February 12, 2024 • 36 mins
Unlock the secret to a focused mind and a richer life experience with us, as we venture into the world of Dharana—the essential art of concentration in yoga. This episode isn't just another chat; it's a discussion that will guide you from scattered thoughts to a more quite mind. We examine the pivotal role of withdrawing the senses to achieve true concentration and offer practical tools, like movement and breath awareness, to sharpen your mind's focus. If you've ever struggled to meditate or maintain presence, our insights on the brain's need for safety and the use of the breath as a focal point will be the game-changers you've been seeking.
If you're new to mediation we give you small practical tools that you can begin to implement quickly. If you're more practiced, we offer cues to go even deeper with your mediative practice. Meditation offers clarity. Concentration, fixating on an object, bringing the mind back to one point over and over again, allows clarity. We will share personal stories that highlights the profound impact consistent yoga and mindfulness practices have had on my resilience and recovery from life's hurdles. Hopefully, by the end of our talk, you'll be inspired to take that first step—or perhaps the next step—toward a practice that brings you more clarity of self.
We would love to hear from you! Email us at becomeoneliving@gmail.com or reach out to us on Instagram at BecomeOne Living.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hello, wow, what a nice welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hello, my friends, welcome to we're excited to be
here.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Can I talk, please?
Sure Welcome.
This is a perfect introductionfor our topic today.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Durana.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Concentration.
Welcome it's my favorite.
Welcome to become one livingwhere there is not a lot of
focus right now.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
No concentration.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
No focus or concentration.
Well, who said that yoga andfocus and concentration can't be
silly and are fun?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Right, gotta have fun .
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Welcome to become one living.
My name is Jody Boyzitz.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
My name is Dan Boyzitz.
I'm here with my best half.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Today we are moving through the limbs of yoga.
If you'd like to learn moreabout them, you can listen to
our past podcasts, but todaywe're going to talk about
dharana.
Dharana is one of the threelimbs that are said to create
(01:51):
mastery of yoga.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
This is the first of three.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yes, this is the first of the three.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Out of the eight.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So the beginning ones , the beginning limbs of yoga,
very external.
Then we come to the breath,which is more subtle.
So we move the body, we add thebreath.
After that comes withdrawingyour senses and turning inward.
Now, once you turn inward, youhave to choose something to
(02:27):
focus on, because if you don'tfocus on it you can't get to
know it.
So dharana is about turning inand concentrating.
It actually means the act ofholding Holding something in
your mind, holding somethinginto focus, all your attention
(02:51):
to that place.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
So all of the prior limbs are taking us in this
direction with the tools thatare offered throughout them.
Would you say that?
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yes, at any time you can be engaging, playing with or
working on a limb, buteventually you have to go
through all of them to sit stilland become one with life.
To get there, we have to trainthe unruly mind.
(03:26):
And did you know thatconcentration is needed?
Before one couldn't actuallymeditate?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Is there a threshold?
Do you find with yourexperience that, after
cultivating your ability toconcentrate, that you one day
start to get a glimpse of beingable to sit still and calm the
mind like meditate?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Yes, what I have found was I was told to sit and
meditate and for years Icouldn't.
My mind reminded me of apinball machine bouncing off of
thoughts and stories anddistractions.
I couldn't calm my mind.
I couldn't calm my mind.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It's not easy to do.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
But that's what I thought I was doing.
I'm not calming the mind.
What we're doing is focusingthe mind.
That's what I.
That's the part I missed.
So here I am trying to calm.
I got to calm down.
I got to calm down.
Focus and concentration hasnothing to do with calming down.
That might be a byproduct, butwhat it has to do with is I
(04:48):
couldn't focus my mind orconcentrate on one thing, and
that takes time and practice.
This meditation is not easy,and yet it's glamorized.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, I think it's easy for people to be hoodwinked
or even challenged or theirinterest peaked in being able to
do that without realizing thatthere's tools that need to be
cultivated before you get tothat place.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Yeah, yes, and one of the tools is concentration
trains the brain.
Our brain is designed to pickup multi-sensory, it's a
parallel processor.
What that means is continuallypicking up stimulus as we sit
(05:50):
here the noise, people, thesmells, the taste.
Our brain is designed to pickup as much information as it can
in order for us to decide whatis safe and what is not safe,
but also in order for us to knowif something's not safe, so we
(06:11):
can protect ourselves andsurvive.
We are designed for survivaland the part of our brain in
which gets signaled first,that's wired, hasn't evolved to
consciousness yet.
So we're wired to go to thelimbic brain, where it is fight
(06:36):
or flight.
I'm safe, I'm not safe.
And let me be hyper vigilantand look out of this and this
and do this and this and this tokeep myself safe.
To be able to move from thatstate into concentration, you
have to feel safe.
If you don't feel safe, youcannot concentrate on one thing
(06:59):
because, my friends, you willalways be looking over your
shoulder, you'll be lookingbehind you and thinking who's
coming for me, what's going tohappen?
When is the other shoe going todrop?
If you have those thinkinggoing on, those stories or fear
of safety, you won't be able toconcentrate.
(07:21):
So we need to start to move thebody, because that's the
quickest way to release stress.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah, it's like when animals get stressed out, they
shake, they flap their ears andshake.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yes, to release the neurogenetic tremor, to release
adrenaline and cortisol.
