Dhyana

Dhyana: Meditation

Nearing the end of posts on the eight limbs of yoga we wind down to stillness.

In previous posts I’ve discussed the plethora of health benefits from a regular meditation practice and some ideas on how to start meditating. Unfortunately in many yoga classes you’ll take today in the West you won’t find dhyana as a part of the practice, so people think yoga and meditation are separate, when in fact they are not.

The other limbs of yoga help to balance our lifestyle, our health, our energy, our senses, increase our awareness, and prepare us for stilling the mind and resulting in joy and connection to our Highest Truth.

To cultivate the best meditation practice we need to be sure our position is comfortable and we are elongating the spine for proper flow of energy. I prefer to use a wall to support my spine and ensure as my body relaxes I am aware of any postural changes this way and it helps relieve any nagging ache I feel in my upper back.

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, meditation is not about being free of thought. The mind is built to think, but we learn to control the thoughts, become aware of them and their comings and goings. In the quiet stillness, we find true peace. This isn’t going to happen overnight, similar to other yoga practices, it is just that, practice. We must commit, have patience, and persevere. Do not look for or attach yourself to a particular result or experience. It will be different for all of us. Instead practice consistency to create a habit and built a meditation practice one day at a time.