The Bindu Yoga

Bindu Yoga is an important and simple Sadhana like the Hansa Yoga and it also serves as a supplement to the latter and to many other spiritual practices because it deals with meditation upon the sacred glow of the supreme consciousness existing in the soul. In this yoga, the Sadhaka first concentrates on the visible light through Trataka and by deepening his meditation gradually experiences the illumination of the inner body to visualize the manifestation of divine spark in it.

In the initial stages of this yoga the practice of Trataka is repeated. After sufficient progress in Trataka the meditation on the spot of light becomes possible even without the help of any external source of light such as a candle or lamp.

The Bindu yoga is a high level Sadhana which falls next to the Soaham Sadhana in terms of the simplicity of practicing in daily life. Likewise the Soaham Sadhana, everybody can perform it without any risk or difficulties of strict disciplines.

In the daily practice of the Bindu yoga, the Sadhaka sits in a Dhyana Mudra (posture of meditation) in a calm state of the body and the mind with erect spinal cord and closed eyes. His legs are cross folded so as to make a posture of Sukhasana or Padmasana and both the hands are kept on the lap with the right palm above the left (Lord Buddha is often depicted in this posture in this posture in his idols and pictures). The Sadhaka then concentrates to 'perceive' a bright spot in the central portion of the forehead right above the gap between the eyebrows. Deeper core behind this center is defined to be the location of the Ajna Cakra. The Sadhaka should initially practice the Trataka in order to perform this meditation properly.

In the practice of a Trataka, the Sadhaka keeps a lamp (of oil or ghee) or a candle in front of the eyes - at a distance of about 3 to 4 feet and keeps the eyes half-open. The position of the lamp is set up to the height of the Sadhaka's chest when he is sitting  in the posture as described above, so that he could look at the tip of the flame without the bending his head. The Sadhaka's eyes gaze steadily at the bright spot without blinking for few seconds. He then closes the eyes to visualize the image of this glow at the position of the Ajna Cakra.

After few seconds, he again opens the eyes slightly and looks at the flame. The above process is repeated successively at increased stretched of times - ranging from two to twenty minutes per day. Initially the light spot appears to be blue-red and unstable once the eyes are closed. But, as the Sadhaka's concentration improves, it becomes as bright and stable as the flame (or the object of light) kept in front of the Sadhaka.

The morning times are usually recommended for performing a Trataka because the mind and the body are both fresh during this period. The atmosphere is relatively cool during these hours of the day and thus prevents the possibility of 'heating up' of the head due to deep engrossment and direct and continuous vision of light.

Once the practice of Trataka is perfected, the Sadhaka begins to see a bright spot inside the center of his forehead without the help of a lamp or any other source of light…… Upon reaching this state, the Cakra and feel that its glow is gradually expanding and illuminating the surrounding portion of the brain.

In an electric lamp, the central filament radiates first and its glow spreads in the surrounding gas and illuminates the entire globe of the bulb and the outside too. Vision (by closed eyes) of a similar spark and expansion of this 'mental radiance' is striven in this second phase (after Trataka) of the Bindu yoga. The duration of this phase should be kept about 5 to 10 minutes initially which may be extended gradually along with the consecutive (third) phase to about 30 minutes.