Samadhi is the highest state of mental concentration that a person can achieve while still bound to the body and which unites him with the highest reality. It is a state of profound and utterly absorptive contemplation of the Absolute that is undisturbed by desire, anger, or any other ego-generated thought or emotion. It is a state of joyful calm, or even of rapture and beatitude. Samadhi is regarded as the climax of all spiritual and intellectual activity, which is the ultimate aim of Yoga.
Yoga has two branches, Hatha Yoga and Raj Yoga. Hatha yoga has seven parts:
- Shat karma (Six Cleansings)
- Asana (Postures)
- Mudras
- Pranayama (breathing exercises)
- Pratyahara (Control of senses)
- Dhyana (Meditation)
- Samadhi (a state of contemplation or trance)
Raj yoga has eight parts (Asthanga yoga):
- Yama
- Niyama
- Asana (Postures)
- Pranayama (breathing exercises)
- Pratyahara (Control of senses)
- Dharana
- Dhyana (Meditation)
- Samadhi (a state of contemplation or trance)
The first five parts are called external aids to Yoga; the remaining three are purely mental or internal aids. As the ultimate goal of both the branches is the Samadhi, so a reader may find a few aspects common in both the branches. To achieve the state of Samadhi, a sadhaka has to go through/climb up the four steps as described in next article.