Dharana yoga (Sanskrit: धारणा योग) is translated as “collection or concentration of the mind (joined with the retention of breath)”, or “the act of holding, bearing, wearing, supporting, maintaining, retaining, keeping back (in remembrance), a good memory”, or “firmness, steadfastness, certainty”. This term is related to the verbal Sanskrit roots dha and ana, to hold, carry, maintain, resolve. Dharana is the noun. Dharana is the sixth limb of eight elucidated by Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga or Raja Yoga in his Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System also accepts and supports Yoga Sutra.
Definition of Dharana yoga
Dharana is the sixth of the Eight Limbs of Yoga as described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras. It refers to the concentration of the mind. Practicing Dharana yoga involves fixing the mind on a particular object — either external (such as an image or deity) or internal (such as a chakra). Dharana is a Sanskrit word that means “concentration.”
Meaning of Dharana yoga
The last three limbs of Ashtanga yoga — Dharana, Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (enlightenment) — are collectively referred to as sayyam, which means “control.” Patanjali explains Dharana yoga as the binding of attention to anything more than a single spot. He also states that the last three limbs should be considered together, as they are progressive stages of concentration.
The deepest stage of concentration
Practicing Dharana yoga leads the practitioner to Dhyana, which is the next stage of Ashtanga yoga. Dharana yoga is the practice of concentrating on a particular subject, and Dhyana is the state in which total concentration is achieved. This eventually leads to the eighth limb, samadhi, which is the deepest stage of concentration.
Choosing a calm place
To practice Dharana yoga, the individual should choose a calm place and assume a comfortable seated position. The eyes can be kept shut to focus on a chakra or mantra, or they can remain open to fix the vision and mind on an external object. Beginners can practice Dharana yoga for about 10 minutes, then increase the duration as they advance.
Focusing on the breath
Yoga can help an individual master the art of Dharana yoga because it involves focusing on the breath, body, or even a mantra. Regular practice of Dharana yoga enhances yoga practice by improving the practitioner’s ability to remain focused, no matter what they are doing. It trains the mind to remain calm and increases mental strength.
Dharana yoga meditation Techniques
To meditate we need concentration, and to develop concentration we use the Dharana yoga meditation technique. Indeed, the Dharana yoga meditation technique is one of the best meditations for concentration.
You may have heard about Dharana meditation from yoga. Your teacher may have told you that it is the sixth limb of Patanjali’s Eight Limbs of Yoga, defined in the Yoga Sutras. When we practice Dharana yoga meditation, we focus on one thing while avoiding distractions.
Dharana is one of the main types of meditation in yoga. It is also the entry point to yogic meditation because it is used to develop concentration. And without concentration, we can’t go very far in meditation.
How to practice Dharana yoga?
Are you ready to start meditating? Simply follow the following Dharana meditation script:
Sit comfortably with good posture
Because you practice yoga, you probably already have good posture. But it is worth checking. You should be sitting with a straight but relaxed spine. Tuck your chin down a tiny bit to gently lengthen your neck. You will want to close your eyes but obviously read this guide first.
You can practice Dharana by meditating on your breath, an object, or your own body. If meditating on an object, place the object about a meter in front of you. You should be looking directly ahead at the object. If you’re meditating on the breath, close your eyes but hold them still.
Breathe in and out
As with most meditation techniques, proper breathing is imperative. When you breathe from the diaphragm you help the mind to calm down. Diaphragmatic breathing reduces the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and heightens the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system. This helps you to relax. It also reduces the effects of cortisol, which helps with stress.
It is important not to control the breath. Yes, the breath will be deep and relaxed. But it will be deep because you are relaxing your mind. It is a secondary effect. Do not control your breath.
Focus on your meditation object
Dharana yoga meditation means to hold unimpeded focus on the meditation object.
Yoga teacher T.K.V. Desikachar says that in Dharana “The mind has reached the ability to be directed when directed toward a chosen object is possible in spite of many other potential objects within the reach of the individual.”
Meditate on your object. Hold your focus there. But don’t worry if you occasionally lose your concentration. In fact, this is normal. No one has perfect focus. Do not judge yourself.
Dealing with distracting thoughts
The trick to proper Dharana meditation practice is knowing how to handle thoughts and distractions.
Listen. Everyone experiences thoughts. If you experience thoughts, it does not mean you are failing. It just means you are human.
