Safety: Mindful Candle Gazing Meditation Practices
Candle light and candle gazing are common in many spiritual and religious practices. After many fire-related losses, religious organizations have found ways to maintain the practice and reduce liability related to accidental fires. The National Candle 
Association is also quite aware that their products include some risk. Therefore, the association has published guidelines for safety in the use of candles. Their modified list appears below.
To enhance safety with using candle in spiritual and religious activities, follow these rule for better safety.
- Alway maintain visual contact and remain physically near when burning candles.
- Never use candles near anything that may catch fire.
- Keep children and pets away from burning candles.
- Trim down the wick to 1/4 inch before lighting a candle.
- Use sturdy metal or glass candle holders.
- Be sure candles (in their holders) are used only on heat-resistant surfaces.
- Make sure the wax pool cannot be set aflame.
- Be certain to use candles only where there are no air current.
- Use candles only in well ventilated rooms.
- Never burn candles all the way to their ends.
- Do not touch or move a candle when wax is in hot liquid form.
- Do not burn candles within 4 inches of each other.
- Use a candle snuffer to put out a candle.
- Do not use water to put out a candle.
- Take special precautions if you are using candles in a power outage.
- Before leaving the candle be certain the wick is no longer glowing.
- Be sure to extinguish a candle if it burns to high, too hot, flickers, or smokes.
- Never, never use a candle as a night light or reading light.
- Now that you have safety rules, enjoy your candle gazing meditation practices.
- Practice candle gazing meditation (Tratak) often – enjoy its special qualities.
By Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC
From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont
Author of Mindful Happiness
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