Dhyana refers to thoughts and meditations. Dhyana is added into the yoga asana, and it has given the meaning of samadhi and self-knowledge.
There are different concepts of dhyana. Dhyana practice is originated in the Vedic period of Hinduism, and yoga has been prominent within the different traditions of Hinduism. It is a part of Hinduism, which takes you toward self-awareness, and uniting the yoga process through, which the yogi realizes the soul of self, a relationship with other living beings, and terminal reality. Dhyana practice also found in other religions such as Jainism and Buddhism. It grows along with dhyana in Hinduism and partially influences each other.
The term Dhyana comes in Brahmana and Aranyaka layers of the ancient Vedas, and it also appears in Upanishads and gives the meaning of meditation and contemplation, which is an essential part of the knowledge process. It is also described in various Upanishads of Hindu religion and Patanjali yoga sutras.
An unbalanced mind causes endless difficulties. Fortunately, the ancient yoga science provides this Dhyana yoga, which very soothing and calming exercise to clear the mind.
You might not know how Dhyana yoga works. You can take the advice of a yoga expert to understand everything.
What is Dhyana Yoga?
Table of Contents
The term dhyana is a Sanskrit word, which means think. This meditation is recommended in Bhagavad Git to keep your mind free of needless thoughts and focus on the present.
Meditation and Dhyana
The time in between the meditation practice and dhyana can be known as glimpsing the soul. In Primordia-Sound-Meditation, David Simon and Drs. Deepak Chopra refers to this time as Atma Darshan. The Atman refers to a higher soul or higher self.
In everyday life, Atma Darshan is a moment in which you enter a peak time, such as when the time flies or when you sense that time stands still.
For example, have you at any point plunked down to have coffee with a companion, with whom you haven’t addressed in some time? Eager to catch up, you start to talk to look down at your watch and understand that 5-hours have gone. The amazing quality of time is understanding the spirit. A peak occurrence is likewise a perfection moment, for example, watching a birth or even transition toward death.
During meditation, watch the soul mean to slip into the gap. The space in your thoughts is the gap. It is the space of endless possibilities and boundless creativity. You are moving your space. As the Atma Darshan advises, you have these moments of stillness, but you do not know such stillness till you come out of the time. The soul lives beyond space, casualty, and time. Therefore, you cannot experience in the parameters you are using to measure the experience.
For example, you go to a favorite place like a Greek restaurant and get an object and causality like Green salad every Tuesday for your lunchtime. The time, space, and causality make you measure and remember the experience in the memory. Yet, your soul transforms these elements that are necessary for measurement. You may understand that you have traveled to the time gap by feelings after meditation. Those feelings are a sense of wellness, bliss, and unexplained happiness.
Therefore, focus on attention and moving into the gap are practice ground of full awareness but not the complete effect of Dhyana.
Padmasana (Lotus Pose)
You can practice Padmasana in Dhyan yoga. It is also called as lotus pose the best meditative pose. It reflects the enlightening meaning and spiritual that is a symbol of lotus moves in different cultures. Practice this yoga in the morning with an empty stomach and stay in this pose for 1-5 minutes.
Note: Perform Padmasana with an empty stomach or keep 4-6 hours gap before doing this pose.
- Level: Intermediate and Advanced
- Style: Hatha Yoga
- Duration: 1-5 minutes (Longer if meditating)
- Repetition: One with per leg on top
- Stretches: Ankles, Knees
- Strengthens: Abdomen, Spine, Pelvis, Bladder
How To Do Padmasana?
- Sit over a mat on the ground by having the spine upright, and your legs should extend up.
- Slowly flex your right knee and use hands to keep it over your left thigh. Your soles should point upside, and heels should be close to the abdomen. Perform this for another leg also.
- Now that both legs are traversed, and your feet are serenely put on them against thighs, shape your hands into a mudra of choice and spot it in position. Normally, the hands are put on the knees.
- Make sure to your head straight and spine upright the whole time.
- Keep breathing deep and hold this pose for some time and release. Keep repeating for another leg.
Note: Mudras are popular for activating energy flow and provide various effects when performed in the combination with the Padmasana. Every mudra is distinct and has its benefits. These are some mudras, which work amazingly with Padmasana: Chin mudra, Chinmaya Mudra, Brahma mudra, and Adi mudra.
Precautions
Make sure to avoid this asana if you are experiencing from ankle or knee injury.
Take the help of an expert to perform it correctly.
