How to Practice Dharana in Yoga Class
Dharana, or “collection of the mind” or “concentration,” is the sixth of the 8 Limbs of Yoga listed in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a yogic text that laid out a set of guidelines for living a yogic life more than 1,500 years ago.
On your way to this limb, you build a set of ethics, clarify your physical asana practice, learn how to harness your life force, and turn your senses inward. Dharana is using that toolbox to commit wholeheartedly to the practice. The goal is to enrich your mind — and find a focus for your meditation.
“Through the practice of yama and niyama, the [practitioner] develops emotional stability,” writes BKS Iyengar in his 1966 translation and commentary Light on the Yoga Sutras. “Through asana, he keeps his body, the abode of the soul, free from disease. In pranayama, he learns to stop the dissipation of energy by regulating its flow… Through pratyahara, he develops willpower, detaches himself from the organs of senses and acquires clarity of thought.”
“This is the beginning of culturing the brain,” he explains. “Once he has become indifferent to worldly matters, he is fit to proceed on the inner quest, enriching the mind through dharana.”
If you already have a daily yoga or meditation practice, you’re on your way. Here are some ways you can weave dharana into that ritual.
Start and end each practice with meditation and pranayama.
Clear your mind as you move through asanas by tapping into your inner self beforehand.
2. Build a purifying ritual around practice.
One of the niyamas, the second limb of yoga, is saucha: purity of mind, body, and thought. This can be as simple as a purifying breathing exercise before practice. You could also clean your mat or organize your practice space beforehand. This could help eliminate distractions and devote your focus to your practice.
3. Repeat your Sun Salutations until you lose track.
Sometimes, repeated asanas make it easier to get lost in the movements. Try repeating Sun Salutations A and B for the duration of the time you’ve set aside for practice, with no extra variations.
4. Add mantra to your practice.
Mantras are sacred words and phrases that are often chanted or repeated silently to yourself. They’re designed to calm the mind and cultivate peace. You may have heard a chant of “om shanti” in class before; this is a mantra meaning “peace.” You can add mantra before or after practice, perhaps using mala beads for a japa meditation, or repeat one silently in your head as you flow. Yogapedia has six of the most common ones to use in a yoga practice.
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