Samadhi Pada is the first pada or the chapter, comprises of 51 sutras about enlightenment. It offers guidelines for living a more meaningful and purposeful life. Samadhi Pada expresses the goal of concentration, as a means of achieving vairagya (detachment) through ahbyasa (practice). Patanjali explains that this is possible only with a balance between effort and letting go. Obstacles to mental stillness are outlined in Samadhi Pada, followed by a description of the resulting state of absorption. This dissolving of the self is described as the key to ending mental pain and suffering.

what is Samadhi?

To understand

The word pada means chapter

the word sutra means a thread

In this blog we will see the first of four chapters in the Yoga Sutra i.e. samadhi pada.

This is Yadla vishwa sree your yoga teacher

The Yoga Sutra is basically the psychology of yoga, or the “road map” for the yogi. The sutras are divided into four chapters, or padas.

Samadhi Pada is the first pada or the chapter, comprises of 51 sutras about enlightenment. It offers guidelines for living a more meaningful and purposeful life.

Samadhi Pada expresses the goal of concentration, as a means of achieving vairagya (detachment) through ahbyasa (practice). Patanjali explains that this is possible only with a balance between effort and letting go. Obstacles to mental stillness are outlined in Samadhi Pada, followed by a description of the resulting state of absorption. This dissolving of the self is described as the key to ending mental pain and suffering.

The first, Samadhi Pada, explains the lofty aims of yoga, such as “Yoga is the calming and quieting of all the self-limiting tendencies of our own consciousness.”

Why Samadhi Is Important to our Health

The Yoga Sutras teach us not only what Samadhi is, but how to get to it.

Now you may be asking, what is Samadhi?

The Sanskrit word samadhi is made up of two terms, 

sama means equal and even, and 

adhi means to adhere or to stick with.

When you put them together, they mean equal states of consciousness and the joining of all aspects of our being: physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional.

It also means supreme bliss, super consciousness, and enlightenment.

The question is where and how to begin?

We can say samadhi can be achieved in 5 steps and help you feel balanced and well on all levels of your being.

Step 1

Make a pledge to pause for a minute each and every day to reveal to yourself something that you are thankful for and to appreciate it. Make a list, not just one. Think up more, good for you? bravo! Here’s mine: Today I appreciate my folks, who really love me genuinely and would do anything for me.

Step 2

Conscious breathing or pranayama as it’s known in Sanskrit is one of the most “at the moment” things we can do. There is simply nothing more present or at the moment than our breath.

I like to start my day (sometimes before I even get out of bed) by taking 3–5 minutes to focus myself with my breath—just observing it and breathing slowly and calmly through my nose.

As Iyengar says, “Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take a slow deep breath in through your nose and pause at the top of inhalation for a moment. Then, exhale completely through your nose. Repeat for 5 minutes.” Focus on the sound of your breath and relax your jaw, your teeth, tongue, and lips. So simple and so effective at calming the mind.

Step 3

All the while, you figure out how to adore yourself more. It’s tied in with tolerating where you are today at the present time and moving from a position of genuineness. Resilience is required such a great amount on the planet today and especially here in our own nation also. It begins at home as far as we could tell. At the point when we can move from a position of truth and acknowledgment of ourselves, we can start to acknowledge and regard others.

Samadhi is sometimes called self-realization.

Self-realization means getting to know yourself better.

In the process, you learn to love yourself more. It’s about accepting where you are today at this very moment and moving from a place of honesty. Tolerance is needed so much in the world today and very much here in our own country as well. It starts at home in our own mind. When we can move from a place of truth and acceptance of ourselves, we can begin to accept and respect others.

Step 4

The Yoga Sutra says we need to relax the intensity of our effort and meditate on the endless energy within. Personally, I have found this sutra to be a constant reminder to slow down and remember that not everything can be done in a day. It really helps me to stay more in the flow of life.

Step 5

Samadhi is equality. Take time to nurture each aspect of your being. Do things that feed your mind, like signing up for that class that you always wanted to take. Do things that feed your soul, like volunteering at an animal shelter or a nursing home. Do something that feeds your emotions, like making time to see an old friend.

As Samadhi Pada explains about Concentration

If we bifurcate all the 51 sutras from samadhi pada, then.

• The first four sutras explain about What is Yoga? (1.1-1.4)
• From 5 to 11 sutras it explains about Un-coloring your thoughts (1.5-1.11) i.e., explains five types of vritties (types of modifications of mind)
• From 12 to 16 sutras it explains about Practice and non-attachment (1.12-1.16)
• From 17 to 18 sutras it explains about Types of concentration (1.17-1.18)
• From 19 to 22 sutras it explains about Efforts and commitment (1.19-1.22)
• From 23 to 29 sutras it explains about Contemplation on AUM or OM (1.23-1.29)
• From 30 to 32 sutras it explains about Obstacles and solutions (1.30-1.32)
• From 33 to 39 sutras it explains about Stabilizing and clearing the mind (1.33-1.39)
• From 40 to 51 sutras it explains about After stabilizing the mind (1.40-1.51)
• he explains the different types of Samadhi (ultimate state of achievement in yoga).
  Sabija Samadhi & Nirbija Samadhi
  Sabija is further subdivided in two
  Sampradnayat & Asampradnayat

Sampradnayat is further subdivided in four types
Savitarka, Savichara, Sananda, Sasmita

Nirbija Samadhi is the ultimate state of achievement in Yoga.

Samadhi Practice

It only makes sense that we would sit for meditation in seated postures such as padmasana or Lotus Pose or sukhasana or Easy Pose to contemplate Samadhi.

Lotus Pose (Padmasana): Sit down on your yoga mat in dhandasana. Bend your right leg and place your right foot at the top of your left thigh. Bend your left leg and place your left foot at the top of your right thigh. It may be more comfortable to sit on a blanket or a block. If there is any pain in either knee, try placing a folded blanket under the knee. If that doesn’t help and the pain persists, use the variation like sukhasana or Easy Pose instead. Sit up tall and place your hands on your thighs and breathe slowly and freely through your nose for several minutes until you feel calm and centered. Close your eyes if that is comfortable.

You can watch upcoming videos for performance of padmasana.

Easy Pose (Sukhasana): Sit on your mat with a folded blanket under your bottom. Cross your legs just above the ankles and allow your knees to rest on the floor. If there is pain in either knee, place a blanket under the knee to relieve it. Sit up tall and rest your hands on your thighs. Close your eyes and breathe freely through your nose for a few minutes.