Beginner’s Advice
If you are a beginner, you may overstretch the ankle in this pose. Try to push the inner side of your foot against the upper part of the arm using the ankle’s balanced stretch to avoid overstretching. Make sure to have a similar stretch of the outer and inner ankle while bringing the foot near to another groin.
Padmasana: Benefits
- Here are the amazing benefits of Padmasana.
- It helps to relax and calm your brain.
- It stimulates the pelvis, spine, bladder, and abdomen.
- The ankles and knees get the best stretch.
- Sciatica and menstrual issues get relief by practicing this yoga.
- This asana also helps to make pregnancy and birthing easy.
- It opens up your hips and makes muscles more flexible.
- This asana helps to awaken your Chakras and aware of things.
- This yoga helps to improve your posture from regular practice.
- It also restores your energy levels with regular practice.
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
Bhujangasana is another best pose to practice Dhyana yoga. This pose is also called as cobra pose as it resembles the lifted snake hood. It helps to energize your backbend. This asana is a beginner level of Ashtanga asana. Perform it for 15-30 seconds.
Note: Make sure to perform this yoga with an empty stomach and empty bowels. Or keep a 4-6 hours gap before performing this asana.
Perform this yoga in the morning to get the best benefits.
- Level: Basic
- Style: Ashtanga Yoga
- Duration: 15 to 30 seconds
- Repetition: None
- Stretches: Shoulders, Abdomen, Thorax, Lungs
- Strengthens: Vertebral columns
How To Do Bhujangasana?
- Lie level over the stomach. Keep your hands on the side and make sure your toes reach to one another.
- Move your hand to forward and keep the shoulder level by placing palms over the floor.
- Now keep the bodyweight over your palms, breathe in and raise head and body. Make sure your arms should be flexed at elbows during this stage.
- Bend your neck back in an attempt to make cobra pose with raised hood. Keep your shoulder firm and away from ears.
- Roll your thighs, hips, and feet toward the floor.
- Stay in this position for 15-30 seconds and keep breathing normally. Free the stomach squeezed opposite to the floor. Try to hold it for two minutes.
- Slowly get your hands back to your sides to release the pose. Let your headrest on the ground by getting the forehead to the floor. Put hands under your head and gently rest on it and keep breathing.
Precautions
Avoid this yoga if you are experiencing the following health issues.
- Back injuries
- Headaches
- Hernia
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Recent abdominal operations
Beginner’s Advice
A beginner should perform this yoga with the guidance of an expert to prevent straining your neck and back.
Bhujangasana: Benefits
- Here are the amazing benefits of Bhujangasana.
- It works deeply on your backbend and makes your spine flexible and stronger.
- It also stimulates the reproductive, digestive, and urinary systems.
- Dyana yoga with Bhujangasana helps to balance weight and regulate metabolism.
- It makes your buttocks firm.
- This asana helps to stretch your lungs, chest, shoulders, and abdomen muscles.
- It also releases stress and opens up your heart and lungs.
- It also relieves asthma and sciatica.
- Paschimottanasana
Paschimottanasana is also called a seated forward bend. It is good for Dhyana yoga. Paschimottanasana is an intense dorsal stretch. It is a simple asana of classic hatha yoga asana with many benefits. Paschimottanasana covers the whole body and works better with high blood pressure and diabetes. This asana provides you complete body stretch. The Paschimottanasana focuses on your body. Therefore, it called a seated forward bend.
Note: Make sure to keep your bowel and stomach empty before doing this yoga asana. You can also keep the gap of 4-6 hours before doing this asana. Do not eat anything before practicing this asana.
Choose the morning time for performing this yoga and do it first in the morning. In case you do find it time in the morning, then perform it in the evening.
Level: Basic
Style: Hatha Yoga
Duration: 30 – 60 seconds
Repetition: None
Stretches: Shoulders, Vertebral column, Hamstrings
Strengthens: Back, Spine
How to Do Paschimottanasana?
- Sit straight with your legs stretched outward in the front direction. Make sure to keep your toes bent toward you.
- Breath-in and lift arms on your head and stretch.
- Breath out and flex forward. Feel the bend from hip joints and make chin move to your shins.
- Extend out your arms and let them stretch the forward as possible till your toes. Avoid stretching too far.
- Breathe in and lift head slightly, stretch your spine.
- Take a breath and turn your navel toward knees.
- Keep repeating this for some time and then keep your head over legs and stay in this pose.
