in the proper manner.

1. You should stand with the bases of your big toes touching and the heels should be slightly apart. You must lift and spread your toes slowly and the balls of your feet too. Then after, you need to lay them softly down on the floor. Rock yourself back and forth and even side to side. You may gradually reduce this swaying to maintain a standstill, with your weight balanced evenly on your feet.

2. Hardening your thigh muscles and then lifting the knee caps is next. Do it without hardening your lower belly. Lift the inner ankles to make stronger the internal arches, then picture a line of energy all the way up along your inner thighs up to your groins. From there through the core of your neck, torso, and head, and out through the crown of your head. You should turn the upper thighs slowly inward. Make your tailbone longer toward the floor and raise the pubis in the direction of the navel.

3. Push your shoulder blades into your back, then broaden them crossways and discharge them down your back. Without roughly pushing your lower front ribs forward, lift the top of your sternum straight toward the ceiling. Broaden your collarbones. Suspend your arms alongside the torso.

4. You should balance the crown of your head unswervingly over the middle of your pelvis, with the base of your chin analogous to the floor, throat soft, and the tongue broad and plane on the floor of your mouth. Make your eyes look softer.

5. Tadasana is usually the initial yoga position for all the standing poses. Applying Tadasana is useful especially in applying the poses. Staying in the pose for 30 seconds up to 1 minute, then breathing easily keeps it satisfactory.

Just follow these simple figures and you are sure that you are doing the right yoga positions.

Yoga meditation - Relax Through Meditation

In the frenzied lifestyle people live in today, you have to consider that this overactivity lifestyle is bad for your health. Recent studies have found that stress contributes to heart diseases and high blood pressure. You have to consider that because of the help of stressful lifestyle that people live in today, stroke and heart diseases have been considered as one of the deadliest diseases plaguing today’s society.

Yoga meditations can completely relax your body and mind and it can also make your brain more alert and make your heart relax.

The stressful lifestyle that people live in today, stroke and heart diseases have been considered as one of the deadliest diseases plaguing today’s society.

This is the reason why you should learn how to relax and take care of your body. You need to consider that your body needs rest from time to time. It cannot handle too much work for too long. If your body is yelling out that you have had enough work and is saying that it is tired, it probably is. With 5 minutes of relaxation, you can revitalize your body and get it ready for another batch of work.

Although yoga exercising can also help in preventing heart diseases, you have to consider that it is just not enough. You also need rest and relaxation. Besides, if you are stressed out, you won’t be able to work at your peak efficiency. Your brain function is also overwhelmed by stress and you will not be able to think clearly if you are overstressed. This is why you need to relax. Besides, what’s the point of working if your brain and body don’t function well-enough?

Today, one of the most helpful ways to relax is through yoga meditation. Although yoga meditation have been practiced thousands of years ago, you have to consider that recent studies have found and has proof that yoga meditation can indeed relieve stress and give you that extra boost of energy you need.

What is kundalini yoga?

Kundalini yoga is known as one of the most powerful types of yoga. Sometimes it was called the mother of all the Styles of Yoga. This type of yoga awakens the energy at the base of our spine which is known as the Muladhara Chakra.

The word Kundalini was derived from kunda which means coiled. Kundalini Sadhana is described to be the coiled energy that looks like a serpent, hence a coiled serpent, which has three and a half coils which are resting at the bottom of the spine. The three coils in Kundalini Yoga are known as the three Gunas which are the Sattva, Rajas, Tamas. The Vikritis represent the half coil.

So Kundalini yoga is the power, in the form of a coiled serpent, residing in Muladhara Chakra, the first of the seven Chakras, the other six in order being Svadhishthana, Manipura, Anahata, Visuddha, Ajna and Sahasrara.

From an anatomical point of view, kundalini is located in the perineum region of our body. For the males, it resides between the testicles and the rectum. For the female, it is between the clitoris and the vagina.

What is kundalini yoga? Kundalini Yoga is also known as the symbol of the union of opposites. The male power is known as Siva and Sakti is female. They are the fundamental resource of power and energy when they are united. The union of Siva and Sakti occurs in the brain and from this comes the sense of feeling and affection, energy, love.

Kundalini is often represented in art, literature, and stories as a serpent or snake, and as such it had many definitions: Kundalini as a perfect fruition of Life: the energy of soul; the energy of the cosmos within each individual; creative energy, the dormant energy within us that expands our awareness; the greatness of which we are each capable; enlightenment manifestation and liberation; the source energy of the entire world of form; Kundalini is music and color, the awareness of the higher self; a condensed, primal force, similar to the potential energy found in water; a healing force, the formative, biological energy dormant in our bodies; the science of raising one’sconsciousness to higher levels; the energy of life, or the Divine, as it is experienced in the individual; the creative energy that initiates puberty; Kundalini is the energy, the life force.