So, in effect, that's what wehave to do too.
First we move the body to softenthe muscle, release the muscle.
It tells the brain we're safe.
Now we're using the breath.
We're another layer safe.
Now we're withdrawing oursenses from the outer world,
(08:00):
from people's stories, placesand things.
We feel safer, and safer likewe're in our own bubble.
Now we can concentrate One thingwhat are you going to focus on?
Some of the things that you canfocus on are mantra, a word, a
(08:21):
word you can focus on.
A mantra is a yogic word om ramhum.
Or you could focus on the wordlove, love, love.
To concentrate, the easiestthing to do, in my opinion, is
(08:41):
to focus on your breath.
Follow your breath as it movesin, follow your breath as it
moves out.
My friends, if you're in aplace where you can draw your
focus towards your breath, Iinvite you to try that.
Eyes can stay open.
(09:01):
Just follow your breath and sayto yourself breath is moving in
, breath is moving out.
Then to yourself breath in,breath out, and see if you can
do that repeatedly for a fewminutes maybe not now, but for
homework, if anyone wants to tryit and notice how many times
(09:25):
you start planning, thinking,working, distractions.
One thing must be chosen and youmust focus on that and it is a
practice.
If we cannot come back to thefocus, we will never live in the
(09:49):
present moment, which is now.
So.
Dharana takes you from whereveryou are and brings you right
here, right now, and that's sohealing in so many ways, because
in the present you're notrecalling the past and in the
(10:12):
present you're not reaching andwondering for the future.
In the present we're meetingwhat is rising in life and what
is being offered in the moment,and we may miss the offerings of
life if we cannot learn toconcentrate and be present.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, concentration is one of those tools for me
that I've used, and not in thecontext of doing yoga and yoga
asana in the breath and all ofthese drawing together.
It actually was just something.
You know, when I play piano orI've had to get something done
(10:59):
at work, you know it requiresconcentration, your ability to
stay focused on a task.
So a lot of these tools for metranslate into the real world
Getting things done, not being ascattered brain.
(11:20):
It's easy to procrastinate,it's easy to find different
things to sidetrack me andsideline me, and so that's the
opposite of you know, beingfocused and concentrating, and
it yields great products oraccomplishments.
My ability to stay focused andconcentrate I almost feel like
(11:43):
it's my favorite limb and I getstuck there.
That just has served me so well, that ability to stay focused
on things.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
That is your favorite limb.
Every time we talk about eightlimbs of yoga, first thing Dan
goes to is oh, concentration,concentration.
He loves it and I have watchedhis concentration and his focus.
I want to offer you alllistening.
(12:14):
Concentration is challenging.
It is a practice.
Do not give up.
Keep showing up for the moment,for yourself, for the practice,
because the yoga sutras, theyoga sutras are a book, a guide
(12:34):
on if you do yoga and how to doyoga, and it tells you what will
happen, ways to do it and thegifts that you receive from it.
Almost half of the verses arebased on Dharana, dayana and
Samadhi.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
That's a lot.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Yes, almost half the book is based on this.
That's how importantconcentration is, because it's
asking you to be present towhat's here.
Suffering occurs because welive in the past and most of us
(13:15):
bring the information from thepast into the present when
making a decision.
Therefore, the cycles that weget stuck in are really being
created from the past.
We can't change what we're notwilling to get to know, so we
have to choose something to getto know.
Concentrate on what we're notwilling to know.
(13:37):
Concentrate on one thing, andthe limbs bring us to this place
of such subtlety.
If you can control your body orguide it, and if you don't know
your body, you're not going tobe able to know or sense your
breath is off, then you're notgoing to be able to even know
(14:01):
that you're looking outward andoutward things are impacting you
.
How are you going to meditate?
How do we skip all these stepsand move to meditation and
enlightenment?
Everybody wants to know God, orsomething better than what's
here, because God can be atriggering word.
You could think.
(14:22):
You want to transcend themoment.
People want to transcend themoment.
The whole practice of yoga isliving in the moment, no matter
what the moment is soconcentration.
You have to pick one practiceto do, because some people that
I've worked with say oh, everyday I choose a different word.
(14:44):
You can't do that.
Why the other one's not working?
That's not how it works.
Why isn't it working On board?
You're in the right place.
Soon as you're getting bored.
That's a breakthrough, becausethe more shiny, the more
(15:09):
distracting things are.
Pulls you right out.
Soon as it gets boring.
We want to go, but it's rightunder that boredom where we have
that breakthrough.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, that's a good one.
It's akin to me about when it'sdark in your life.
When it's the darkest in yourlife, that's the moment when
you're just about to see thelight.
So the importance of stayingsteady with the practices.
So you're talking about Dharana, concentration, the importance
(15:45):
of staying steady with what itis Now you're concentrating on.
That's the whole idea.
It's like concentrate.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
The ability to fixate on one thing give everything
your attention.
I remember when we met 13 or 14years ago.
I mean, we've known each otherfor years, probably lifetimes
but when we met, one of thethings that I appreciated so
(16:17):
much about you, dan, was yourability to concentrate on the
person in front of you.
Dan has this ability to fixate,concentrate and just be with
you and talk to you as if no oneelse existed in the world.
