dharana

Dharana, from the Sanskrit dharaṇā meaning "holding" or "concentration," is a yogic practice focused on fixing the attention on a single point. In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, it is the sixth limb of the eightfold path (ashtanga yoga). Dharana involves directing the mind to a chosen object—such as the breath, a mantra, a candle flame, a deity image, or a yantra—and maintaining continuous awareness of the object while gently returning the focus when distractions arise. The aim is to quiet the fluctuations of the mind (citta vritti) and cultivate one-pointed awareness.

Practice and method typically begin with a short, regular period. The practitioner selects an object, concentrates attention on it, and, when thoughts drift, deliberately re-centers on the object with a nonjudgmental awareness. Techniques commonly used include breath counting, mantra repetition, and fixed gazing (trataka).

Relationship to other limbs: Dharana precedes dhyana (meditation) and samadhi in Patanjali’s framework. Some traditions describe dharana as the initial stage of meditation, while others treat dhyana as a deeper, more continuous extension of concentration. In practice, the boundary between dharana and dhyana can be fluid, with sustained concentration gradually deepening.

In wider spiritual contexts, dharana appears in Hindu and Buddhist meditation traditions with the shared aim of stabilizing attention on an object to quiet the mind. In modern yoga, it remains a foundational technique for developing concentration and preparatory mental training for deeper states of meditation.