#6 Dharana - The Eight Limbs of Yoga

www.ekhartyoga.com
Dharana is the practice of one-pointed focus on an object, breath or sound. It is where we train the mind to concentrate and not go off in a million different directions, jumping from thought to thought, reacting, commenting and judging... When we are able to 'master' the mind, we are prepared for meditation.
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[@zeestacers]

This was a fantastic explanation and best that I have heard. Thank you so much!

[@saleemtobe-fit1533]

Very good information for beginners yogis

[@noemibernal4882]

I have finally understood dharana! Thank you!!!

[@patriciaszaraz]

Thank you!!! ❤️

[@poornimashenoy1205]

Thank you. You have put across a difficult concept in a clear manner. It requires active practice of each of your examples to experience dharana . Good effort . 👌💐

[@kironpaira7669]

Your description is simple and excellent.❤

[@jx14aby]

Wow! That was very well said. Thank you for the teaching. Gassho.

[@padamuthusandy9330]

jx14abywww.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/seeking-samadhi

[@poornimashenoy1205]

@@padamuthusandy9330 thank you. Link explains it in simple written English . 💐☺️

[@gyanpuri7503]

Its Dhaaranaa, not Dharaanaa

[@rekhajhilmeet4506]

WTF

[@kudtarkars8632]

Not trying to criticize. Just trying to help. - Meditation does NOT lead to liberation. Knowledge of the self leads you to liberation. - You CANNOT train the mind. The mind is separate from you. It has nothing to do with you. You can however, train attention. (which is what you refer to as focus). - Focus does not need intention. In fact relaxation and intention are contradictory. - Any intention like (want/don't want, like/dislike) will provide energy to the mind. - There is no Minds eye! But yes, you can focus on patterns of sounds, light, etc...

[@Vanderful_life]

how do you see your points after 3 years of self studies ? any significant update ?

[@kudtarkars8632]

@@Vanderful_lifeVery good question. Id rephrase some of these points. The structure of the “mind” is.. awareness >> Buddhi (intelligence) >> Memory >> Mind (thoughts and imagination) 1. The thing that needs change is called “Buddhi”. It is the intelligence aspect of mind. The Buddhi redirects awareness. It is the faculty of “knowing”. Only Buddhi when rewired, redirects or manages awareness flow. This steady flow is dharna. 2. You cannot train the mind because it is just a reflection. The mind is thoughts and imagination. It is recycled data. We cannot change or train this. 3. “Intention” is post Buddhi. It is in the memory bank of likes and dislikes. So it has nothing to do with energy 4. The mind is a dead function. Its like a TV that borrows data and electricity for it to work. It has no intelligence or energy of its own. 5. The one that understands this (in the intelligence) and transcends the Buddhi (the intelligence), effectively controlling the intelligence is called a Buddha.

[@kudtarkars8632]

@@Vanderful_life So self realization or liberation happens when the buddhi (intelligence) evolves enough to discriminate reality (awareness as self) Versus Untruth (I am the body/mind). This evolution of the buddhi happens through means that are outside of the buddhi. Like a Guru, or circumstances that the cosmic intelligence (God) puts us in. Meditation is a way to quiet the mind a bit so that self inquiry can happen. Self inquiry is training for the buddhi (done by buddhi) to start discriminating appropriately.

[@whynot1135]

"not trying to citicize"

[@ADUAquascaping]

Meditation is a tool used to become aware of the true self and gain clarity. Even DMT and mushrooms can do this as high tech tools. I experienced Samadhi and was beyond my mind. I stopped thinking. And right when I stopped thinking, I went into another dimension and felt pure bliss and joy. And laughed and laughed and cried with joy. Just like a madman; just like Buddha. I was totally sober too. It was the most profound experience of my life and I was completely sober. It happened near the end of my meditation session. As I gave up all thought and intention it occurred. Intention and no intention simultaneously. Practicing dharana and dhyana together until they merge and you enter the in between (the void).

[@sonjasilver55]

Plaese be aware of constant using THE word uh uh uh.

[@sawtoothiandi]

@What it means to be Human "Plaese" is spelled "Please" ;-)