Dhāraṇā धारणा: in the yoga philosophy of Patañjali (the Yogasūtrāṇi), dhāraṇā is the sixth limb (aṅga) of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga — Yama, Niyama, Āsana, Prāṇāyāma, Pratyāhāra, Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna and Samādhi. It is the power of concentration: holding the mind on a single point — an object, a mantra, the breath — without letting it wander.
From the Sanskrit dhṛ, meaning « to carry », « to hold », « to keep » or « to support ».
The classical definition: « Deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraṇā » (Yoga Sūtra, III.1) — « Concentration is the binding of the mind to one place or object. »
Dhāraṇā comes directly after the withdrawal of the senses (Pratyāhāra) and leads straight into deep meditation (Dhyāna).
When the last three limbs (aṅga) of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga are held together at once, they are called saṃyama:
- Dhāraṇā: concentration — the mind held on an object.
- Dhyāna: meditation — the unbroken flow of attention.
- Samādhi: complete absorption, where subject and object are no longer two.
The idea also appears in the Upaniṣads, notably the Maitrāyaṇī Upaniṣad. A similar principle is found under other names in the teaching of the Buddha.