I never had experienced thatbefore and I wanted to learn
(16:39):
that.
I was always waiting to saysomething.
I was always looking around,never fully present, never in my
body.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Yeah, I enjoy humans and I enjoy interacting, and one
of my favorite things to do islisten, and I've honed my
ability to listen so well thatwhen I'm interacting with an
individual, I'm paying suchdetailed attention to what
(17:12):
they're saying that I often findmyself forgetting what comes to
my mind.
I feel that that's a greatpractice of improvising, but
that improvising comes frombeing extremely present and
focused.
It's such a sweet thing to do.
People through my life havecommented on my ability to stay
(17:36):
focused on them in conversation.
To me, that's such a sweetthing is to connect with other
people.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
You just did it again .
You went to the big bang.
You just went to our other.
Like two other podcasts, healways goes further to the
bigger.
What you said was you weremeditating on the person and you
became one with them.
That's Samadhi.
(18:15):
We long for connection, yetwe're not connected to self.
We long for connection and yetwe can't sit still long enough
to be present for someone,whether they're in pain, they're
happy.
We're thinking of things to sayright away.
(18:36):
If, my friend, you are thinkingabout something to say when
someone's talking, you're notlistening.
Done.
The question is do you want tolisten, do you want to be
present?
You have to go through theselimbs.
This is why I personally thinkyoga is brilliant.
(19:01):
These limbs say how are you inthe world?
How do you treat yourself?
Do you move your body?
Because if your body's in pain,your mind's in pain, if your
body is tight, your mind istight, you get in your body, you
get reconnected, you startbreathing and then you start to
(19:24):
withdraw your senses into what'shere now.
Not it's all about me, butwhat's here right now.
What am I feeling, what'shappening, what's rising?
And now my body feels goodenough, I can sit still.
And when you sit, still theouter body and the little
(19:44):
fidgets, the little movements.
When they stop, the inner bodyspeeds up.
So the little movements thatyou make scratching your nose,
picking your wedgie, fixing yoursuit, whatever you're doing
disperses little energy and yourmind goes to those areas.
Stillness is so importantbecause that moment you become
still, all that excess energythat goes out goes in and it
(20:10):
starts things moving, rumbling,talking and speaking.
Now you have to stay so focusedon one thing so your mind
doesn't start to make up stories.
In that concentration, dharana,something will rise.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
That's awesome.
I love that, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
If meditation is or was challenging for you.
If you're listening, it'snormal.
Start with concentrating.
Pick one thing and start threeminutes a day.
(20:59):
Start with three.
When three feels easy ornatural, add another three, add
another three and keep addingtill you get to around 20
minutes.
Just don't force yourself toconcentrate, don't force
(21:23):
yourself to sit longer than youcan.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
It's a practice and if you think that you should be
able to concentrate, think againand if you try it and it's not
for you, just go back to asanaand breath.
You know, keep shaking it out,keep working it out.
The steadiness over time yieldsresults.
(21:47):
So you can't use your thinkingmind to say I'm going to
accomplish this goal.
I remember a story about twopeople who had agreed to be what
do they call thatAccountability partners for a
40-day meditation.
And they did the 40 meditationand then one says to the other
okay, so now what do we do?
That totally misses the pointof doing meditation.
(22:10):
I don't think there should everbe a meditation challenge for
the ordinary person.
You have to recognize thatthere are tools that will take
you there.
You just don't wake up and sayI'm going to begin meditating If
you haven't ever moved yourbody regularly or done some kind
(22:34):
of bhakti or somethingregularly that you're immersing
yourself in to be able to focus,to concentrate, use your breath
, shake out the anxiety orstress in your body.
If you don't do all those tasks, essentially, virtually,
meditation is a long shot, avery long shot.
(22:55):
So there's tools in order toget you there that are dialed in
, that are laid out for you inthe sutras and they're so
worthwhile.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
They are so worthwhile and they take action.
Once you decide you want toconcentrate, understand this.
You will need to engage withaction and it could be
exhausting in the beginning.
You're learning something new.
(23:31):
When you learn something new,we learn from the front of the
brain, the prefrontal cortex,and the prefrontal cortex
exhausts or gets tired quicklywhen learning To concentrate.
It is going to take practiceand it could be tiresome Because
(23:53):
it's new.
It's something new whetheryou're learning a language or
playing an instrument.
Eat a little more high fats inyour diet.
That will support that.
But also give yourself somekindness and compassion.
To be gentle that this processof learning to concentrate needs
(24:13):
a strong will and action.
You have to participate in itfully in order to ever be able
to meditate.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Yeah, despite our technology and ability to
communicate with somebody allthe way around the world, we
cannot take away the requisiteof doing the work.
Nature is such that you need todo the work to accomplish these
(24:50):
goals, and you perhaps, in thislifetime.
Meditating isn't your thing,but if concentrating and feeling
good in your body is, stickwith the first few limbs.
Some of this stuff could take alifetime to do.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Meditation offers clarity.
Concentration, fixating on anobject, bringing the mind back
to one point over and over again, allows clarity.
When you hold something in yourheart or in your mind, you get
(25:30):
insight on that.
May we all long or may we allwant to meditate, to concentrate
, to be present and to worktowards that.
Dharana.
(25:51):
Concentration is something thatcan be used in all areas of
your life.
