The Eight Limbs of Yoga, or Asta-anga (ashtanga) yoga
Yama | Niyama
| Asana | Pranayama
| Pratyahara | Dharana
| Dhyana | Samadhi
Dhyana:
III.2 tatra pratyaya ekatanata dhyanam
A steady continuous flow of attention directed towards the
same point or region is meditation (Dhyana.)
"In Dhyana, psychological and chronological time stand still
as the mind observes its own behavior."
"From on pointed concentration to no-pointed attentiveness."-
Iyengar.
Meditation in this sense is not something you do, for as soon
as the mind says "I am meditating" it is not. Meditation
happens when the conditions and practice bring it about, or allow
it to happen, when mind gets out of the way.
Such a state can happen in asana when attention to breath and
physical detail moves to "no-pointed attentiveness"
of being every where at once in your yoga asana.
I hear many people say that the Iyengar system is "physically
meticulous" and that "they teach alignment." This
is an unfortunate misunderstanding. Those who say this are staying
within the anamaya kosha, the anatomical sheath. Pratyahara, Dharana
and Dhyana are the foundation, the source of every action and
every breath in a pose. These are rich, delicate and complex practices
that need training. Sustained action in a pose is essential to
move beyond the layer of muscle and bone where breath is the bridge
between mind and body, between thought and action, thought and
emotion, emotions and action - breath (and prana) the bridge to
spirit, or brahman.
Approached with this awareness the practice can prepare for the
ultimate state defined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in Sutra
1:3 "Thus the self abides in its own true nature."
Thus is Ashtanga Yoga manifested in asana as taught in the Iyengar
method.
~ Karl.
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