8 Limbs: Limb 6: Dharana

“yogas - citta - vritti - nirodhah” (yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind) ~Patanjali

Dharana, meaning “concentration” or how to fix the mind on a specific object, idea, etc. Trakata, or candle gazing, is an example of dharana. We are trying to find a focus that holds our minds in one place and allows us to prepare for meditation. Dharana helps us to choose wisely our responses to the external, helps to ease mental states that might feel disturbing, and helps us tap into our intuition and inner wisdom. Dharana is focus that requires effort to hold. Learning new things. Creating new energetic patterns. It’s a bit of work. It is focusing thought the way a magnifying glass can focus sunlight.

Closely linked to the previous two limbs (pratyahara and asana); dharana and pratyahara are essential parts of the same aspect. In order to focus on something, we must withdraw our senses so that all attention is on that point of concentration. In order to draw our senses in, we must focus and concentrate intently. It is not until the next limb (dhyana) when we become completely absorbed in the focus of our meditation that we are completely meditating. This concentration is what leads us to meditation.