You can practice it anywhere.
You can set a timer for 90minutes or for however long, and
work and say I am going to workfor this amount of time, Not
(26:15):
look at Instagram, not look atthe clock.
Focus on this one thing, thistask.
That's also concentration.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Cultivating your ability to concentrate is an
advanced tool that mostdefinitely, if you have that
ability to concentrate, willhelp you achieve goals, will
(26:57):
help you accomplish things yousimply cannot do if you do not
have the ability to stay focused.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Dan, something you said reminded me about the
amount of time that it took meto have a steady concentration
practice into meditation.
Twenty years it took me.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
That's devotion.
You put time and effort andlearned this technique and that
technique and tried thistechnique and that technique and
explored.
You had great discipline andpassion to ultimately find
yourself.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
I kept meeting myself on the mat in Asana, with
breathing, with pranayama, withmy yamas and my knee yamas, and
I realized what was keeping mefrom concentrating, and yet I
still medded.
But it could take some time.
It's a practice.
(28:02):
The benefits that you get fromit, from my experience, are
priceless.
The clarity that I have, andeven when I don't get clear, I
know that I'm not clear, Right.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Nothing worth truly having is gotten easily.
These are accessible toeveryone if they're willing to
put in the time.
I believe it creates a betterworld for people to be
(28:46):
practicing these tasks and toolsand behaviors and following
these guidelines.
Is it perfect?
No, are we perfect?
No, but moving through thelimbs creates a maturation.
You become more mature, youbecome more settled, you become
(29:07):
less anxious, you become moreconfident, you become just a
greater you, and certainlythat's a wonderful thing to
share with the world.
But it enhances your own lifeand makes your own life calmer.
It makes your own life richer,and the ones that you share,
(29:28):
you're sharing your life withalso reap the benefits, and it's
such a treasure trove.
It's just you have to do thework.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
And please, if you're listening, keep in mind we're
all at different places in ouryoga practice.
Some of us are just starting.
Some of this may not make senseto you yet.
Stay with moving your body,simple movements, simple breath.
That brings you right into themoment.
Concentrate on that Right.
(30:01):
Concentrate on that and thenmove into your breathing.
When you're driving, askyourself am I breathing?
And, if not, breathe a littledeeper.
If you notice you're tired oryou're running around or you
feel run down, pratyahara, turnaway from and turn into, and
(30:24):
then we come to concentration,take mastery.
What does that even mean?
That's what it says in the yogasutras oh, if you do this, this
and this, you become a master.
What I want to offer you isthis Yoga has taught me how to
(30:46):
lead my life through selfrealization, these practices.
Concentrating has helped me andtaught me how to meditate, and
in that concentration, I learnedso many things about myself.
And through meditation andthrough the other limbs, through
(31:08):
those learnings, I now have achoice on how I want to show up
in the world.
So, my friends, this practiceis not just on the mat.
Sometimes, for me, it hasnothing to do with the mat.
It has everything to do with mybehavior, my thoughts about
(31:34):
myself and also about how I'maffecting the world.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Pratyahara, as the person you are, being an
entrepreneur in the fitnessindustry and watching you pursue
this up and through and through, including getting through Zoom
, having a yoga studio I don'tbelieve you'd have been around
(32:04):
still or as successful to thispoint without your ability to
stay focused.
You learned how to use cameraequipment.
You learned how to use Zoom.
I'm not saying these are likemonumental things, but all in
such a heartbeat.
When the COVID thing happened,you're like we got to go here to
(32:26):
get this microphone and we gotto go here to get this thing to
patch this into this.
We got to go get a monitor andwe need this.
This is a real, practical,real-life anecdote of you
plugging in or actually yieldingthe reward of having honed your
(32:48):
skills to stay focused andconcentrated To this day.
Sure, we have our days andweeks where we want to binge
watch detective shows, but youhave to be able to also have
some fun doing that too.
Your abilities to figure outthings on the computer I mean,
who wants to do that as a yogateacher?
But you've done so many thingsagain that you would not in my
(33:12):
heart.
I just say that I believe thatyou would not be able to do that
had you've not been honingthese skills over time.
When your recovery from surgerywas expedited by having been
through the years concentratingand meditating and breathing and
shaking out your nervous systemand exploring and being
(33:35):
investigative and going out intothe world and charging so hard
to find information and findstuff about wellness and stuff
about nutrition and all thesethings it keeps coming back to
the yoga for you.
It keeps coming back.
It's really just been.
For me, being your partner hasbeen a real treat to watch you
(33:56):
thrive in a world that's loadedwith obstacles, and all of the
tools of yoga are what youembody.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
Thank you, that's so sweet and correct.
I use these tools every day,not perfectly, because there is
(34:23):
no such thing as perfect.
I use them to the best of myability in the moments that are
here and what is happening in mylife and it was what is
happening around me these toolswill be here for you when no one
else is or no one else can helpyou.
(34:45):
They will be your backbone,they will be your best friend,
they're your go to wherever youare or however you want to start
.
Just start one minute a day,two minutes a day, or just a
second of turning in andconcentrating and just bringing
(35:07):
your mind right back to that.
Because, like Dan shared, Ihave gotten through survival and
I am thriving at this point inmy life due to these tools and
the practice that I put intothem.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
And so if you have any questions for Jody, email us
.
