On Meditation - Dhyana

Meditation is one of the eight limbs in Patanjali's astanga yoga, named dhyana.

In book three of Patanjali's yoga sutras he says:

Y.S. III.2 tatra pratyaya ekatanata dhyanam

As translated by B.K.S. Iyengar in Light on the Yoga Sutras of Pantanjali:

A steady, continuous flow of attention directed towards the same point or region is meditation (dhyana).

Mr. Iyengar says that when one is in dhyana psychological and chronological time comes to a standstill and the mind observes its own behaviour.  Mr. Iyengar also makes clear that one can be in meditation during asana or pranayama also if the attention is steadily maintained.

Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
http://www.plnyoga.vpweb.com/


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