Dhyana is the 7th limb of yoga, building upon asana (physical posture), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (control of the senses, moving the focus to the inside), and dharana (concentration). The word dhyana comes from the Sanskrit word dhyai, which means “to think of.”
Dhyana involves concentration and meditation on a point of focus with the intention of knowing the truth about it. This deeper concentration of the mind is the instrument of self-knowledge where one can separate illusion from reality, and eventually, reach the ultimate goal of yoga: samadhi (bliss, or union with the source).
Since Dhyana is the state of deep concentration, it helps us practice meditation and bringing stillness to the mind. And while Dhyana is associated with meditation, it isn’t the same as meditation— rather, it’s a state of focused attention that helps us go beyond our mind and the reality we’re currently experiencing.
Through Dhyana, we can also distinguish between ourselves as a perceiver, that which is being perceived and our senses of perception. In this state, we can begin to see the world differently. That which we thought was real, can become not real at all. This experience happens effortlessly in its own time.
How to practice Dhyana
We are practicing yoga to feel good, to learn more about ourselves, and to find moments of peace during otherwise hectic days. Finding a permanent state of bliss sounds, perhaps, a bit out of our league.
But let’s not get discouraged; Yoga is here to show us the way and to give clues and guidelines. We can each take from it what is relevant for us today.
According to the Yoga Sutra, the purpose of meditation is to interrupt the fluctuations of the normal mental activity such as sensory knowledge, memory, and imagination. Out of these, memory is the hardest one to quiet, as it incessantly feeds us glimpses from the past along with an endless stream of thoughts and feelings.
Like any other limb in yoga, meditation is a systematic process in itself, which takes practice (and patience!) to learn. It’s like taming aIzzy McGhee that would much rather run around than sit still. You will need to train your mind to come back to you when you tell it to and to sit still, even if for just a few seconds at a time.
Next time you sit for meditation, notice the stream of concentration. Do the moments of concentration alternate with many thoughts? Do you notice longer stretches of time when you are able to maintain your attention on your breath (or the object of your focus)? Observe the patterns without judgment. Remember, this is practice. It will always be just practice.
My personal experience sitting in Dhyana
When I was in Bali 2018 for my 300hr yoga therapy training, we sat in silence for 7 days with no distractions. No phones, no notebooks, pens/pencils, books, or any other digital technologies. After the 4th day of meditation when my mind began to quiet, the thoughts slowed down bouncing around my brain, I had total one pointed focus on only my breath I fell into a state of dhyana. I literally could feel my fingernails growing! It was at the moment when I became aware is when I fell out of dhyana. I continued on in the week falling in and out of dhyana with glee. It was so amazing to be so calm, peaceful and content in my own body, my own mind, my own skin. With complete awareness of no-thingness.
Have you ever experienced dhyana? What are your go to’s to help settle in?
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