We are excited to continue toshare our life together, and
Jody's got so much to sharearound health concerns and how
she's used the tools of yoga tonot just get through, not
(35:47):
survive, thrive, really take ona full load, take on life and
have a happy life.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Thank you, my friends , for joining us.
You can follow us at Become OneLiving and you can email us at
BecomeOneLiving at gmailcom.
Be well and take care.
Gabby's tongue is out.
(36:19):
She is like completely out ofit.
Look at that little tongue.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Thank you guys.
Hello, wow, what a nice welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Hello, my friends, welcome to we're excited to be
here.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Can I talk, please?
Sure Welcome.
This is a perfect introductionfor our topic today.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Durana.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Concentration.
Welcome it's my favorite.
Welcome to become one livingwhere there is not a lot of
focus right now.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
No concentration.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
No focus or concentration.
Well, who said that yoga andfocus and concentration can't be
silly and are fun?
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Right, gotta have fun .
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Welcome to become one living.
My name is Jody Boyzitz.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
My name is Dan Boyzitz.
I'm here with my best half.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Today we are moving through the limbs of yoga.
If you'd like to learn moreabout them, you can listen to
our past podcasts, but todaywe're going to talk about
dharana.
Dharana is one of the threelimbs that are said to create
(01:51):
mastery of yoga.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
This is the first of three.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yes, this is the first of the three.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Out of the eight.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So the beginning ones , the beginning limbs of yoga,
very external.
Then we come to the breath,which is more subtle.
So we move the body, we add thebreath.
After that comes withdrawingyour senses and turning inward.
Now, once you turn inward, youhave to choose something to
(02:27):
focus on, because if you don'tfocus on it you can't get to
know it.
So dharana is about turning inand concentrating.
It actually means the act ofholding Holding something in
your mind, holding somethinginto focus, all your attention
(02:51):
to that place.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
So all of the prior limbs are taking us in this
direction with the tools thatare offered throughout them.
Would you say that?
Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yes, at any time you can be engaging, playing with or
working on a limb, buteventually you have to go
through all of them to sit stilland become one with life.
To get there, we have to trainthe unruly mind.
(03:26):
And did you know thatconcentration is needed?
Before one couldn't actuallymeditate?
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Is there a threshold?
Do you find with yourexperience that, after
cultivating your ability toconcentrate, that you one day
start to get a glimpse of beingable to sit still and calm the
mind like meditate?
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Yes, what I have found was I was told to sit and
meditate and for years Icouldn't.
My mind reminded me of apinball machine bouncing off of
thoughts and stories anddistractions.
I couldn't calm my mind.
I couldn't calm my mind.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
It's not easy to do.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
But that's what I thought I was doing.
I'm not calming the mind.
What we're doing is focusingthe mind.
That's what I.
That's the part I missed.
So here I am trying to calm.
I got to calm down.
I got to calm down.
Focus and concentration hasnothing to do with calming down.
That might be a byproduct, butwhat it has to do with is I
(04:48):
couldn't focus my mind orconcentrate on one thing, and
that takes time and practice.
This meditation is not easy,and yet it's glamorized.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, I think it's easy for people to be hoodwinked
or even challenged or theirinterest peaked in being able to
do that without realizing thatthere's tools that need to be
cultivated before you get tothat place.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Yeah, yes, and one of the tools is concentration
trains the brain.
Our brain is designed to pickup multi-sensory, it's a
parallel processor.
What that means is continuallypicking up stimulus as we sit
(05:50):
here the noise, people, thesmells, the taste.
Our brain is designed to pickup as much information as it can
in order for us to decide whatis safe and what is not safe,
but also in order for us to knowif something's not safe, so we
(06:11):
can protect ourselves andsurvive.
We are designed for survivaland the part of our brain in
which gets signaled first,that's wired, hasn't evolved to
consciousness yet.
So we're wired to go to thelimbic brain, where it is fight
(06:36):
or flight.
I'm safe, I'm not safe.
And let me be hyper vigilantand look out of this and this
and do this and this and this tokeep myself safe.
To be able to move from thatstate into concentration, you
have to feel safe.
If you don't feel safe, youcannot concentrate on one thing
(06:59):
because, my friends, you willalways be looking over your
shoulder, you'll be lookingbehind you and thinking who's
coming for me, what's going tohappen?
When is the other shoe going todrop?
If you have those thinkinggoing on, those stories or fear
of safety, you won't be able toconcentrate.
(07:21):
So we need to start to move thebody, because that's the
quickest way to release stress.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Yeah, it's like when animals get stressed out, they
shake, they flap their ears andshake.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
Yes, to release the neurogenetic tremor, to release
adrenaline and cortisol.
So, in effect, that's what wehave to do too.
First we move the body to softenthe muscle, release the muscle.
It tells the brain we're safe.
Now we're using the breath.
We're another layer safe.
Now we're withdrawing oursenses from the outer world,
(08:00):
from people's stories, placesand things.
We feel safer, and safer likewe're in our own bubble.
Now we can concentrate One thingwhat are you going to focus on?
Some of the things that you canfocus on are mantra, a word, a
(08:21):
word you can focus on.
A mantra is a yogic word om ramhum.
Or you could focus on the wordlove, love, love.
