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RAMAKRISHNA ANANDA

Samyama — The Three Limbs of Meditation

Would you like to reclaim your mind?

The great yogi Patanjali used the term samyama to describe the three levels/limbs of meditation. Knowing these stages can help in understanding where you are and how to advance. You can enter higher states of awareness as you develop in meditation.

All Yogas

Samadhi

There is a third level of meditation which is the most important and most beautiful. One day when you are meditating, you experience samadhi — you become absorbed in Spirit. You release all the limitations of ego, mind, past history, desires and fears. You begin to discover that Spirit is everywhere, manifesting the universe and keeping you alive. With spiritual sight, you see that people and the world are forms of Spirit. You experience the wonder, glory, beauty, love and bliss of Spirit.

It is a wonderful revelation. Through samadhi you discover that Spirit sustains your life, that It is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. You are a new being as a result of your first samadhi. You understand that Spirit is your essence — your source of life — and you allow It to express fully and freely through you.

  • Patanjali taught the three limbs of samyama: dharana, dhyana and samadhi (concentration, contemplation, and absorption in Spirit)
  • The first level of meditation is dharana (concentration or focus), often called fixity of mind
  • The goal of dharana is to reclaim the mind so that it serves you
  • The second level is dhyana (contemplation), using the one-pointed mind to reveal higher levels of consciousness
  • Dhyana helps you transcend your normal mind to receive inspiration, intuitions, solutions, revelations and spiritual awareness
  • The third level is samadhi (continuation) which is absorption in Spirit

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