meditation and samadhi (absorption) in yoga sutras of patanjali

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Eight Limbs of Yoga(Yoga Sutras of Patanjali)

Focus on: MeditationDharana, Dhyana, Samadhi

(Concentration, Meditation and Samadhi)

Subhash MittalIntegral Yoga Studio

www.integralyogastudio.com 919-926-9717 www.yogawithsubhash.comsubhash@yogawithsubhash.com

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Invocation to Sage Patanjali

योगेन चित्तस्य पदेन वािाां | मऱां शरीरस्य ि वदै्यकेन || योऽपाकरोत्तां प्रवरां मनुीनाां | पतञ्जलऱां प्राञ्जलऱरानतोऽस्स्म ||yogena chittasya padena vAchAM | malaM sharIrasya cha

vaidyakena ||

yo.apAkarottaM pravaraM munInAM | pata~njaliMprA~njalirAnato.asmi ||

"I respectfully bow down with folded hands and offer my salutations to Sage Patanjali, the highest among the Munis(sages), who has presented the remedies for removing the impurities of the body through his treatise on Ayurveda, of language through his treatise on grammar (PatanjalaMahabhashya) and the impurities of the Chitta (mind field) through his treatise on Yoga (Yoga Sutras of Patanjali)."

Outline

• Gentle stretching and pranayama practice• Some background information• What is “dharana” (concentration)?• What is “dhyana” (meditation)?• What is “samadhi”?• Sutras explained• Guidelines for meditation• Benefits of meditation• Guided meditation

Background Information

• Overview of yoga sutras

• Why the eight limbs of yoga?

• Limbs of yoga covered so far:

– Yamas and Niyamas (ethical and moral guidelines)

– Asana (physical posture)

– Pranayama (Breathing techniques)

– Pratyahara (Sense withdrawal)

States of the Mind

• scattered (Kshipta): normal during the waking state, mind constantly moving around

• dull (moodha): sleepy, lethargic, dull, “my brain is fried!”

• partially focused (vikshipta): early stages in meditation – mind strays from object of meditation

• one-pointed (ekagra): able to hold focus on a single object for some length of time

• fully arrested (niruddha): mind is completely one-pointed and focused

What is Dharana (concentration)?

Concentration is the confining of the mind within a limited mental area (0bject of concentration)

– Sutra 3.1

• Focus on physical object, location on body (third eye, tip of nose, one of the chakras) or mental image

• Mind stays focused for a short duration and gets distracted

What is Dhyana (Meditation)?

Uninterrupted flow (of the mind) towards the object (chosen for meditation) is

contemplation – Sutra 3.2

• Mind focused on a single object for a length of time

• Concentration fluctuates between different aspects of the same object

• I-sense remains (“I am meditating”)

What is Samadhi?

During contemplation when consciousness only of the object of meditation remains and not of

itself (the mind) is Samadhi – Sutra 3.3

• Total absorption in the object of meditation

• I-sense dissolved; observer and the act of meditation merged with the object of meditation

Samyama

The three – dharana, dhyana and samadhi –together constitute Samyama – Sutra 3.4

• Dharana, dhyana and samadhi are a continuum of the same process

• Gradual transformation of the level of concentration and elimination of other thoughts

• Many ‘supernatural’ powers, based on practice of “samyama”, mentioned in Chapter 3

Stages of Meditation/Samadhi

• Savitarka (concentrate on gross objects)

• Nirvitarka (go beyond gross objects)

• Savichara (concentrate on subtle objects)

• Nirvichara (go beyond subtle objects)

• Ananda (concentrate on bliss)

• Asmita (concentrate on the pure I-sense)

Guidelines for Meditation

• Practice meditation on an empty stomach, in the early hours of the morning. Time permitting, practice in the evening as well.

• Find a clean, quiet area, away from door bells, telephones or other distractions, for meditation. Use the same location everyday.

• In the Hatha Yoga tradition, meditation is usually practiced after performing asana (physical postures), relaxation and pranayama(breathing techniques). As a result of these practices, the body and mind are better prepared for meditation.

• Avoid meditation when the mind is agitated or emotionally disturbed• Use any comfortable sitting posture for meditation. If sitting on the floor is

uncomfortable, sit in a chair or rest the back against a wall.• During meditation, maintain a perfectly still body with the spine upright,

shoulders relaxed and the hands resting comfortably on the knees or thighs.

• The recommended duration for meditation is 20 to 30 minutes. The duration can be adjusted up or down depending upon the availability of time.

Benefits of Meditation

• Reduces hypertension

• Improves health of the heart, blood vessels

• Slows down aging

• Provides stress relief

• Reduces anxiety and depression

• Improves memory, creativity and productivity

• Provides deep relaxation for body and mind

How to prepare for Meditation

• Some techniques to control the senses and quiet the mind:

– Trataka (candle gazing)

– Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep – deep relaxation)

– Breath awareness – allow the breath to become calm and subtle

– Slow deep breathing (e.g., Naadi Shuddhi –alternate nostril breathing)

Guided Meditation

• Pratyahara (sense withdrawal) based guided meditation

– Bringing awareness to each of the five senses, one at a time

– Focusing on breath awareness

– Using the technique of dharana and meditation on the chosen object of meditation

Closing Remarks

• Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi are critically important limbs to achieve “chitta vrittinirodhah” (control of fluctuations of mind)

• Techniques like pranayama, yoga nidra and ‘pratyahara meditation’ are excellent preparatory practices for meditation

• Daily practice brings a number of benefits

• Huge amount of research supports benefits of meditation