To concentrate, the easiestthing to do, in my opinion, is
(08:41):
to focus on your breath.
Follow your breath as it movesin, follow your breath as it
moves out.
My friends, if you're in aplace where you can draw your
focus towards your breath, Iinvite you to try that.
Eyes can stay open.
(09:01):
Just follow your breath and sayto yourself breath is moving in
, breath is moving out.
Then to yourself breath in,breath out, and see if you can
do that repeatedly for a fewminutes maybe not now, but for
homework, if anyone wants to tryit and notice how many times
(09:25):
you start planning, thinking,working, distractions.
One thing must be chosen and youmust focus on that and it is a
practice.
If we cannot come back to thefocus, we will never live in the
(09:49):
present moment, which is now.
So.
Dharana takes you from whereveryou are and brings you right
here, right now, and that's sohealing in so many ways, because
in the present you're notrecalling the past and in the
(10:12):
present you're not reaching andwondering for the future.
In the present we're meetingwhat is rising in life and what
is being offered in the moment,and we may miss the offerings of
life if we cannot learn toconcentrate and be present.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
Yeah, concentration is one of those tools for me
that I've used, and not in thecontext of doing yoga and yoga
asana in the breath and all ofthese drawing together.
It actually was just something.
You know, when I play piano orI've had to get something done
(10:59):
at work, you know it requiresconcentration, your ability to
stay focused on a task.
So a lot of these tools for metranslate into the real world
Getting things done, not being ascattered brain.
(11:20):
It's easy to procrastinate,it's easy to find different
things to sidetrack me andsideline me, and so that's the
opposite of you know, beingfocused and concentrating, and
it yields great products oraccomplishments.
My ability to stay focused andconcentrate I almost feel like
(11:43):
it's my favorite limb and I getstuck there.
That just has served me so well, that ability to stay focused
on things.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
That is your favorite limb.
Every time we talk about eightlimbs of yoga, first thing Dan
goes to is oh, concentration,concentration.
He loves it and I have watchedhis concentration and his focus.
I want to offer you alllistening.
(12:14):
Concentration is challenging.
It is a practice.
Do not give up.
Keep showing up for the moment,for yourself, for the practice,
because the yoga sutras, theyoga sutras are a book, a guide
(12:34):
on if you do yoga and how to doyoga, and it tells you what will
happen, ways to do it and thegifts that you receive from it.
Almost half of the verses arebased on Dharana, dayana and
Samadhi.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
That's a lot.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Yes, almost half the book is based on this.
That's how importantconcentration is, because it's
asking you to be present towhat's here.
Suffering occurs because welive in the past and most of us
(13:15):
bring the information from thepast into the present when
making a decision.
Therefore, the cycles that weget stuck in are really being
created from the past.
We can't change what we're notwilling to get to know, so we
have to choose something to getto know.
Concentrate on what we're notwilling to know.
(13:37):
Concentrate on one thing, andthe limbs bring us to this place
of such subtlety.
If you can control your body orguide it, and if you don't know
your body, you're not going tobe able to know or sense your
breath is off, then you're notgoing to be able to even know
(14:01):
that you're looking outward andoutward things are impacting you
.
How are you going to meditate?
How do we skip all these stepsand move to meditation and
enlightenment?
Everybody wants to know God, orsomething better than what's
here, because God can be atriggering word.
You could think.
(14:22):
You want to transcend themoment.
People want to transcend themoment.
The whole practice of yoga isliving in the moment, no matter
what the moment is soconcentration.
You have to pick one practiceto do, because some people that
I've worked with say oh, everyday I choose a different word.
(14:44):
You can't do that.
Why the other one's not working?
That's not how it works.
Why isn't it working On board?
You're in the right place.
Soon as you're getting bored.
That's a breakthrough, becausethe more shiny, the more
(15:09):
distracting things are.
Pulls you right out.
Soon as it gets boring.
We want to go, but it's rightunder that boredom where we have
that breakthrough.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, that's a good one.
It's akin to me about when it'sdark in your life.
When it's the darkest in yourlife, that's the moment when
you're just about to see thelight.
So the importance of stayingsteady with the practices.
So you're talking about Dharana, concentration, the importance
(15:45):
of staying steady with what itis Now you're concentrating on.
That's the whole idea.
It's like concentrate.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
The ability to fixate on one thing give everything
your attention.
I remember when we met 13 or 14years ago.
I mean, we've known each otherfor years, probably lifetimes
but when we met, one of thethings that I appreciated so
(16:17):
much about you, dan, was yourability to concentrate on the
person in front of you.
Dan has this ability to fixate,concentrate and just be with
you and talk to you as if no oneelse existed in the world.
I never had experienced thatbefore and I wanted to learn
(16:39):
that.
I was always waiting to saysomething.
I was always looking around,never fully present, never in my
body.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Yeah, I enjoy humans and I enjoy interacting, and one
of my favorite things to do islisten, and I've honed my
ability to listen so well thatwhen I'm interacting with an
individual, I'm paying suchdetailed attention to what
(17:12):
they're saying that I often findmyself forgetting what comes to
my mind.
I feel that that's a greatpractice of improvising, but
that improvising comes frombeing extremely present and
focused.
It's such a sweet thing to do.
People through my life havecommented on my ability to stay
(17:36):
focused on them in conversation.
