Dhyanved

Dharana

धारणा

Fixed-Point Concentration

Yoga Sutras 3.1

Single version, 1-2 minutes, sustainable longer

What it does

Trains the mind to stay with one thing, the skill that's missing in most moments of distraction.

How to do it

How Dharana worksAn eye looks along a steady line at one fixed point. When the mind wanders, attention swings out to something else on a dashed curve, then is gently brought back to the same point. Below, three examples of a point to choose: a spot on the wall, a small object on your desk, or a single word written down.something elsethe mind wandersgentlybackone fixed pointyour gazeCHOOSE ONE POINTa spot on the walla small object on your deskcalma single word, written down

Choose a single fixed point:

  • A spot on the wall.
  • A small object on your desk.
  • A single word written down.

Rest your gaze and attention on it for one to two minutes. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the same point.

When to use it, in the moment

Before a task that requires deep focus, or as a short reset between back-to-back meetings when your attention feels scattered.

When to use it, over time

Consistency runs on attention. Someone who responds well inconsistently is usually not short of technique; they are short of the capacity to stay with something when it stops being interesting or comfortable. Dharana trains that capacity. Practiced daily, even for a minute or two, it can build the habit of noticing you have drifted and coming back, so that in a long meeting or a hard conversation you may notice sooner and return faster.

Where it comes from

Dharana is Patanjali's own term for concentration, the sixth limb of yoga (Yoga Sutras 3.1). The text leaves the object open: it requires no flame or specific ritual.

Sutra 3.1

देशबन्धश्चित्तस्य धारणा ॥ ३.१ ॥

deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraṇā

Dharana is holding the mind in one place.

deśa
a place, spot or region
bandhaḥ
binding, fixing in place. It appears as bandhaś before the c of cittasya
cittasya
of the mind. Citta is the thinking mind, the mind's activity
dhāraṇā
holding, fixing attention. From dhṛ, to hold

On the evidence

Dharana's modern counterpart, focused attention meditation, is among the better-studied forms in meditation research. Sustaining attention on a single object, and returning to it after each distraction, is trainable: research has associated the practice with improved sustained attention and reduced mind-wandering. One limitation: the strongest findings come from experienced meditators or multi-week programmes, not one to two minutes a day.

Attention is not something you have. It's something you keep choosing to bring back.

About Dhyanved

Dhyanved helps corporate leaders build the attention and clarity that hard moments ask for.

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