Meditation: Candle

Gazing into a candle flame is one of the simplest meditations.

Place a candle in a safe place about a foot in front of you. Make sure you can look at it without compromising your posture. Sitting at a table is often the best position for this meditation.
Light the candle.
Ground and centre.
Look at the flame and pay attention to it: the colours, the movement, and the still place in the centre.
You will have thoughts — let them go without worrying about them and bring your attention back to the candle.
If you wish, you can choose to close your eyes, holding the image of the candle flame in your mind’s eye.

This meditation helps to quiet your thoughts and calm your mind. It’s also very pretty.

Meditation is most useful when practised every day, even for short periods of time.

A candle is a useful focus for meditation because it moves slightly all the time, making it easier to keep your attention on it. However, you may choose to use any object: a flower, a marble, a crystal, a bead... Whatever works for you.

If you associate certain colours with particular moods or states of being, you may like to choose candles or objects of those colours to meditate with.