To me, that's such a sweetthing is to connect with other
people.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
You just did it again .
You went to the big bang.
You just went to our other.
Like two other podcasts, healways goes further to the
bigger.
What you said was you weremeditating on the person and you
became one with them.
That's Samadhi.
(18:15):
We long for connection, yetwe're not connected to self.
We long for connection and yetwe can't sit still long enough
to be present for someone,whether they're in pain, they're
happy.
We're thinking of things to sayright away.
(18:36):
If, my friend, you are thinkingabout something to say when
someone's talking, you're notlistening.
Done.
The question is do you want tolisten, do you want to be
present?
You have to go through theselimbs.
This is why I personally thinkyoga is brilliant.
(19:01):
These limbs say how are you inthe world?
How do you treat yourself?
Do you move your body?
Because if your body's in pain,your mind's in pain, if your
body is tight, your mind istight, you get in your body, you
get reconnected, you startbreathing and then you start to
(19:24):
withdraw your senses into what'shere now.
Not it's all about me, butwhat's here right now.
What am I feeling, what'shappening, what's rising?
And now my body feels goodenough, I can sit still.
And when you sit, still theouter body and the little
(19:44):
fidgets, the little movements.
When they stop, the inner bodyspeeds up.
So the little movements thatyou make scratching your nose,
picking your wedgie, fixing yoursuit, whatever you're doing
disperses little energy and yourmind goes to those areas.
Stillness is so importantbecause that moment you become
still, all that excess energythat goes out goes in and it
(20:10):
starts things moving, rumbling,talking and speaking.
Now you have to stay so focusedon one thing so your mind
doesn't start to make up stories.
In that concentration, dharana,something will rise.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
That's awesome.
I love that, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
If meditation is or was challenging for you.
If you're listening, it'snormal.
Start with concentrating.
Pick one thing and start threeminutes a day.
(20:59):
Start with three.
When three feels easy ornatural, add another three, add
another three and keep addingtill you get to around 20
minutes.
Just don't force yourself toconcentrate, don't force
(21:23):
yourself to sit longer than youcan.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
It's a practice and if you think that you should be
able to concentrate, think againand if you try it and it's not
for you, just go back to asanaand breath.
You know, keep shaking it out,keep working it out.
The steadiness over time yieldsresults.
(21:47):
So you can't use your thinkingmind to say I'm going to
accomplish this goal.
I remember a story about twopeople who had agreed to be what
do they call thatAccountability partners for a
40-day meditation.
And they did the 40 meditationand then one says to the other
okay, so now what do we do?
That totally misses the pointof doing meditation.
(22:10):
I don't think there should everbe a meditation challenge for
the ordinary person.
You have to recognize thatthere are tools that will take
you there.
You just don't wake up and sayI'm going to begin meditating If
you haven't ever moved yourbody regularly or done some kind
(22:34):
of bhakti or somethingregularly that you're immersing
yourself in to be able to focus,to concentrate, use your breath
, shake out the anxiety orstress in your body.
If you don't do all those tasks, essentially, virtually,
meditation is a long shot, avery long shot.
(22:55):
So there's tools in order toget you there that are dialed in
, that are laid out for you inthe sutras and they're so
worthwhile.
Speaker 1 (23:08):
They are so worthwhile and they take action.
Once you decide you want toconcentrate, understand this.
You will need to engage withaction and it could be
exhausting in the beginning.
You're learning something new.
(23:31):
When you learn something new,we learn from the front of the
brain, the prefrontal cortex,and the prefrontal cortex
exhausts or gets tired quicklywhen learning To concentrate.
It is going to take practiceand it could be tiresome Because
(23:53):
it's new.
It's something new whetheryou're learning a language or
playing an instrument.
Eat a little more high fats inyour diet.
That will support that.
But also give yourself somekindness and compassion.
To be gentle that this processof learning to concentrate needs
(24:13):
a strong will and action.
You have to participate in itfully in order to ever be able
to meditate.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
Yeah, despite our technology and ability to
communicate with somebody allthe way around the world, we
cannot take away the requisiteof doing the work.
Nature is such that you need todo the work to accomplish these
(24:50):
goals, and you perhaps, in thislifetime.
Meditating isn't your thing,but if concentrating and feeling
good in your body is, stickwith the first few limbs.
Some of this stuff could take alifetime to do.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Meditation offers clarity.
Concentration, fixating on anobject, bringing the mind back
to one point over and over again, allows clarity.
When you hold something in yourheart or in your mind, you get
(25:30):
insight on that.
May we all long or may we allwant to meditate, to concentrate
, to be present and to worktowards that.
Dharana.
(25:51):
Concentration is something thatcan be used in all areas of
your life.
You can practice it anywhere.
You can set a timer for 90minutes or for however long, and
work and say I am going to workfor this amount of time, Not
(26:15):
look at Instagram, not look atthe clock.
Focus on this one thing, thistask.
That's also concentration.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
Cultivating your ability to concentrate is an
advanced tool that mostdefinitely, if you have that
ability to concentrate, willhelp you achieve goals, will
(26:57):
help you accomplish things yousimply cannot do if you do not
have the ability to stay focused.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Dan, something you said reminded me about the
amount of time that it took meto have a steady concentration
practice into meditation.
