The sixth limb or anga of yoga is dharana, concentration.
In dharana, you concentrate or focus your attention on a suitable object of meditation.
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines dharana as desha-bandhah cittasya,
literally, fixing your mind at a particular place, that is, on an object of meditation.
When referring to objects of meditation, Patanjali and most traditional teachers use the word,
alambana. Alambana means support, in the sense of that which props up or sustains your practice of
meditation. Alambana also means hanging. In this sense, alambana is what you hang on to
to prevent your mind from wandering. Many objects or alambanas can be used for meditation,
including sacred images, sounds, mantras, and so on. At first, it's helpful to start with physical,
tangible things that are easy to grasp and hold on to with your mind.
Then later, you can proceed to things that are more subtle, like mental images and mantras.
A good place to start is with the practice of trataka or yogic gazing. Basically,
trataka is continuously looking at a particular object and concentrating your attention on it.
Traditional manuals on hatha yoga prescribe staring at an object without blinking
until your eyes water. That's done for the sake of cleansing your eyes and strengthening your
power of sight. But the purpose of this lesson is to strengthen your power of concentration,
so staring for a long time without blinking isn't necessary.
Many objects can be used for the practice of trataka. Very often, a candle flame is used.
But there are many other options, like the familiar symbol that represents the sound,
om. Or a personally meaningful deity, a sacred figure made of bronze, wood,
or stone. You could also use a geometric form like a mandala or yantra, even if you haven't
yet learned all the associated symbolism. A beautiful flower is preferred by some people.
Other options include a picture of your favorite deity, or of a guru you love and respect.
Some teachers recommend using a mirror and concentrating on the reflection of your right
eye. You can also practice trataka outside, if the weather permits. You can look at a beautiful lake,
a flowing river, or a single tree in your backyard.
At night, you can gaze at the shimmering moon, or a single twinkling star.
Before we begin the guided meditation exercise, you'll need to choose a suitable
object and place it in front of you in the location you usually use for meditation.
Then when you're ready, you can listen to this exercise using a laptop computer,
a tablet, or a mobile device like your phone. This exercise is also available as a podcast
or download from our website using the links in the video description below.
I hope you are now seated comfortably in a suitable place. This exercise will take
about 10 minutes. First, sit with a proper posture as we discussed before,
close your eyes gently, and take a deep breath to get settled down.
Now, make a sankalpa to affirm your intention and commitment to meditate. Acknowledge the fact that
you have many unfulfilled responsibilities and issues that need to be addressed. Since
you don't want to be distracted by those things during this meditation, you can give yourself
permission now, to set all those concerns aside, just for the next 10 minutes.
Next, we'll perform the progressive relaxation exercise, like in previous lessons.
Start by turning your attention to your feet. Become aware of sensations there.
Notice the sense of pressure as your feet press down. Notice the touch of your clothing
and feelings of warmth or coolness. Now, become aware of any tension that might be held
in the muscles of your feet. And let go of that tension. Allow those muscles to relax completely.
Next, turn your attention to your ankles and calves. Notice sensations of pressure,
the touch of your clothing, warmth or coolness. Become aware of any tension held in the muscles of
your ankles and calves, and let go of that tension completely. Next, turn to your knees and thighs.
Notice the weight of your hands or arms where they rest. Notice any other sensations.
Become aware of any tension held in your knees and thighs, and let go of that tension completely.
Next, turn to the trunk of your body. Feel the weight of your body pressing down.
Feel the firmness of the seat beneath you. Let go of any tension.
Next, turn to your lower back and stomach, together. Become aware of sensations.
Let go of any tension. Now turn to your upper back and chest.
Become aware of sensations, and let go of any tension.
Now, your shoulders, arms, and hands. Become aware of sensations and let go of any tension.
Finally, your neck, face, the muscles around your eyes, at your temples,
and across your forehead. Let go of any tension.
Slowly open your eyes now and with a very soft gaze, look at your chosen object.
Don't strain your eyes. Blink normally to avoid burning sensations or dryness in your eyes. Keep
the muscles around your eyes completely relaxed to maintain a very soft gaze. If the object goes
out of focus and gets a bit blurry, that's OK, as long as you don't focus on anything else.
Continue to gaze at the object, very softly, blinking normally. Notice its shape, its features,
its colors. But, avoid making any mental comments about it. Don't think about the object, just
observe at it. Try to perceive it without words, without mental comments.
Continue to gaze very softly at the object. When your mind wanders or starts to think
about the object, here's how to respond. First, take note of where your mind has wandered or what
it's thinking about. Then, remind yourself that you want to develop your power of concentration
by keeping your attention focused on the object alone. Finally, bring your attention
back to the object and continue to observe it without words or mental comments.
Continue to gaze very softly at the object. Try to perceive it without words or mental
comments. Every time your mind wanders, gently bring your attention back to the object.
Now in the next part of this exercise, close your eyes and try to see the object's image in
your mind. Use your power of imagination to envision it as vividly as possible.
Focus your attention on the mental image and observe it without words
or mental comments. When the image fades or your mind begins to wander,
open your eyes and look at the physical object before you. After a while, when your attention is
again focused on the object, close your eyes, and continue to observe its image in your mind.
Continue to observe the image of the object in your mind. Whenever the image fades
or your mind wanders, open your eyes until your attention is again focused
on the object. Then close your eyes and continue to observe the image in your mind.
Continue for just one more minute
before we conclude. Observe the image of the object in your mind.
Whenever the image fades or your mind wanders, open your eyes until your attention is again
focused on the object. Then close your eyes and continue to observe the image in your mind.
Now, as we conclude this exercise, leave your eyes closed and just listen to these closing
remarks. You can practice this technique whenever you want, listening to this exercise again,
or without it. You can try using different objects to gaze at.
Be sure to bring your mind back every time it wanders. In the next lesson, you'll learn another
technique to develop your power of attention by concentrating on a sound instead of an
object.