However, it is important to know how to handle thoughts. My advice is to simply let thoughts come and go as they will. You don’t want to fight them, repress them, or hold on to them. Just let them come and go.
You might find it helpful to take a trick from the Buddhist method Vipassana. Specifically, when you experience thoughts, label them. Tell yourself, “This is just a thought.” The same thing with feelings, “This is just a feeling.” And for external stimuli, you can say, “This is just a sound / visual / whatever the nature of the distraction is.”
Studies show that labeling thoughts and stimuli in this way make us less reactive to them. In other words, it will help you focus through distractions.
Tips on Dharana yoga practice
Don’t compare yourself to others
If you’re doing Dharana in a meditation studio you might be tempted to compare yourself to others. Don’t. You are a unique individual. Simply accept yourself and focus.
Be aware of your development
As you practice Dharana meditation you will gradually develop. At first, your concentration might be bad. That’s fine. Accept it. When you practice daily you will increase your focus. Take note of how far you have come.
You don’t need to be perfect
Too many meditators feel bad when their mind wanders. But guess what. Your mind naturally wanders all the time. If it happens while you’re meditating that’s fine. Just gently return your focus.
Pratyahara
If you struggle to focus it is probably because there is too much noise in your mind. To overcome this, practice Pratyahara techniques.
Practice on different objects
We normally meditate on the breath. However, you can meditate on anything you like. Try meditating on your body when doing asanas. And try meditating on crystals and other objects too.
Benefits of Dharana yoga
You’ll be happy to hear that there are lots of benefits of Dharana yoga meditation:
- Relaxation
- Stress relief
- Focus and concentration
- Productivity (because of increased focus)
- Inner peace
- Let’s experience yoga more mindfully
Relaxation and Stress
Probably the number one benefit of all meditation techniques is relaxation. You get home from a hard day’s work and want to chill. Sit and watch your breath. Relaxation comes naturally. Simple.
Deep meditative breathing reduces cortisol, reduces amygdala activity and sympathetic nervous system activity, and promotes parasympathetic nervous system activity. Basically, it helps you relax and reduces stress.
Focus and concentration
When we practice Dharana we focus on one thing. So naturally, this improves your concentration. And indeed, studies back this up. One study looked at the effect of Dhyana and Dharana yoga meditation practice.
Researchers state that the practice increases focus and attention.
For Yoga
Because you’re interested in Dharana yoga, I am going to assume you also practice yoga. And maybe you want to enjoy yoga more. If so, Dharana yoga meditation will help.
Have you ever gone to yoga class and been distracted by thoughts? Did those thoughts prevent you from enjoying your practice? If so, Dharana yoga is perfect. Why? Because it quietens your mind. Plus, it reduces ruminating thoughts and helps you focus through distractions. The result is that you will enjoy your yoga practice more.
Using focus to support Dharana Meditation
I hear so many students say, “I just can’t meditate,” and they are right. Without the ability to focus first, there is no meditation. This is where the baby steps come in. Start small and don’t beat yourself up. Some days you may not have the focus you want. Just take a moment to notice it and let it go. You can add the practice of detachment by incorporating the sentence “Isn’t that interesting.” Then there is no judgment, only observation infused with compassion.
One of the biggest pitfalls is the belief that in order to meditate there needs to be inner silence. It is a common misconception that we should not be thinking, and this will always backfire as we often start thinking about the fact that we are thinking! All this concentration is so stressful! Sometimes it is helpful to look at the activities you have engaged in before you sit for your practice. If you have been watching the news and having a morning cup of coffee then yes, focusing may be difficult. Developing a successful and regular practice can be easy to do, and it might be as simple as changing a few habits.
Frequently asked questions
Before posting your query, kindly go through them:
| What is the meaning of ‘Dharana’?
The last three limbs of Ashtanga yoga — Dharana, Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (enlightenment) — are collectively referred to as sayyam, which means “control.” Patanjali explains Dharana as the binding of attention to anything more than a single spot. He also states that the last three limbs should be considered together, as they are progressive stages of concentration. |
| Which is the deepest stage of Dharana?
Practicing Dharana leads the practitioner to Dhyana, which is the next stage of Ashtanga yoga. Dharana is the practice of concentrating on a particular subject, and Dhyana is the state in which total concentration is achieved. This eventually leads to the eighth limb, samadhi, which is the deepest stage of concentration. |
| How to focus on breathing?
