Integrating the Final Three Limbs of Yoga Through Meditation On and Off the Mat

As we reach the last three limbs of yoga in our exploration, we will explore them as one discussion together. These three distinct limbs sequentially bring together the internal practices of concentration and meditation that lead us to the realization of higher consciousness. Call it the yoga summit! 

As I write this from being away traveling, I will be walking in the footsteps of some amazing walkers. I hope to tell you about walking some of the Montgomery National Historic Trail which honors the 1965 Voting Rights March. Meanwhile, as we focus on the last three limbs of yoga which are about moving through meditation to a spiritual enlightenment or a profound, quiet awareness, I share that for me, meditation is a challenging practice. I find that a walking meditation serves me well as I work toward that fully absorbed, enlightened place of complete peace.

 The last three limbs 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 meditatio

• 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.”

I often speak of my favorite yoga book,  Desikachar’s Heart of Yoga. When thinking about this topic, I always come back to Desikachar and his diagram.  As a former banker, I struggled during yoga teacher training with some of the more opaque or vague yoga concepts. I became elated over this diagram which made what was for me some very murky (not banker-friendly) concepts become easier to understand. 

Diagram 1 shows the focus of the mind (circle) on the object of meditation or focus, this is dharana.  This could be 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.

I am personally challenged by my meditation practice. Savasana is my most challenging asana, a victim of monkey mind for sure. With the backdrop of being savasana challenged you can imagine my struggle with focused meditation. Having tried many approaches to this practice, my most fruitful sessions are found through walking meditation. For me, walking meditation in nature is easier than seated meditation.  We have so many distractions competing for our attention, getting outside, unplugged, can be a wonderful way to connect with ourselves in meditative practice. I leave my phone turned off (bringing it only in case I get lost which has happened). For meditating walks, I favor wooded trails the more remote the better where I am unlikely to encounter anyone else. I try to engage all of my senses, the light on the trees, the sounds of the wind, the birds, the animals and the scents of the plants and breeze. Sometimes I can find myself in a truly meditative state and return from my retreat feeling almost euphoric. Sometimes it happens, sometimes not, this is the practice. On the other hand, what’s so bad about a beautiful walk in the woods?

Our Practice – Walking Meditation  

I have been a walker, not a runner, for most of my adult life. While I love walking, I never truly experienced a runner’s high and ran mostly because all of my friends did. I pretty much walk as fast as I used to run! Not all of my walks are meditation walks. When I walk with a friend or walk with my headphones listening to the news or a book, that is not a meditation walk. These are wonderful social or healthful walks, but not meditation. I am a consummate multitasker, so I must make a conscious decision to meditate and achieve that via walking. These walks are extremely challenging for me yet often nurturing and restorative.

Instead of a long walk or long meditation, tell yourself 5 or 10 minutes is fine, try seated meditation if that suits you. I suggest going outside to move, relax, breathe. However, you do it, this too is yoga!

Thich Nhat Hanh (wrote much on walking meditation, was ordained as a monk in Vietnam at age 16. He envisioned a kind of Buddhism that would respond directly to the needs of society. He was a teacher and social activist in his home country before finding himself exiled for calling for peace. In 2019 he was the first recipient of the Gandhi Mandela Peace Medal.  

Thich Nhat Hanh (wrote much on walking meditation, was ordained as a monk in Vietnam at age 16. He envisioned a kind of Buddhism that would respond directly to the needs of society. He was a teacher and social activist in his home country before finding himself exiled for calling for peace. In 2019 he was the first recipient of the Gandhi Mandela Peace Medal.  

Walking Meditation – Thich Nhat Hanh

Take my hand.

We will walk.

We will only walk.

We will enjoy our walk

without thinking of arriving anywhere.

Walk peacefully.

Walk happily.

Our walk is a peace walk.

Our walk is a happiness walk.

Then we learn

that there is no peace walk;

that peace is the walk;

that there is no happiness walk;

that happiness is the walk.

We walk for ourselves.

We walk for everyone

always hand in hand.

Walk and touch peace every moment.

Walk and touch happiness every moment.

Each step brings a fresh breeze.

Each step makes a flower bloom under our feet.

Kiss the Earth with your feet.

Print on Earth your love and happiness.

Earth will be safe

when we feel in us enough safety.

See you on the mat!

Namaste

Julia Anne