The 8 Limbs of Yoga: 7. Dhyana: When Attention Becomes Flow

Dhyana is meditation—not the act of trying to meditate, but the state of being fully absorbed and present. If Dharana is choosing to focus, Dhyana is when the focus becomes effortless, like a river flowing without interruption.

This doesn’t mean we enter a blissful trance every time we sit. It simply means there are moments when awareness softens and expands, when we are no longer fighting our minds but witnessing them with openness. Meditation becomes less something we “do” and more something that naturally arises from steady practice.

** Please NOTE: as a trauma-informed practitioner, I am aware that traditional forms of meditation can be particularly activating to people who have PTSD, C-PTSD, and other mental health concerns. I have had my own journey with meditation as a person with C-PTSD and have credentials in trauma-informed approaches to meditation, and have a wide range of practices that can be experienced as meditation.