Review of the Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga - Dharana
Over the years of practicing yoga asana (the physical yoga poses in a yoga class we work on), I realized that doing the yoga poses was only a small part of understanding what yoga is and teaching us. Yoga in Sanskrit means union. Gurus, monks, and spiritual aspirants throughout the centuries developed and passed down their knowledge and instructions with one goal: Through stilling the mind, we can find union with the divine source.
“Yoga is the cessation of thought waves in the mind” Sage Patañjali, Yoga Sutras.
The thought progression of the discipline of yoga is this: The practices of yoga (sadhana) purify the mind and body to develop concentration > Perfect concentration leads to a thoughtless mind and superconsciousness (samadhi) > Higher consciousness brings knowledge of reality and peace.
Sage Patañjali prescribed a process to achieve inner peace in a collection of writings called the Yoga Sutras. He described this process as having eight parts or “limbs”; thus, the system is called Ashtanga (ashta = eight, anga = limb) Yoga.
The eight limbs are:
Yama (restraints)
Niyama (observances)
Asana (posture, seat)
Pranayama (control of prana, breath)
Pratyahara (withdrawing the mind from sense perception)
Dharana (concentration)
Dhyana (meditation)
Samadhi (superconsciousness)
Dharana
Translation: “holding steady” “fixed attention - a state of mental concentration on an object without wavering.”
Photo by Paul Skorupskas on Unsplash
The subtlety between withdrawing our senses, focusing our concentration, and reaching a meditative state may be difficult to discern when beginning a regular meditation practice. The three limbs of Eight Limbed Ashtanga Yoga Pratyahara (withdrawing of the senses, that you can read about here), Dharana and Dhyana (meditation) are related and play well together. In context to the Yoga Sutras, dharana is the practice of focusing on a single point and allowing all other thoughts to dissolve or fall away from your mind. Another common grouping of the Eight Limbs is Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. It is possible to combine these three practices together simultaneously, and if you can achieve that, it is called Samyama (“binding, integration”).
Practicing dharana can be literal: There is a purifying technique called Trataka ("look, gaze"), which involves staring at a single point or object. You can draw a black dot on a sheet of paper and attach that at eye level about one metre away from you. You could also light a candle and place that at eye level at the same distance. The practice is to simply stare at the object, unblinking, until your eyes begin to water. Once your eyes water, you close your eyes and concentrate on the after image that appears in your mind’s eye. If the image fades, you can reopen your eyes and begin the process again. You could perform this practice for ten to twenty minutes. More austere practitioners may try to keep their eyes open for much longer and practice for up to forty minutes, but I would recommend that only under the watchful eye of a teacher.
Photo by PhotographyCourse on Unsplash
There are non-visual ways to concentrate as well. Focusing your attention on the Ajna Chakra (third eye) is a popular point of concentration. Another focal point is by following the breath in and out of your body. We can also visualize things that we love in our mind’s eye. If there is a scene, image, or song that can bring you joy, happiness and harmony, then that may be beneficial to you. You can bring them forward in your mind’s eye or provide yourself with an image or recording of that song/moment to inspire you.
Although the Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga speak to the lofty goal of attaining union or samadhi with the universe, practicing dharana can have a few practical benefits. The purpose of this practice is to train your brain into letting go of distracting thoughts. In modern Western society, our minds have become adept at jumping from topic to topic and technology to technology. Our bodies are constantly bombarded with sensory input from banner-filled screens, to signs and advertising everywhere, to listening to traffic and music in places as we move about our day. Training our minds to focus on one thing for thirty to forty-five minutes can help us be more productive and efficient with our time. Practicing to be “in the moment” can benefit you by being more present when focusing on yourself or your loved ones. Being fully immersed in your current task brings clarity of mind, the absence of doubt, and fuels us to remain focused on what we consider a priority.
Dharana can also help us with our self-care and mental health because dharana is about the practice of controlling what your mind focuses on instead of thinking you can’t help what you think. Finding your flow is where dharana shines.