WINTER SOLSTICE

Meditation on the Flame

Set the Space: Sit on a sheepskin, on a wool carpet or on wood. These materials help balance your electromagnetic field during the meditation. Cover your back and spine with a light meditation shawl or blanket. During this meditation, it is common to experience the temperature of the body suddenly drop. The shawl keeps the spine warm.

Place a candle flame at the height of the root of your nose, the third-eye point. Set the flame at a distance of 7 feet from you. Sit in easy pose or lotus pose. Put both hands in gyan mudra (index fingers and thumbs touch) relaxed over the knees with the elbows straight and sit with the spine straight.

Meditation: Open the eyes wide. Then close the lower and upper eyelids about equally. This is called "snake-eyes". If the eyelids are in the correct position it will seem easy to lock them open without blinking. Focus on the flame. See the area just under the hottest part where there seems to be a dark spot.

Let your breath become very light, long and meditative. The flame will seem to become multi-dimensional. The nerves will adjust and the gaze will become steady. At that point the flame will "talk to you". It will impart intuitions and thought as the mind clears itself.

As you continue to gaze, mentally bring the flame to the third eye point. Feel and visualize it burning and shining there. Then take the mental flame to a distance behind the head equal to the distance the physical flame is in front of the head. Imagine the light and the heat from that location. This practice will open the intuition and the third eye. Continue this meditation for 6 to 31 minutes.

Part II: Inhale deeply, close the eyelids and put the image of the flame at the brow point. Concentrate on that image. Let the breath relax and continue to meditate at the brow point for 3 minutes. Then relax completely.

Originally taught March 1972