Kundalini Yoga gives reward to Yogis who maintain unity awareness and spiritual transformation. The Kundalini produces a hissing sound when it is awakened. It sounds just like a beaten serpent as it goes from the Muladhara Chakra to the Brahma Nadi and to the Sahasrara Chakra.

If you are curious about Kundalini Yoga, it is good to know the path it takes. One thing you need to understand is the Nervous System and the Spinal Cord. These two are the main focus of Kundalini Yoga. It targets your Spinal Cord and the Nervous System.

The Nervous System as we all know is the main control or the center of our body. The Nervous System is responsible for the imaginations, thoughts, intelligence and memory that we have. The Nervous System composes of the brain, the nerves and most especially the Spinal Cord which gives us posture and stand. The Spinal Cord is made up of delicate nerves and tissues that is why we need to take care of it. Kundalini Yoga will be the most appropriate practice for this.

The infamous Kundalini awakening is not that easy to learn. It is also something that we can find or learn in books. If there was, you might be confused or perplexed in learning the process. If you want to master Kundalini awakening, it should be based on experience. After series of trials and sessions, you will find out that Kundalini awakening took place and it was all because you were just too eager and concentrated to learn it. Awakening the Kundalini is the first step towards enlightenment.

Now what you have to do is grab that amazing concentration and start working on your Nervous System and Spinal Cord. If you want to stay healthy and maintain a good posture, Kundalini Yoga is just waiting for you to practice it.

Women's Travel Programs

Women only please! Mothers, daughters, best friends and sisters...we have the vacations for you. Feeling adventurous, or in need of some pampering, we have ideas, and itineraries for any mood, or personal quest.

These packages are designed for small group travel. Traveling solo? We can assist you with finding an existing group whose interests match yours! Or, if you have a small group of your own, allow us to help you design the trip of a lifetime for all involved.

Group travel for women offers a myriad of opportunities to see the world, trek a few mountains, shop in Paris, or offer a helping hand on a Volunteer Vacation. We look forward to working with you, and help expand your personal horizons, and to provide you a journey that allows you engage in this fascinating, breath-taking world.

WOMEN'S COSTA RICA RETREAT: REFLECTIONS ON OURSELVES

Costa Rica: 6 Night Mind, Body and Spirit Program: Reflections and Attraction Thinking with Dr. Susan Schliff: March 4 - 10, 2008: Imagine...immersing yourself in nature with all the amenities of an intimate mountain retreat on 8 acres of Costa Rica Rainforest.

A gathering retreat for women only offering, breathtaking views, an ideal climate, private casitas, delicious organic foods, daily Yoga classes, and a place to explore the real Costa Rica, all to renew your spirit. This package includes meditations and the Discovery Series of the Law of Attraction Thinking and Reflection classes with the renowned Dr. Susan Schilff, eco-tours, including horseback riding and more. This program is designed for a small group of women only. Reserve your space today. Land pricing $1895 per person based on double occupancy.

SURF AND YOGA RETREATS IN MAUI

These 7 Day/ 6 Night Surf and Yoga Retreats are a one of a kind premiere experience on the magical island of Maui combining activity and adventure, rejuvenation and community among like-minded women. Located on the beautiful island of Maui, this yoga vacation for women provides you with quality staff, healthy and delicious food, surf/yoga instruction and other exciting wellness additions to our daily program. Also enjoy excursions exploring the rain forest of Iao Valley, hiking the historical Lahaina Pali trail or snorkeling in some amazing spots on the west side of the island. Land Prices from $2025 per person. Code #SW07

2008 Dates: April 6 - 12, April 13 - 19, August 17- 23, and August 24- August 30.

BAJA MEXICO: OBTAINING CLARITY

Women's Baja Retreat: 2007 Dates TBA: 7 Day / 6 Nights: If you are a woman in the process of making changes in her life and want to take the time to deeply explore the issues surrounding your circumstances, this is a journey you cannot miss. We've designed this journey to afford nine women the opportunity to explore what is keeping them from creating the most incredible dream and living their perfect life. In this remote natural reserve in the magical Sea of Cortez, uninhabited by other humans, we are given the glorious opportunity to see ourselves clearly, free from the distractions of our daily lives. Land Prices per person $1927. Code JOS #14

WOMEN'S RETREAT TO SANTORINI: EXPRESSING THE DIVINE GODDESS

June 2008 - Dates are coming soon! 7 Days / 6 Nights: Led by Sheri Rosenthal, DPM


Are you ready to make a change but don’t know where to begin? You’re not the only one! Taking a spiritual journey is a wonderful way to begin to have clarity about yourself and your life. This will be an active trip as there are many steps on this island to navigate since the towns are built vertically into the side of the volcano's caldera! The food is incredible and we even have access to full spa services for our weary bodies. So bring your hiking shoes, a journal and an open heart. Be prepared for the unexpected, as the magic of this land will take you to places you did not think were possible.

