What is Dhyana?
- Michelle Rae Sobi
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
True meditation that invites clarity of awareness.
Dhyana
(Lesson — Edge Yoga School Educational Library)
🌿 What Is Dhyana?
Dhyana is often translated as meditation, but in the eight-limbed path it refers to something deeper than the act of meditating itself. It is the seventh limb of yoga, building upon the foundations of asana, pranayama, pratyahara, and Dharana.
Where Dharana is concentration on one point, Dhyana is the effortless continuation of that concentration — a steady, uninterrupted stream of awareness.The Yoga Sutras describe it as the moment when the fluctuations of the mind settle and the practitioner slips into the stillness between thoughts. Time may feel suspended or altered, and there can be a sense of merging with the object of focus. Many describe this state as one of quiet joy, clarity, or inner ease.
It is less about “doing meditation” and more about entering a natural state that meditation prepares you for.
🌸 What Does It Mean to You?
For many modern practitioners, Dhyana remains a rare and subtle experience. Meditation helps us train the mind, but the mind will wander — it’s what minds do. Dhyana emerges when the mind learns, gently and consistently, to return to stillness without force or frustration.
I often compare it to training a puppy: the mind runs, and we lovingly guide it back. Over time, that return becomes smoother. The practice itself is the path.
🧘♀️ How to Apply It in Daily Life
Meditation often becomes more accessible after physical movement. Asana helps release restlessness and prepares the body for stillness.
To begin:
Sit comfortably.
Choose a single point of focus — breath, object, mantra, or chakra.
Practice for 5–10 minutes to start.
Allow yourself grace. No day will feel the same.
With repetition, these minutes gradually expand and the transitions into stillness become more natural.
🌬️ Benefits of Dhyana Practice
The benefits are vast and supported by both yogic tradition and modern research:
Stress relief
Mental clarity
Improved emotional regulation
Greater sense of ease and presence
Reduced reactivity
Enhanced overall well-being
Dhyana is a gift of inner spaciousness — one that grows with practice, patience, and compassion.
📘 Educational Note
This information is for education purposes only and always seek your medical team for physical and emotional support.
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