Twenty years it took me.
Speaker 2 (27:22):
That's devotion.
You put time and effort andlearned this technique and that
technique and tried thistechnique and that technique and
explored.
You had great discipline andpassion to ultimately find
yourself.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
I kept meeting myself on the mat in Asana, with
breathing, with pranayama, withmy yamas and my knee yamas, and
I realized what was keeping mefrom concentrating, and yet I
still medded.
But it could take some time.
It's a practice.
(28:02):
The benefits that you get fromit, from my experience, are
priceless.
The clarity that I have, andeven when I don't get clear, I
know that I'm not clear, Right.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Nothing worth truly having is gotten easily.
These are accessible toeveryone if they're willing to
put in the time.
I believe it creates a betterworld for people to be
(28:46):
practicing these tasks and toolsand behaviors and following
these guidelines.
Is it perfect?
No, are we perfect?
No, but moving through thelimbs creates a maturation.
You become more mature, youbecome more settled, you become
(29:07):
less anxious, you become moreconfident, you become just a
greater you, and certainlythat's a wonderful thing to
share with the world.
But it enhances your own lifeand makes your own life calmer.
It makes your own life richer,and the ones that you share,
(29:28):
you're sharing your life withalso reap the benefits, and it's
such a treasure trove.
It's just you have to do thework.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
And please, if you're listening, keep in mind we're
all at different places in ouryoga practice.
Some of us are just starting.
Some of this may not make senseto you yet.
Stay with moving your body,simple movements, simple breath.
That brings you right into themoment.
Concentrate on that Right.
(30:01):
Concentrate on that and thenmove into your breathing.
When you're driving, askyourself am I breathing?
And, if not, breathe a littledeeper.
If you notice you're tired oryou're running around or you
feel run down, pratyahara, turnaway from and turn into, and
(30:24):
then we come to concentration,take mastery.
What does that even mean?
That's what it says in the yogasutras oh, if you do this, this
and this, you become a master.
What I want to offer you isthis Yoga has taught me how to
(30:46):
lead my life through selfrealization, these practices.
Concentrating has helped me andtaught me how to meditate, and
in that concentration, I learnedso many things about myself.
And through meditation andthrough the other limbs, through
(31:08):
those learnings, I now have achoice on how I want to show up
in the world.
So, my friends, this practiceis not just on the mat.
Sometimes, for me, it hasnothing to do with the mat.
It has everything to do with mybehavior, my thoughts about
(31:34):
myself and also about how I'maffecting the world.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Pratyahara, as the person you are, being an
entrepreneur in the fitnessindustry and watching you pursue
this up and through and through, including getting through Zoom
, having a yoga studio I don'tbelieve you'd have been around
(32:04):
still or as successful to thispoint without your ability to
stay focused.
You learned how to use cameraequipment.
You learned how to use Zoom.
I'm not saying these are likemonumental things, but all in
such a heartbeat.
When the COVID thing happened,you're like we got to go here to
(32:26):
get this microphone and we gotto go here to get this thing to
patch this into this.
We got to go get a monitor andwe need this.
This is a real, practical,real-life anecdote of you
plugging in or actually yieldingthe reward of having honed your
(32:48):
skills to stay focused andconcentrated To this day.
Sure, we have our days andweeks where we want to binge
watch detective shows, but youhave to be able to also have
some fun doing that too.
Your abilities to figure outthings on the computer I mean,
who wants to do that as a yogateacher?
But you've done so many thingsagain that you would not in my
(33:12):
heart.
I just say that I believe thatyou would not be able to do that
had you've not been honingthese skills over time.
When your recovery from surgerywas expedited by having been
through the years concentratingand meditating and breathing and
shaking out your nervous systemand exploring and being
(33:35):
investigative and going out intothe world and charging so hard
to find information and findstuff about wellness and stuff
about nutrition and all thesethings it keeps coming back to
the yoga for you.
It keeps coming back.
It's really just been.
For me, being your partner hasbeen a real treat to watch you
(33:56):
thrive in a world that's loadedwith obstacles, and all of the
tools of yoga are what youembody.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
Thank you, that's so sweet and correct.
I use these tools every day,not perfectly, because there is
(34:23):
no such thing as perfect.
I use them to the best of myability in the moments that are
here and what is happening in mylife and it was what is
happening around me these toolswill be here for you when no one
else is or no one else can helpyou.
(34:45):
They will be your backbone,they will be your best friend,
they're your go to wherever youare or however you want to start
.
Just start one minute a day,two minutes a day, or just a
second of turning in andconcentrating and just bringing
(35:07):
your mind right back to that.
Because, like Dan shared, Ihave gotten through survival and
I am thriving at this point inmy life due to these tools and
the practice that I put intothem.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
And so if you have any questions for Jody, email us
.
We are excited to continue toshare our life together, and
Jody's got so much to sharearound health concerns and how
she's used the tools of yoga tonot just get through, not
(35:47):
survive, thrive, really take ona full load, take on life and
have a happy life.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Thank you, my friends , for joining us.
You can follow us at Become OneLiving and you can email us at
BecomeOneLiving at gmailcom.
Be well and take care.
Gabby's tongue is out.
(36:19):
She is like completely out ofit.
Look at that little tongue.
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Thank you guys.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!