Land Pricing from $1895 per person based on Double Occupancy.

Yoga and Wellness Vacations

Modern day stresses make it difficult to keep a balance within ourselves. A Wellness Vacation is designed to enlighten you, rejuvenate you, and send you home with personal energy and inner knowledge to stay in balance.

Yoga and Wellness Vacations offer everything from Spa Vacations to Yoga retreats, to month long healing programs in India and around the world. Our selection of trips offer a wide selection of Yoga Tours, Yoga Retreats, Yoga Journeys to many destinations including Bali, Japan, Hawaii, India, Thailand, and New Zealand, however; we specialize in Wellness packages and Yoga tours to India and all parts of Asia.

LUX World Travel works with a variety of Yoga retreat centers, schools and practicing partners world wide, and the benefit of this relationship provides our clients with a wealth of unique opportunities providing specialized knowledge and experience in destinations traveled. We can prepare a personalized Yoga Retreat and Adventure vacation anywhere in the world for you with a group of travelers of 2 or more. Also, we can provide private guides and tours promoting Tai Chi and Pilates.

Whether you come for Relaxation & Rejuvenation, Stress Management or a specific health concern, we will create the right program for you, and will cater to your specific needs.

We also offer Ayurveda programs from 7 to 28 days, including Rejuvenation Therapy, Stress Management Programs, Body Purification Therapy, Body Immunization/Anti-Aging Programs, Weight Loss Programs, and Beauty Care Programs.

Let your journey begin through us.

FEATURED TOUR: SPIRIT OF INDIA YOGA TOUR

The Spirit of India: A Yoga & Spirituality Tour of North India: March 15-30, 2008 : Tour Leaders: Michele Labelle is a certified Hatha Yoga Teacher, researcher, and has recently released the CD “Breath of Life”; and Mr. Karampal Singh, our escort, holds a Masters in art history, and has been assisting seekers of wisdom for 30 years.

Mr. Karampal, with his wisdom, has alos been a licensed tour guide with the India Tourism Department since 1984. We're privileged to have him share his unique experience and perspective on the ancient wisdom of India. You are invited to join Michele & Karampal on a trip of a lifetime. Come explore and immerse yourself in the Indian experience that will cause your soul to be touched, moved and inspired.

The Hatha Yoga you will practice has been designed to open the seven major energy centers or chakras. Also learn about the Indian philosophies of Pantajali’s 8 limbs of Yoga. Each day, will have a specific focus to allow your spirit to open to India’s magical diversity. Land Pricing from $2685 per person / based on double.

WELLNESS PROGRAM: INDIA: AYURVEDA TRAINING PROGRAM

India Ayurveda Training Program: 12 days: 2007: A unique program, designed for doctors – Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopathic & Homeopathic doctors will have a particular interest - medical practitioners, health care workers and anyone interested in learning more about Ayurveda in-depth. The course will be delivered by our expert panel of Ayurveda physicians and a certificate will be issued at the end of the program. Our Ayurveda Training Program takes place in the land of Ayurveda - Kerala, South India, also known as “God’s Own Country”.

Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that originated in India more than 6,000 years ago, and is believed to be the oldest healing science in existence today. It is the root of most ancient philosophies and alternative medicines such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Martial Arts and Yoga, and the original source of many modern natural healing therapies. Ayurveda may come from ancient texts, but these principles are just as applicable in our society today, as they were when they were originally recorded in India. Land Pricing from $2250 per person.

North India Yoga Tours

The word yoga means 'union'. Yoga seeks to create balance in life through the asanas, proper diet, rest, meditation, good thoughts and action. The result is an optimum health, wisdom, creativity and peace of mind. Unlike the conventional exercise forms such as aerobics and weight training, yoga brings the mind and body into a mutual state of well-being balance, ease and vibrant alertness. Yoga is useful for achieving fitness in daily life and helps in prevention and cure of many diseases.

