The humble yet ubiquitous candle is seen casting its healing light and infusing its surrounds with a myriad of therapeutic scents. In places of worship, in spas, to many a table atop a celebratory cake, to memorials in cemeteries and to fallen soldiers and impromptu roadside dedications to show solidarity in the aftermath of tragedies, the candle has become a universal symbol of prayer, of worship, of remembrance, of healing, of romance, of celebration and of gratitude.

Due to it’s popularity and quite frankly it’s indispensability candles are big business. The consumer’s insatiable appetite for candles means that designers and manufacturers constantly churn out new vessel designs to present candles in and new scents to delight the olfactory receptors.

From the kitsch and gimmicky to the elegant and classy, candles are marketed and sold in all shapes, sizes, color and perfume. Yet its purposes are noble, simple and basic. It is light giver, healer, meditation facilitator, delight generator, decor enhancer.

The allure of the flickering light of a candle it turns out is not accidental and explains why I am repeatedly drawn to its enigmatic glow and also to the many satisfying perfumes and therapeutic essential oil aromas that candles are infused with.

Candles are purported to have their origins in ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago with Egyptians using them as torches and rushlights. Candles are integral to our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness and whilst they are no longer used as a primary source of light, they are an essential part of daily life.

Candles as a source of wellness

Candles and Spirituality

Candles are regarded as having their ‘own particular force field’ and said to conduct and re-direct spiritual energy that has gone off course.

Aside from the well known ability to create an atmosphere that is conducive to prayer, meditation and other activities of deep reflection and connection with the divine, candles lit in different colours are purported to represent different spiritual energies that can powerfully support one in endeavors to transform various situations of concern in one’s life.

Different colored candles when incorporated in one’s meditation practice means the following:

Pink – represents love, forgiveness and compassion

Sapphire blue stands for healing

Purple signals peace and healing

Bright orange is for motivation and enthusiasm

Powder blue represents creative inspiration

Emerald green is useful to bring back balance and harmony.

Yellow helps restore concentration and focus

A combination of orange and blue for purification and regeneration.

Gold colored candles are lit to grow strength, confidence, faith and wisdom.

White candles represent peace, serenity and enhances personal strength and insight

From star gazing to candle gazing

‘Pink Noise’ whilst similar to ‘White Noise’ has a lower frequency and is a source of relaxation for most. The soothing quality of pink noise comes from the equal energy per octave that it possesses.

Therefore when a candle is burned, it generates its calming pink noise which when combined with a gentle dancing flame can have a therapeutic effect. Focusing on the rhythmic flicker of the flame of a candle is akin to gazing at twinkling stars or the gentle trickle of water in rivers, rain and fountains. It is regarded as a good way to de-compress.

As one of yoga’s meditation and mindfulness exercises Trakata is the practice of candle gazing.

‘Trakata’ as a yoga practice is said to be effective when done first thing in the morning or last thing before retiring for the day to sleep at night.

Candle gazing is said to have a number of benefits such as:

• Improving concentration and productivity levels – by practicing focus on a flame preferably in a dark room, the eye only sees the flame and the consciousness that meditates entirely on the flame. When practiced regularly, it can encourage mono-focus and mindfulness.

• Candle gazing is believed to have a cleansing effect on our eyes, encouraging concentration. This yoga technique for the visual senses is through practice, believed to help provide peace and clarity. This inner peace in turn helps navigate emotional, mental and behavioral challenges more effectively. It relieves anxiety, depression and promotes deep more relaxed sleep.

• Trakata is known to revitalize energy, giving us a greater sense of purpose, vision, self-confidence and more determination to proceed with a course of action without self-doubt.

• It is claimed that Trakata brings peace and inner calm helping us become better focused. The art of focusing on a flickering candle flame is said to strengthen eye muscles thereby helping maintain eye health.

• Trakata as a yoga practice is considered to be good for developing patience and will power because when attempting to focus on a flickering flame the mind invariably resists the aim to remain

Whilst I have touched on their use in helping us embrace the spiritual and on the yoga practice of Trakata, there is so much more that candles bring to our lives.

These humble creations are impressive in their use – from decorating a home, to celebrating a birthday, engagement, wedding and remembering those who have left their earthly abode to burning them to enhance our own spirituality, our physical health and our mental and emotional well being, there is no denying their indispensability to our everyday lives.

May you always keep a candle close by so that it can be lit to cast its healing glow for you and on you. May the candle’s healing flame illuminate dark paths to lead you towards the light and towards inner peace, calm and clarity.