Concentration (Dharana)

The practice of Concentration, although not as commonly talked about as meditation, has profound effect on mind and body; while lack of concentration has equally disturbing and damaging consequences. O er the years as ! ha e obser ed the habit pattern of my own mind; and beha iour, action and reactions of people around me, it has become clear to me that many mental abnormalities surface as mind loses focus. So what could happen when the mind loses concentration? Effects of loss of concentration: "s ! ha e e#perienced myself and seen around, loss of concentration may lead to many abnormalities such as confusion, loss of confidence, ner ousness, indecisi eness, an#iety, depression, fear, worry, ungroundedness, feeling of insecurity, mood swings, erratic moods, irrele ant talking, restlessness, loss of interest, inability to manage thoughts, inability to pay attention and focus, poorer control o er senses, e#cessi e or random eating, $ragnyaparadha, etc. The %ist can readily be e#panded. &ost of the abo e mentioned conditions due to loss of concentration could affect the balance of hormones and functioning of the bodily systems, such as autonomic ner ous system ("'(); thus affecting the entire mind)body organism, leading to many physical, psychological and psycho)somatic disorders. So, what is Concentration? Concentration: *ogic practices such as asana, pranayama, rela#ation, meditation, etc. are commonly discussed and practiced but rarely do ! find people talking about Concentration. "t times, e en those who are familiar with these techniques are not able to differentiate correctly between meditation and concentration. Concentration or +harana is a practice that is performed with a calm and quiet mind. !t is the wilful fi#ing or focusing of consciousness on a particular point or ob,ect, internal or e#ternal, without disturbing the mental peace and quietness. Through the practice of concentration one could gain and impro e control o er mind. -enefits from concentration cannot be compared with much higher gains from meditation but practice of meditation also requires a higher le el of preparation, commitment and discipline. "lthough it does require a certain le el of self)discipline, as required in any other yogic practice, Concentration is relati ely a simpler and easy to follow practice. So, how do we practice concentration?

'imesh (hah, YOGA .or /ealth 0 /appiness

Prana Dharana - a technique of concentration: There are many ways to practice concentration, $rana)dharana or breath)watching being one of them. !t means 1 concentration on our own breath. $lease find below links of my audio recording for understanding and practice of this technique of concentration. 2. 3ecording of practice session at the workshop on Concentration conducted on 45 &arch 4627 at my residence. !t gi es detailed instructions for 8learning9 the concentration technique. :; minutes. https<==dri e.google.com=file=d=6-5qCg>&n/nlmc?hr*n'6@2-(dlk=editAuspBsharing 4. -reathe watching audio in /indi with short 8learning9 instructions, 46 min. https<==docs.google.com=file=d=6-5qCg>&n/nlmC.D$bElFb5'aGTg=editAuspBsharing 5. -reathe watching audio in /indi, with only 8practice9 instructions for 26 min. https<==docs.google.com=file=d=6-5qCg>&n/nlmT+&y3Eg:&FHmdI@=editAuspBsharing So, what could be expected with a better control over Mind? Through regular and correct practice of concentration, the following could be e#pected and realised, ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ?reater control o er &ind !mpro ed ability to concentrate or focus !mpro ed confidence le el !mpro ed self)awareness at physical, mental and emotional le els !mpro ed ability to manage thoughts and shift attention at will (ignificantly impro ed comprehension, perception and learning capabilities !mpro ed ability to change habits and deal with addictions (ignificantly impro ed mental clarity !mpro ed metal and emotional balance !mpro ed decision)making and /oriIontal)Hertical thinking ability. " balanced mind can see more options, analyse better and make a better choice from the a ailable options. !mpro ed ability to prioritise (ignificantly impro ed ability to %i e in the present moment -etter control o er daily routines and habits, !mpro ed capacity to bear the pain ($ain is limited to the present moment) -etter discriminati e ,udgement (vivek-buddhi) resulting in reduced $ragnyaparadhaJ

So, how does practice of concentration affect our spiritual learning?

'imesh (hah, YOGA .or /ealth 0 /appiness

Spiritual advancement through concentration: 3egular practice of concentration makes the mind calmer, steadier, subtler and sensiti e. &ind attains a higher le el of awareness. There is a significant impro ement in comprehension, perception and ability to contemplate. The mind learns to obser e ob,ecti ely (drasta-bhava). !t de elops ability to detach and withdraw at Eill. Concentration strengthens non)attachment (pratyahar). " focused mind is not affected by cra ing (raga), a ersion (dwesh), attachment (asakti) and desire. The mind learns to obser e equanimously (samata) and is ready for the higher e olutionary practices, such as meditation and contemplationKJJ So, what is meditation and contemplation? Meditation: Concentration of mind is essential before the meditati e state is reached. Ehen the mind is focused on the ob,ect of concentration, internal or e#ternal, for an e#tended period of time without interruption or discontinuity, it is said to be in a state of meditation. &editation is an e olutionary process of mind. Through meditation, the process of mental purification starts and one attains a higher le el of self) awareness, which e entually leads to further health, happiness and peace in %ife. Contemplation: Ehen mind is focused on a point, ob,ect or thought, it tra els inward ) from the outer gross to the innermost and subtlest realities. !t opens up to recei e thoughts, ideas and intuitions from the inner source, the consciousness; e entually leading us to the ery core of our intuiti e being. This process or ,ourney of mind from outward to the innermost core can be considered as the process of contemplation. !n my own practice, ! ha e found contemplation ery effecti ely for idea generation, problem sol ing and listening to the inner oice. ! hope you find this sharing useful. Eish you wellK %o e 'imesh

Between the two extremities of expression and suppression lies a noble option of observance; that is, observing Objectively! ...

'imesh (hah, YOGA .or /ealth 0 /appiness