Ashtanga Yoga has eight steps to it. One is not less important than the other and its goal is samadhi. The literal expansion of this Sanskrit word is to have a very well-rooted intellect. An intellect or fixed pattern of thought is well established in the source of one’s consciousness.
There is a process by which this state of mind is attained. It happens through contemplation, enquiry about who I really am and through that process getting closer to the blissful self that I am.
It means an absorption of the individual mind with the cosmic mind. Of the four chapters, Patanjali begins the Yoga Sutras with the Samadhi Pada (chapter).
Samadhi may sound to be quite an esoteric word. But it can actually be a common, everyday experience that goes unnoticed. It can happen when driving a car in the midst of a traffic jam and honking vehicles. It can happen while looking at a bunch of flowers. The individual awareness gets merged with the cosmic awareness.
Patanjali mentions four ways in this sutra for entering into samadhi, with the help of objects, nature or people outside, thoughts or happiness within or contemplation on one’s own self.
If Albert Einstein was intensely absorbed in a scientific theory and comes out with an original discovery, that happens in a state of samadhi. At that time all the faculties of his mind are directed toward the object of his study and only awareness remains. This is Vitarka—giving all the faculties of the mind to study and analyse something.
Next is Vichara. This is reflection within. Sitting with eyes closed in a quiet ambience, you may find thoughts springing up. Being with those thoughts or emotions and observing the source from which they spring can lead to samadhi.
Ananda is bliss—an exhalted mood, jubilation. It may have causes outside like being in beautiful natural surroundings, seeing a lovely movie, playing with children, or even sitting quietly may aid in experiencing the bliss within. Going to the source of this bliss is samadhi through ananda. Many of the beautiful nature poets have composed their brilliant poems and sonnets in this state of samadhi.
Asmitaroopa; this is the most famous technique expounded by Ramana Maharshi. We refer to ourselves as “I am so and so”. Anybody who mentions their name uses the same single letter. All our names can be different, but this I is always common. One of the ways to reach this state of mind is to constantly keep asking oneself, “Who am I?”,
without being satisfied with the immediate answers. That takes you to the source.
Samadhi is not any esoteric word. It is an everyday experience when our mind gets thoroughly concentrated or focussed on some work, person, situation or thing that we are engrossed in, and we lose any thought of space, time or our name and form too.
(www.swahilya.blogspot.com)