April 6 2025 Exploring the Meditative Last 3 Limbs of Yoga; Meditating 101; Raspberry Oatmeal Squares
- rockbriarfarm
- Apr 5
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 7
Although this will land in your inbox after I return, as I am writing, I am high in the mountains of Park City Utah. There are likely 20 feet of snow up on the Wasatch Mountains where we were snow shoeing above Deer Valley yesterday. While it appeared to be a veritable winter wonderland, the sun was shining, and the temperatures were moderate. All of the outdoor activities I am doing while I am away got me thinking about the meditative properties of being in nature. As a person who eschews gyms and indoor exercise, there is nothing that brings on a meditative state for me more than doing any activity outdoors. Our adventure yesterday found us hiking and then snow shoeing about 2 miles to a trailhead where we then made a loop through snow covered slopes and groves of Aspen trees in an area called Bonanza Flats. The elevation took us from about 8,000 feet to 10,000 feet and I was happy that we had waited a couple of days for me to acclimate to the altitude! The highlight of this 8-mile trek was having my friend Dorothy with me. Friends from early elementary school, we live 2,300 miles apart. We are fortunate that we get to see each other throughout the year and during the summer her family travels to RI to see family and friends. Nevertheless, the time I spend in Utah affords me the chance to indulge activities in spectacularly beautiful nature while spending time solving life’s problems with her as we hike, snowshoe, ski and walk. While I am tempted to veer this blog into the topic of nurture and care of friendships, instead I will stay the course on how lucky we are to live in a world that has these amazing vistas and lands and how taking our exercise routine, and our yoga, off the mat into this wonder is something we never take for granted. As we explore the last three limbs of yoga this week, all focused-on meditation, I suggest we find ways to bring ourselves out into nature, experiencing the meditative properties of a walk in the woods. All the better if you can find a friend to do it with. Speaking of A Walk In The Woods, if you have not read this funny, witty book by Bill Bryson exploring his adventures on the Appalachian Trail, I recommend it. The movie does not do it justice.
The Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Limb!
While it seemed to take forever to get through the first five limbs, present the last three limbs together in one discussion. They all involve working in meditation toward our ultimate yogic goals. They are as follows:
Dharna – Concentration, taken from Sanskrit “Dhr” which means to hold, meaning holding the concentration or focus of attention in one direction. This is when the mind focuses and concentrates on one point in beginning a meditation.
Dhyana – Meditation or the uninterrupted flow of the mind toward a chosen object. Dharna comes before Dhyana as the mind must focus first before the connection is made. Dharana is the contact and dhyana is the connection.
Samadhi – To become one or absolute union. Samadhi means to “bring everything together, to merge”. Desikachar says that in samadhi “our personal identity…. completely disappears.” He goes on further to explain that nothing “separates us from the object of our choice; instead, we blend and become one with it.”
While I have read several sources on the limbs, I consistently return to Desikachar and his book, Heart of Yoga. He is straightforward in his explanations. I love this diagram in that it helps make some very obscure ideas pretty clear. As a former banker, I just love diagrams and charts!
Diagram 1 shows the focus of the mind (circle) on the object of meditation or focus, this is dharana. This could be the breath, a sound, the image of the moon, etc. The mind links with the object of the attention and maintains the link (diagram 2), achieving dhyana. As the mind blends and becomes one with the object of meditation (diagram 3), samadhi is reached.
For additional information on these three limbs and how they work together, see the attached article, I have shared it before and still like it very much.
Our Practice – Meditation: Seated or Walking
For many yogis, myself included, the most challenging part of our practice is meditation. I find the easiest way for me is either in a solo yoga practice; the moving meditation when I am solely focused on my breath and movement helps me clear my mind and I achieve, sometimes, a true meditative state. Solo outdoor activities can also serve as meditation for me.
As in savasana or other seated meditations, I try to keep my mind clear of plans and lists. I observe nature with all my senses, looking at the changing colors of the plants and trees, deeply inhaling the outdoor scents, hearing the birds and other sounds of the outdoors. I find that I often have to refocus as my mind wanders, trying to solve life’s problems, dwelling on current events or making lists. I breath deeply, refocus, and try to drink in all of the natural beauty that I behold.
Rather than overwhelming yourself with an unrealistic goal, tell yourself 5 or 10 minutes is fine, get outside and move, relax, breathe. This too is yoga!
This week we will try a short, seated meditation in class. When we do this (or you try on your own), find the most comfortable seated pose you can find. Use props. This position is our foundation to meditation, and we want to be as comfortable as possible. We will focus our attention on something whether it is a physical object, a mental mind photo, a sound, a mantra or perhaps a candle flame. Eyes closed usually works well. Breath is gentle and steady. We will find stillness in our mind and will keep coming back to it. Our mind may jump around, just continue to coax it back, gently and without judgment, to stillness and focus. If thoughts arise, gently push them away and return to your object of attention. 5-10 minutes maximum is a great start.
Meditating on Meditating
“Whenever you are in doubt, it is best to pause. Few things are so pressing that they cannot wait for a moment of breath.” – Desikachar
“Meditation parctice is neither holding nor avoiding; it is settling back into the moment opening to what is there – Jack Kornfield
Yoga is not a work-out, it is a work-in. And this is the point of spiritual practice: to make us teachable; to open our hearts and focus our awareness so that we can know what we already know and be who we already are.” – Rolf Gates
Nurturing with Food – Raspberry Squares
While it is true that I do not have much of a sweet tooth, I discovered these probably 35 years ago skiing at Alta with my friend Dorothy. I loved them! On my recent visit to Utah I decided that we should try to recreate them. I found a simple recipe online that I modified slightly using nondairy butter (Miyokos is my favorite-it bakes well), We think they are just as good as we remember, and super simple to make.
Link to recipe:
See you on the mat!
Namaste,
Julia Anne
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