A Thousand Candles

Gautama Siddhartha, the Buddha, is believed to have said that thousands of candles can be lit from a single flame without shortening the life of the original candle. An individual candle, the meditator, shines more brightly when meditating as a concentrating exercise. Simply sit still and focus attention on an object; a candle is a flickering reminder to bring your attention back to its flame every time your mind wanders. This is the basic practice of any meditation method because the mind skips around and thinks distracting thoughts as a default and must be trained to concentrate.

Secular and Spiritual Candle Meditation

Candles have spiritual significance in many cultures and are used symbolically in many religions. Christian Advent wreaths, the Hindu Diwali festival and Jewish Hanukkah menorahs are examples of spiritual celebrations of light. A candle meditation may evoke the teachings of specific faiths or simply help the one meditating to access a deeper understanding of life and spirit or soul. Create a dark, quiet space with a comfortable seat or cushion and light a candle to burn at eye level or slightly below when you are seated with your back straight. Look at the candle, relax your face, keep your vision steady and let your eyes soften while retaining your focus on the flame. Breathe in, imagining you are breathing in light. Breathe out, releasing the light. Your vision will home in on the flame as your mind becomes still and you access a meditative state.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation, based on traditional Vipassana practices, returns your attention to the present moment, training your awareness to discriminate between distracted "thought chatter" and one-pointedness, or deep focus. Some medical clinics use mindfulness as a stress-reduction technique. Create a dedicated place for meditation, with an altar or table to hold a flower, items from nature, a statue or photograph of a deity, incense and a candle or tea light. The candle has multiple purposes in your meditation space. It provides a resting place for your eyes; helps renew focus if your mind wanders; symbolizes the light of dhamma, the lessons of enlightenment taught by the Buddha; and signifies your meditation is in progress.

Candles, Chakras and Chromotherapy

Color therapy, or chromotherapy, is an ancient healing practice that assigns colors of the visible spectrum to cure disease. It is vibrational healing that stimulates the body's systems toward balance; different colors vibrate at different frequencies. The energy waves of color affect the autonomic nervous system and the release of healing and hormones. Alternative medical treatments such as Reiki, chakra balancing and energy healing use colors to cleanse the body and mind, and promote higher consciousness. Choose candle colors to intensify meditation. White clears negativity and purifies; red is strengthening and grounding; yellow boosts clairvoyance and memory; purple and indigo enhance intuition, psychic awareness and connection to the spirit world.