Yoga has been practiced in India since time immemorial. Travelers who come to India in search of mental peace and spirituality have achieved their purpose in the form of Yoga. By regularly practicing yoga, one can change its life style in the true sense of the term.

North India offers some great destinations, which are known as the hubs of practicing yoga. Rishikesh in the state of Uttaranchal is known to be the capital of Yoga. It is famous for the Ashrams where you can stay and practice yoga and meditation classes. Shivpuri is another venue of practicing yoga in Uttaranchal. The Shivpuri nature camp is renown for yoga camps along with jungle walks and campfires. Shivpuri also offers opportunity of river rafting on the Ganges.

Yoga helps in rejuvenating mind and soul and brings out the best in a person. Tourists from all across the world have been taking advantage of the Yoga and mediation techniques in India. Yoga Tour in North India includes destinations like Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Shivpuri etc., located in the lap of Himalayas.

Tours North India offers online information of North India Yoga Tours and offers online booking of North India Yoga Tours. For further information and reservation, please fill in the form below

Rishikesh - the Yoga Capital

Rishikesh is nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas along the northern banks of the River Ganga. Rishikesh is popular as a pilgrim destination for Hindus and is also called the land of God. Every year, north India receives spiritual pilgrim travelers in large number who visits destinations such as Rishikesh, Haridwar, and such other places.

Rishikesh is known to be the yoga capital of the world. In the 1970s, the famous music band Beatles visited Rishikesh Ashram to practice yoga under guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The legacy of their short visit still remains in Rishikesh.

There are many residential and non-residential ashrams, resorts and yoga schools in Rishikesh that teaches the techniques of this skill. Visitors from all around the world travel to this part of the country to learn this skill. Yoga courses in a number of different traditions are available to students of all levels at a price that even the budget travelers can afford.

Yoga is one the major tourist puller to Rishikesh along with other things like classes on classical dance forms like Kathak, Reiki healing and so on. The natural beauty of Rishikesh, the temples and ghats are other attractive things that pull tourists to this beautiful destination of India.

Other exciting things to be done at Rishikesh are river-rafting trips, trek to Gangotri-the source of the Ganges, Ayurvedic massages, or relax at the sandy beaches on the banks of the Ganges.

Shivpuri Yoga Tours

Yoga seeks to create balance in life through the asanas, proper diet, rest, meditation, good thoughts and action. Yoga is useful for achieving fitness in daily life and helps in prevention and cure of many diseases. Yoga has been practiced in India since time immemorial. By regularly practicing yoga, one can change its life style in the true sense of the term.

North India offers some great destinations, like Rishikesh, Shivpuri and Haridwar etc., which are known as the hubs of practicing yoga. The Shivpuri nature camp is renown for yoga camps along with jungle walks, river rafting and campfires. It is famous for the Ashrams and resorts that offer yoga and meditation classes. Tourists from all across the world come to India to take advantage of the Yoga and mediation techniques here.

There are many ashrams and resorts in Shivpuri that offers classes and camps on yoga and meditation techniques. These camps also provide residential facility to the outstation visitors and foreign tourists.

Shivpuri can be reached easily by air, rail or road routes. The nearest airport to Shivpuri is in Dehradun at a distance of about 50 km. Dehradun, the capital of Uttaranchal, is well connected with most other important cities by regular flights. The nearest railway station to Shivpuri is in Dehradun. There are regular bus services to Shivpuri from most cities in Uttaranchal and other north Indian states.

Yoga Tours to Haridwar

Yoga seeks to create balance in life through the asanas, proper diet, rest, meditation, good thoughts and action. Yoga results in optimum health, wisdom, creativity and peace of mind. Yoga is useful for achieving fitness in daily life and helps in prevention and cure of many diseases.

Yoga has been practiced in India since time immemorial. People all across the world visit India in search of mental peace and spirituality, which is achieved in the form of Yoga. By regularly practicing yoga, one can change their lifestyle in the true sense of the term.

Yoga Tour in North India offers you to go on a trip to Haridwar in Uttaranchal and many other destinations in North India. Along with recreating yourself in the picturesque beauty of the place, you can get rid of the stress in your life by practicing yoga and meditation.

Haridwar literally means 'gateway to God'. Haridwar is counted amongst the first few towns where Ganga emerges from the mountains to touch the plains.

There are many ashrams and resorts in Haridwar that offers classes and camps on yoga and meditation techniques. These camps also provide residential facility to the outstation visitors and foreign tourists.

Some of the interesting spots that can be visited in Haridwar include the Ghats on the banks of the River Ganges, ancient temples and the famous Har-ki-pauri for aarti in the evenings.