- Take a breath and come upward back to your sitting position with arms extended out.
- Breath out and reduce arms.
Precautions
Here are the precautions to follow while doing Paschimottanasana.
- Do not perform this asana if you have diarrhea and asthma.
- Avoid doing this yoga if you have back injury and practice under expert guidance.
Beginner’s Tip
A beginner should avoid pushing if you do not feel comfortable with a forward bend. It may also feel more uncomfortable sitting over the floor. As a beginner, you may feel hamstring muscles tight and difficult to bend. You can practice it regularly to make it more flexible.
Paschimottanasana: Benefits
- Paschimottanasna provides the best benefits.
- This yoga asana helps to calm down your mind and relieve stress and depression.
- Your spine, shoulders, and hamstrings get the best stretch.
- It also helps to stimulate uterus, liver, kidneys, and ovaries.
- Perform this asana regularly to improve your digestion.
- This yoga asana helps to provide relief during menstrual discomfort and menopause.
- Performing this yoga prevents headaches, anxiety, and fatigue.
- It regulates insomnia, high blood pressure, sinusitis, and infertility.
- It also increases your appetite and lower risk of obesity.
- This yoga asana is beneficial for women with post-childbirth.
Bhastrika Pranayama
Bhastrika Pranayama is also called as Bellows breath. It is a powerful yoga for breathing exercises. Bhastrika pranayama helps to cleanse the kriya that clear the nostrils, Nadis, and sinuses and result in deep breathing. It is also helpful for energizing the body.
How to do Bhastrika Pranayama?
- Sit in the Bhastrika Pranayama with your back upright. Breath deeply through your nose, fill your lungs with air. At that point, inhale out similarly. Do this a couple of times to settle your head.
- From that point forward, start to breathe out snappy breaths through your nose with force. Keep breathing similarly.
- Your breath should originate from your stomach, and your tummy must move in and out as you relax. Keep the rest body still.
- Do a series of roar breathing, lining it up with common breathing, and afterward go for the next round. As you inhale normally, watch the sensations in your mind and body. Practice at least 3-rounds of Bhastrika and end the session.
- Bhastrika Pranayama: Benefits
- The Bhastrika Pranayama helps to strengthen your lungs and calm down your mind. It also purifies your breath and provides mental peace.
Kapalbhati Pranayama
Kapalbhati Pranayama is also known as Skull Shining Breath. It is a breathing method that will provide you a bright head and a splendid insight with standard practice. It is a ‘shat’ kriya that flushes out harmful toxins from your body. The word ‘Kapalbhati’ signifies a sparkling head. ‘Kapal’ signifies brow, and ‘Bhati’ signifies sparkling.
How to Practice Kapalbhati Pranayama
- Take a Sukhasana pose and keep your palms over the knees.
- Target your belly part, and breath-in deeply from the nose, fill your lungs with air.
- Keep breathing consciously and calmly. Pull your stomach in your spine. Keep the hand over the belly and feel your muscles contracting. As you relax from the contraction, exhale a quick and short burst. You will feel the hissing sound while doing this exercise.
- There will be automatic breathing. This yoga comprises of breathing-in and breathing-out for 20 times. After doing one round, close eyes and observe your body.
Kapalbhati Pranayama Benefits
Kapalbhati helps to calm down the brain and rejuvenates the body. The breathing methods help to improve concentration power and memory.
The Technique Of Dharana
Dharana is the training of the brain to focus on single energy by focusing on a single object, mantra, or sensation. Whenever your mind flicker, you get it back to the sensation, mantra, or object. The mind gets filled with many ideas and thoughts. You have to practice Dharana to control the thoughts and learn to focus on one thing.
Other benefits of Dhyana yoga
- This yoga asana gives good exercise to your system. As a meditation, it calms down your persona.
- During this meditation, your brain will relax and focus on the inner self.
- Dhyana yoga reduces the unnecessary thoughts that lead to a few problems, which helps to manage a simple lifestyle.
- It helps to consider important factors that are linked with the inner self. It also cut down the everyday disruptions.
- Dhyana yoga makes you connect with your brain and focus on particular things.
- During Dhyana yoga, your attention to particular moves makes you aware of your thoughts.
- This yoga helps to renew each cell in the body and repair the damage.
- It also promotes digestive functions and enhances breathing and blood circulation.
- Furthermore, Dhyana yoga helps to evaluate feelings and the response of a particular situation.