FOCUS ON 5 (Five)

What other word would someone who teaches yoga come up with?  However, I've been intrigued with the impact of focus (dharana, not drishti) since our weekend with John here in September. 

At one of the 8 (count'em, EIGHT) classes I attended with him that weekend, he used the word dharana during our work to help us.  Keeping the dharana (may be translated as "holding", "holding steady", "concentration" or "single focus", according to internet sources) in one spot of the body. 

I know you're dying of curiosity about why this could even be of interest.  Well, in my teaching recently, I notice a number of students weight their feet on the outer edge - that's natural, most people do it.  The challenge for many of us is to bring the weight onto all 4 corners of the feet (the mounds behind the big and little toes, and the inner and outer heel) -- skiiers will be able to relate.  Weighting the feet this way provides a more stable foundation for our asana; it's also healthy for the feet. 

So, following on John's teaching, I've been doing an exercise that strengthens and works the lower legs/ankles.  I ask students to bring their dharana (focus/concentration) to the mounds of their feet just behind the big toes.  On an inhale, keeping that dharana at the forefront of their thinking, I ask them to rise up - lift their heels and come onto the front of the feet - like they were wearing 4-inch heels.  This (besides doing the strengthening) brings their awareness to that elusive inner foot and keeps it there -- as long as the dharana is working.  I find it much easier to do this when I focus as I described.  

Once we've done this a few times, we move on.  Throughout the class I find that using this dharana is helpful again and again -- during parsvakonasana, press the dharana of the back foot into the floor to fire the inner thigh muscles.  Or, as they come out of trichonasana, energize legs, press feet into floor - especially the dharana of the inner forefeet - to bring them up and out of the pose with stability.  Etc., etc., etc.  (Caveat:  the dharana can be any part of the body -- I've just described how I use it to bring attention to the inner feet.)

Some of you are thinking, isn't this the same as 'drishti'.  In our workshop (and in my internet search), drishti is defined as a visual focal point.  So the difference?  Simply, dharana is a focused concentration, while drishti is a visual focal point. 

It also is important to note that dharana is the sixth step in the eight-step path of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga -- the initial step of deep concentrative meditation. 

Well, enough of your 'dharana teaching' for today.  I cannot always be held responsible for the things I think of at 6 a.m. -- some days it's a stretch. 

Today is Jack's 3rd birthday -- so, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JACK !!!  You are the BEST !!!  You make my heart SING !!! 

Everyone, enjoy Jack's birthday,