Dharana Tradition

We continue our journey through ashtanga ( sanskrit for The Eight Limbs of Yoga), which Patanjali outlined in his Yoga Sutras. Dharana is the 6th Limb and each of the past five Limbs have been building upon each other in order to prepare for this next step.

First were the Yamas and Niyamas giving us a list of five restraints and five observances. Then next was asana, the physical movement of the body and pranayama with breath work.

Then with Pratyahara we continue the journey inward by dulling the senses. Through doing so we can then focus our full attention inward. That is when the work of Dharana can begin. It is the act of concentration. No big deal, something you have done many times before. This time though, it has added intention.

Having done the other 5 previous steps in the process we have stripped away all outer sensation and are freed to turn 100% of our attention towards something. In Dharana we take that attention and slow down the thinking process by concentrating on a single thing. Not necessarily an object per se, more like a deity, or the repetition of a sound in your head.

This is the work that is the precursor of meditation. It leaves you fully ripened and ready to slip away into meditation, which (spoiler alert) is the next step on this yogic path.

So how do we take this work and apply it to our real life? Having a dedicated meditative life takes work. You have to carve out the time and make space for such a thing to come into fruition. It all starts with baby steps, like just showing up on the mat. These things will naturally occur if you have a regular yoga practice with a yoga teacher who ascribes to the spiritual principles that are the foundation of yoga. You can search for teachers of different traditions and school local to your area. I highly recommend anyone trained at The Kripalu School of Yoga (my alma mater) because The 8 Limb Path is the foundation of their teaching pedagogy.

Then there becomes a time when you are ready to take that work further and really dive into a meditative practice and you can find local meditation centers or online group to help you further your own practice.

I wish you luck on your yogic journey. And as always know I am always here for you if you have any questions.