THE YOGA SUTRAS: DEMYSTIFYING SAMADHI

What is Samadhi? You may have heard it defined in class as enlightenment, ecstasy, or complete absorption … or likened to Nirvana, Paradise, or Heaven. But thinking of Samadhi in mystical terms can make it seem mystifying—beyond the reach of an everyday yogi like you or me. In the Yoga Sutras (1.17-18), Patanjali defines Samadhi as a state of attention or concentration. Sounds attainable, right? If you’re still not sure, turn to the first chapter of the sutras—known as the Samadhi Pada—and you’ll find that Patanjali has given us step-by-step guidelines.

In the classical yoga of Patanjali, also called Raja Yoga, Samadhi is the culmination of the eight limbed-path. Scholars interpret the word Samadhi in a number of ways. Sama (the source of the English “same” and “symmetric”) is translated as equal or even. Adhi (the root of the English “adhere”) can mean to hold, and “dhi” relates to understanding or inner vision. Thus, Samadhi can mean maintaining a concentrated state of awareness.