Concentration and Focus
by Randy Just
A large component of yoga is how it focuses the mind and develops concentration (dharana). That focus or concentration is our pathway into one of the greatest gifts provide by yoga, a calm and centered quietness. Quietness is an interesting thing.
“When the brain is trained to be consciously quiet, the cognitive faculty comes into its own, making possible, through the intelligence, apprehension of the mind’s various facets. Clarity of intelligence lifts the veil of obscurity and encourages quiet receptivity in the ego as well as in the consciousness, diffusing their energies evenly throughout the physical, physiological, mental, intellectual and spiritual sheaths of the soul.”
One of the first things I noticed when traveling to India to study with the Iyengars was HOW incredibly noisy India is. Cars and trucks honk constantly and they play weird tunes when backing up. Vendors with carts walk up and down the streets shouting about the services they are providing. Dogs, babies, people, banging construction it is just plain not quiet. However inside RIMYI with the windows wide open you would find BKS Iyengar in a deep state of savasana. Undisturbed and visibly quiet and calm. Obviously quietness was internal and had nothing to do with what was going on around him.
This is a strong lesson for all of us to not look outside of ourselves for our peace of mind.
More about Randy click here.
