Many of us know the word samadhi as meaning ‘bliss’ or ‘enlightenment’, and this is the final step of the journey of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. After we’ve reorganized our relationships with the outside world and our own inner world, we come to the finale of bliss.
There are different levels of Samadhi, or different stages of connection with the Divine. When the word Samadhi is used alone, it usually refers to the state of enlightenment, which is the highest form of Samadhi.
Samadhi is not a permanent state, and like the stages before it (Dharana and Dhyana), Samadhi does not come upon anyone by accident. It takes dedication and effort, and a person must be willing to train the mind and go deep inside.
Samadhi is attaining bliss and oneness, and the stage in which one “stops the turning wheel of thoughts.” The first line in the yoga sutras is “Chitta vritti nirodha,” which means “the stopping, or aggregation of, the turning wheel of thoughts,” This is the goal of the yogic path.
It’s also about eliminating separation, or “the distinction between subject and object.” Patanjali’s vision of samadhi, “is an awareness of the subject-object distinction being eliminated. There’s only consciousness.”
“Samadhi is described as a state of non-duality, where the self and the world around it are (finally) perceived as one and the same. Effectively transcending the limits of the body, mind, and identity, the aspiring yogi becomes one with everything.”
How to reach Samadhi
If there were a simple answer to this, everyone would be walking around as enlightened beings.
Truth is, attaining samadhi—or at least getting closer to it—will look different for everyone. With the eight limbs in mind, all of those associated practices and disciplines can help you train your body, mind, and spirit to be in a state of calm oneness, but it takes dedication.
Many believe samadhi can only be attained through the mental discipline of yoga, (as in, the eight limbs, not just the physical poses or asanas), but that’s not to say it isn’t accessible to anyone. In theory, the potential is within all of us, and the eight limbs are the most straightforward “steps” to reaching it.
Focusing on the breath, having a one-pointed concentration is a fantastic way to train the mind to focus on one thing. In the stages of enlightenment, understanding the basis of enlightenment is the ability to detach from the ego and otherworldly attachments, to the point where there is only consciousness and a feeling of “being one with permanence,”
How to know you’ve achieved samadhi.
Keeping Chitta vritti nirodha in mind, the telltale sign of samadhi is the ability to stop the turning wheel of thoughts. For anyone who’s tried their hand at meditating, you likely know this doesn’t exactly come easily.
When you start to see people, or yourself, being able to focus on one thought, “a thought that doesn’t lead to another thought,” that is a sign of getting closer to or achieving samadhi. Other signs include:
- a resounding stillness as you go about your day
- a transcendence of basic senses
- a lasting feeling of connection to all
- calm concentration
- the ability to control your sensory intake
All in all…
Samadhi may not come easy, but anyone can participate in the path toward it. Like any practice, it requires patience, determination, and a degree of detachment from the outcome. Even if someone doesn’t reach Samadhi in this lifetime, the pursuit of enlightenment can still deepen your spiritual life and help you reach a new level of peace and understanding.
Personal Experience
While I was in Bali for 5 weeks for my 300 hour yoga therapy journey we were in silence for the last week. Keeping all my energies within, not looking at others, or tapping into other peoples energies, with no other outside distractions I was able to slow down the thoughts, silence the chatter and fall in and out of Samadhi! Once I would have the thought of “oh my gosh, I have no thoughts! No attachments! I then knew I had come out of it! During those brief moments I felt like I was floating and free!
Have you ever experienced moments Samadhi? What feelings did you have? Where were you and what were you doing? What advice do you have for your fellow yogis?
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