Ishtar Darlington
According to Patanjali, there are 8 limbs of yoga, one being ‘dharana’ which literally translates as concentration (on an interesting side note, asanas, or postures, just count as one of these limbs). Dharana is an essential part of any yogi’s practice if they are serious about meditation so, it sort of goes without saying, that concentration is built into pretty much any yoga class you go to.
Like anything, practice makes perfect, and the more you work on your dharana in class, the better your concentration becomes outside the studio as well. So the next time your teacher reminds you for the millionth time to focus on your breathing, instead of getting frustrated, know that you’re cultivating your power of concentration. Each time your mind wanders, keep coming back to the breath and, before you know it, you’ll start noticing the improvements on as well as off the mat.
