IN MY previous articles, I discoursed the first five limbs of yoga. Each step prepares us for a higher goal.
The last three limbs in the yoga philosophy are created to purify the mind. The highest pinnacle in spirituality to achieve the kingdom of nirvana.
Dharana, dhyana and samadhi, are the three bonded consciousness known as samyama. They are linked together and simultaneously work towards a single intention. The integration of the holy trinity (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva), according to Hinduism, to attain self-divinity.
Dharana or the concentrated focus, is the sixth limb of yoga. It cures the inner conflicts and inner chattering we commonly experience whenever we try to fulfill multiple tasks all at the same time. Dharana is the process of giving your full focus completely towards one particular object.
To start with, use any sound or mantras and keep repeating them, internally or externally, with attentiveness and consistency. If your mind wanders, simply bring it back to the object of your attention repeatedly, until it settles.
As you immerse deeper in the system, like a musician’s single pointed focus on his music, you transcend all boundaries and start to lose your external sense of awareness and inhibitions.
In yoga poses, when the attention is fixated, asanas (poses) execution becomes more fluid, effortless, melodic, that unknowingly you are led and transported to the next step.
Meditation (dhyana), the seventh limb, is a practice that trains the mind how to be still and relax. It improves inside awareness, that makes one see things with clarity. Dhyana makes you lose attachment to the body as you dive deeper. Time and space fades away, sense organs silenced, the mind turns mindless, difficult asanas becomes easy and natural.
Thought perpetually generates in the mind. If you try to intentionally stop thinking to create stillness in your mind, your mental activities may quiet for a while, but will almost certainly start up again at full speed, jumping from one idea to another. Endless circuits of desires rise, compels and stirs the intelligence to act onthe impressions.
When Japanese master Nan-in said “Empty your cup,” it means to achieve Zen (the no mind state), you must eliminate your opinions and speculations first, by cleansing your brain from ego formed thoughts and through training the intellect to calm.
When your mind is turbulent, your messenger molecules communicate turbulence to your cells, tissues, organs, to every cell in your body, which influence your wellbeing and behavior. When the mind is tranquil, you send peace and calm to every cell in your body, in consequence, a sense of contentment envelops your wholeness.
Furthermore, meditation is a holistic technology to escape from this vicious cycle of ruts of thinking which burns the brain and makes you believe you are stuck in a situation, imprisoning your own abilities, because of lack of awareness on your probabilities and chances. A habit that causes disharmony, fears, doubts which inflicts harm to the mind, body, spirit, and life.
There are many different forms of meditation. The common theme to start with is the breathing awareness, though some use music, chants, bells, drums, as a focus of attention.
As you become familiar with the experience of your thought process and learn how to tame them, your conditioned mind transcends to a nonconditioned mind. This initiates the transformation of your identity from mind to spirit.
It breaks the barriers of self-made illusions, frees the dormant forces and faculties to the cosmic intelligence. Thus, the meditator gains access to the domain where exalted beatitude and pureness dwell. Wherein, the infinite space of the lotus of the heart unfolds, the purpose of life fulfilled, samadhi has arrived.
Namaste.
(Meditation can help tremendously those who have anxiety and depression episodes, especially in this unpredictable moment brought about by the pandemic crisis. For self–healing meditation techniques, check my previous articles for guidance or email info@orissagarden.com for assistance.)