Yoga can help an individual master the art of Dharana because it involves focusing on the breath, body, or even a mantra. Regular practice of Dharana enhances yoga practice by improving the practitioner’s ability to remain focused, no matter what they are doing. It trains the mind to remain calm and increases mental strength. |
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Thanks a lot for your kind attitude, SirJi. Have a great day!!
हम जब किसी भी विषय वस्तु का निरीक्षण करते हैं, तब उसकी आसपास की चीजों की अपेक्षा हम केवल उसी विषय वस्तु पर अपना लक्ष्य केंद्रित करते हैं। ‘इस संदर्भ में अर्जुन, द्रोणाचार्य और तोते की आंख, इस कथा से हम सभी परिचित हैं। इस कथा के अनुसार आसपास का हरा-भरा परिसर, वृक्ष लताओं से सुशोभित प्रकृति, इनकी अपेक्षा जिस पेड़ पर तोता बैठा था वही पेड़ और फिर पेड़ की अपेक्षा तोता और उसमें भी उस तोते की आंख, जिसपर अर्जुन ने केंद्रित किया हुआ लक्ष्य, हमें ‘धारणा’ क्या है? यह जानने हेतु उपयुक्त है। पातंजल योगसूत्र में पतंजली मुनी ने धारणा के बारे में ‘।देशबंध चित्तस्य धारणा।’ ऐसा वर्णन किया है। अपने चित्त को विचलित न होने देते हुए उसे विशिष्ट बात पर केंद्रित करना ही “धारणा” है।
योग साधक जब धारणा का अभ्यास करता है या अधिकाधिक समय धारणा में व्यतित करता है, तब जिस बात पर चित्त केंद्रित करना अपेक्षित है, वह बात पूर्णतया चित्त में उतर जाती हैं। संक्षेप में समझें तो, वह विषयवस्तू और चित्त एकरुप होते हैं। इसी अवस्था को पतंजली मुनी ‘ध्यान’ कहते हैं।
आगे चलकर जब साधक और विषयवस्तू में ‘मैं’ और ‘तू’ यह फरक शेष नहीं रहता, वह पूर्णतया एकरूप हो जाते हैं, ऐसी अवस्था को ‘समाधी’ कहते हैं।
पातंजल योग सूत्रों के अनुसार अंदाज से दो प्रकार दिखाई देते हैं। पहली अवस्था, समाधी अवस्था में जाने वाले साधक को स्वयं का ज्ञान होता है और वह स्वयं विचार, तर्क वितर्क, अस्मिता और आनंद इन विविध स्तरों पर उस अवस्था की अनुभूति लेते रहता है। इसे “संप्रज्ञात समाधी” कहा जाता है। जब उस योग साधक को स्वयं का ज्ञान व ध्यान नहीं रहता, वह पूर्णत: उन विषयवस्तूओं से एकरूप होता है, लीन हो जाता है, उसे ‘असंप्रज्ञात समाधी’ कहते हैं।
कई बार हम अनुभव करते हैं कि, कोई पुस्तक पढ़ने में, कोई गीत सुनने में या कोई चलचित्र (मुवी) देखने में हम इतना खो जाते हैं कि, हमारे पास खड़े होकर कोई मित्र या रिश्तेदार हमें आवाज देते रहते हैं और हम उसे सुन भी नहीं सकते। अंततः वह जवळच हमारे पास आकर कहने लगते हैं, ‘‘अरे, कितनी देर से आवाज दे रहे हैं, लेकिन तुम्हारा ध्यान ही नहीं है, समाधि वगैरह ले लिए हैं क्या?’’ उस समय हम चलचित्र या गित या पुस्तक से पूर्णतः एकरूप हो जाते हैं। व्यावहारिक दृष्टिकोण से देखा जाए तो, यह भी एक प्रकार से समाधि अवस्था ही है।
बिलकुल सही कहा, विशाल! धारणा से आगे की स्तिथी है – समाधी! अत्यंत रोचक और प्रेरित करने वाली है धारणा. अधिकतर विद्यार्थीयों को या साधकों को इसका अनुभव लेना आवश्यक है. अत्यंत लाभकारी होने के कारण हर व्यक्ति धारणा योग नियमित रूप से करें. केवल शारिरीक ही नहीं, बल्कि मानसिक और आध्यात्मिक आनंद प्राप्ती के लिए अत्यंत लाभकारी सिद्ध हुआ है – धारणा योग!!!
Thanks a lot for your kind attitude. Have a nice day!!