In talking about pratyāhāra when we last met, we explored it from it’s perspective as a bridge from the bahiranga to the antaranga practices, moving from the external to the internal. The first of the internal practices that we come across is dhāranā – the act of concentration.
Sūtra III.1 directly describes dhāranā and asks the practitioner to fix the mind and the consciousness either within or outside the body. Simply, the fluctuations of the mind start to focus towards one point.
Pranāyāma, is one of the places (deśa) where the seed for dhāranā is planted (II.53). Dhāranā merges with the other antaranga practices to bring about full integration (III.4). These internal practices are those which cannot be taught but at the fruits of practice of the external practices. (III.7).
The further qualities of where dhāranā can be cultivated are also discussed in sūtras I.36 and I.37
* * * * * * * * * * For our meeting on May 17, please review the following sūtras and their commentaries on dhāranā – as these are the sūtras that we will focus on:
II.53, III.1, III.4, III.7
For further information on dhāranā, feel free to explore the following sūtras in the samdhi pada and their commentaries:
I.36, I.37 – describes the qualities of the deśa of dhāranā.
Resources:
Astadala Yogamala: Vol. 7. B.K.S. Iyengar. New Delhi: Allied Publishers Pvt. Limited, 2008. pp 179 – 186.
Core of the Yoga Sūtras: The Definitive Guide to the Philosophy of Yoga. B.K.S. Iyengar. London: HarperThorsons, 2012. pp 165 – 166.
Light on Astānga Yoga. B.K.S. Iyengar. New Delhi: Alchemy Publishers, 2012. pp 169 – 174.
Light on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. B.K.S. Iyengar. London: Thorsons, 1993.
Pātañjala Yoga Sūtra Paricaya: An Introduction to Pātañjala Yoga Sūtra-s. B.K.S. Iyengar. New Delhi: Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga. 2013. pp 46, 97 – 100.
The Tree of Yoga. B.K.S. Iyengar. Boston: Shambhala, 2002. pp 138 – 139.
Yaugika Manas: Know and Realize the Yogic Mind. B.K.S. Iyengar. Mumbai: Yog, 2010. pp 101 – 102
The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and commentary with Insights from the Traditional Commentators. Edwin P. Bryant. New York: North Point Press, 2009.
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