Attention & Focus · “You Become What You Hold”
Dharana (One-Pointed Concentration)
To bind the wandering mind to a single chosen point until concentration deepens into meditation.
What it is
Dharana is the sixth limb of Patanjali’s eightfold Raja Yoga, defined in the Yoga Sutras as desha-bandhah chittasya, the binding of consciousness to a single location. The root dhr means ‘to hold.’ The object may be external, such as a flame or image, or internal, such as the breath, the heart centre, or the tip of the nose. Sustained dharana ripens naturally into dhyana, uninterrupted meditation.
The Method
Step 1 — Choose one object.
Select a single point of focus: the breath at the nostrils, a candle, an image, or a centre in the body such as the heart. Step 2 — Withdraw the senses. Sit quietly and let outward attention settle inward, releasing reactivity to sounds and sensations around you. Step 3 — Bind attention. Place the mind fully on your chosen object. Hold it there as if resting a feather on a still surface. Step 4 — Notice the drift. Each time the mind slips to another thought, observe it without frustration and return to the one object. Step 5 — Let it deepen. As returns grow fewer and the gaps of steadiness lengthen, allow concentration to flow into effortless, continuous attention.