| From The River Of Heaven |
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| Books By David Frawley |
| THE PATHS OF YOGA : YOGA | |
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Hence it employs techniques like mantra and visualization to gain control over our
reactions to sensory impressions.
Dharana means concentration or attention. It is the ability to
constantly direct our mental energy to the object we are examining. It
does not mean suppressing other objects from our awareness but to increase our energy of interest and
inquiry, our passion to know, so that nothing else can disrupt it.
Dhyana means meditation. It is the
capacity to hold our mind on the object of our examination. It is to
be like a mirror and reflect the reality of things. Or it is to be
like a lake that is still and able to reflect the sky. It is the
mind in its natural state of quiescence. The first five of these eight limbs are called the outer aspect of Yoga. They are preliminary in nature. The first two, Yama and Niyama, refer to the right attitudes, values and life-style practices necessary to the path of Yoga, its ethical foundation. The next three are the means of control the outer aspects of our nature, as body, breath and senses. The last three are called Samyama or integration. They naturally go together.
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