The final stage of yoga, samadhi, or spiritual illumination, is the goal of the yogi’s quest. At the peak of meditation, the aspirant passes into the state of samadhi, where the thought of duality no longer exists, consciousness becomes one with the experienced object, and the mind becomes still and one-pointed. The yogi’s body and senses are at rest as if he is asleep. His faculties of mind and reason are alert as if he is awake, yet he has gone beyond consciousness into bliss. The person in samadhi has no sense of ‘I’ as if being separate from the Eternal. When in the state of samadhi, the yogi has attained true Yoga where there is only the experience of consciousness, the truth and indescribable joy.
Pantanjali, the compiler of the Yoga Sutras, states that it is no of use to attempt meditation without mastering concentration. Without these first two, it is impossible to progress to samadhi, a state of liberation from reality into a subtle and highly spiritual experience.
It is important to note that Patanjali’s system for reaching enlightenment is in itself an acknowledgement that even if enlightenment has been achieved, once the work is abandoned, enlightenment will slip away. This is our guidance to practice all eight limbs of yoga with devotional regularity.
Namaste.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Dhyana, The Seventh Limb of Yoga
In Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar likens the analogy of water taking the shape of its container to the mind being transformed into the shape of the object it is contemplating. This elicits an important truth: that which we dwell on in our minds becomes how and who we are.
Dhyana is absolute concentration upon a point of focus with the intention of knowing the truth about it. Therefore, dhyana is meditation or perfect contemplation.
Just as dharana (complete concentration) is tethered to pratyahara (sense control) in that the aforementioned cannot take place without the latter being acquired, we must realize the correlation between dharna and dhyana (meditation). Dharana must precede dhyana so as to teach the mind to focus and contact the object of concentration. In the stage of dhyana, the meditator becomes one with the object of meditation.
In yoga, meditation is devotion to and worship of the Divine. Keeping in mind that we become our thoughts, we should thus strive to keep our meditations focused on the Supreme, the Light, the Universal Spirit…PURE LOVE.
Namaste.
Dhyana is absolute concentration upon a point of focus with the intention of knowing the truth about it. Therefore, dhyana is meditation or perfect contemplation.
Just as dharana (complete concentration) is tethered to pratyahara (sense control) in that the aforementioned cannot take place without the latter being acquired, we must realize the correlation between dharna and dhyana (meditation). Dharana must precede dhyana so as to teach the mind to focus and contact the object of concentration. In the stage of dhyana, the meditator becomes one with the object of meditation.
In yoga, meditation is devotion to and worship of the Divine. Keeping in mind that we become our thoughts, we should thus strive to keep our meditations focused on the Supreme, the Light, the Universal Spirit…PURE LOVE.
Namaste.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Dharana, The Sixth Limb of Yoga
Dharana is concentration without any disturbances, creating conditions for the mind to focus all its attention in one direction. It is practiced with the intention of spiritual renewal and recalling our oneness with The Infinite.
Usually our minds are paying attention to many different things at once. As soon as our senses become stimulated they pull our attention in many directions. As our minds wander from one stimulus to another we become reactive emotionally, hormonally and energetically.
The first thing to do in order to achieve meditation is learn pratyahara, control of the senses. The mind must be mastered and senses withdrawn in order to truly meditate. This is not an easy thing as the senses and mind have been our masters for so long.
Next, we work toward being able to concentrate and keep the mind from roaming for some length of time. It is best to be situated in an area with as little distraction as possible. Begin focusing the mind on one object. Our attention will get diverted over and over again. As disturbances arise it is best to just notice and then kindly dismiss them. As with most practices, the more we do it, the more skilled we become.
The purpose of dharana is to steady and gain control of the mind. When we reach the point of maintaining complete focus uninterrupted, we are engaged in dharana.
Namaste.
Usually our minds are paying attention to many different things at once. As soon as our senses become stimulated they pull our attention in many directions. As our minds wander from one stimulus to another we become reactive emotionally, hormonally and energetically.
The first thing to do in order to achieve meditation is learn pratyahara, control of the senses. The mind must be mastered and senses withdrawn in order to truly meditate. This is not an easy thing as the senses and mind have been our masters for so long.
Next, we work toward being able to concentrate and keep the mind from roaming for some length of time. It is best to be situated in an area with as little distraction as possible. Begin focusing the mind on one object. Our attention will get diverted over and over again. As disturbances arise it is best to just notice and then kindly dismiss them. As with most practices, the more we do it, the more skilled we become.
The purpose of dharana is to steady and gain control of the mind. When we reach the point of maintaining complete focus uninterrupted, we are engaged in dharana.
Namaste.
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