What is Bliss? Discovering Samadhi
The purpose of yoga is to calm the mind; to quiet the chitti vritti by releasing limiting beliefs and cultivating sattvic energy. We achieve this peace by living with compassion, caring for ourselves, moving and breathing with intention, engaging in introspective practices, and meditating. The path of yoga guides us toward a destination: samadhi, the bliss of universal oneness.
But what does that truly mean? What is bliss? What is universal oneness? If I become one with the universe, do I disappear? How will I know if I’ve entered samadhi? And if I never reach it, does that make me a bad yogi?
Samadhi is the most mysterious limb of yoga because it is a deeply personal experience that defies conventional expression. Typically described with words like bliss, enlightenment, or liberation, samadhi means “to bring together, to merge.”(2)
B.K.S. Iyengar offers this description of samadhi…
“...there remains no sense of “I” or “mine” as the working of the body, mind, and intellect have stopped as if one is in deep sleep…there is only the experience of consciousness, truth, and unutterable joy. There is a peace that passeth all understanding. The mind cannot find words to describe the state and the tongue fails to utter them. …The state can only be expressed by profound silence. The yogi has departed from the material world and is merged in the Eternal. There is then no duality between the knower and the known for they are merged like camphor and the flame.”(3)
Iyengar assures us that we do not disappear in samadhi; rather, our sense of self dissolves into the universe until there is no separation. In samadhi, the mind is still, and as a result, there are no thoughts to give voice to. Once we have merged with the universe, we have reached the highest state of consciousness, samadhi. There is no need to speak or think, because we exist in pure knowing.
How the Yoga Path Leads to Samahdi
To reach samadhi, one must first practice and embody the first seven limbs of the eightfold yoga path. The journey begins with the five yamas, the first limb, which teach us compassion, both toward others and ourselves. The first yama leads the path of yoga— ahimsa, non-violence and kindness. Kindness is guiding force behind every action and every thought, carrying us all the way to samadhi.
Through the five niyamas, the second limb, we learn how to care for ourselves. Take saucha, or cleanliness; for example, it extends beyond physical hygiene to include nourishing our bodies with wholesome food, moving with intention, and breathing clean air. Closely linked to saucha are the asanas and pranayama, the third and fourth limbs, where movement and breathwork work in harmony to revitalize and purify the self.
The fifth and sixth limbs, pratyahara and dharana, follow each other on the way into the seventh: dhyana, or meditation. As the sense of the physical self and the external world fades, the mind is prepared to focus and concentrate, eventually finding meditation. While meditation is often seen as the gateway to samadhi, the full yoga path is necessary to truly arrive.
We cannot rush this journey. Not only does yoga calm the mind, it heals it too. This process takes dedication, time, intentional action, and patience. And a lot of self-love.
Living a yoga-inspired life means practicing yoga beyond the mat, in every moment and every opportunity. The beauty of yoga lies in its cumulative nature. The more consistently you step onto the mat, the stronger your body becomes, and the more ease you find in asanas. The more deeply you engage in introspection and meditation, the more resilient your mind grows. The more you embrace the yoga teachings, you will foster an inner calm and peace that will stay with you, especially in times of stress and strain. The more you travel the path, the closer you will get to samadhi.
The way forward won’t always be clear or smooth; expect setbacks and challenges. This is a natural part of the process, so don’t be discouraged if you struggle with Crow pose or meditation. Yoga does not demand perfection. It only asks that you show up and give your best in each moment. Do not hold onto past achievements as benchmarks or expectations. Every day is different and so is every practice. The only “perfect” yoga practice is one in which you are fully present and open to receiving what the Universe has to offer.
Surrendering to A Higher Power
A key element of the yoga path is the fifth niyama, ishvara pranidhana; the surrender to a higher power. As you progress through your practice, surrender will be asked of you in many ways. Take a challenging pose, such as Dancer or an Extended Side Angle with a bind. There is both physical tension in the posture itself and mental tension between effort and ease. Ishvara pranidhana comes into play as you breathe into that tension, working through it. Through that process, you will come to recognize that where you are is exactly where you are supposed to be. You are here because this is where you need to be to receive what the universe is offering to you.
This higher power can take many forms: God, a deity, the Universe, the Eternal, or even your higher self. Your higher self is the version of you free from suffering, full of joy, love, and harmony. Your higher self can also be thought of as your bliss body, the anandamaya kosha.
You don’t need to be religious to practice ishvara pranidhana. You simply need faith in something greater than yourself. Faith is a form of self-love. It is a deep reassurance that everything unfolds for a reason, even the disappointments. It helps you accept life as it is, rather than constantly longing for what could have been. It eases expectations, fosters contentment with the blessings you’ve received, and offers strength during hardship, helping you weather the storms that touch us all.
The Difference Between Dhyana and Samadhi
The singular difference between dhyana (meditation) and samadhi is the presence of “I.” In meditation, there is still an awareness of the self; the individual identity that observes, reflects, and thinks. As meditation deepens and dissolves into samadhi, the presence of “I” merges with the Universe until they come together, becoming one. There is no “I” in samadhi.
In dhyana, there is still consciousness of the self; the mind is still thinking. In samadhi there are no thoughts nor doubts; instead, there is pure understanding.
B.K.S. Iyengar tells us…
“…the experience of samadhi is achieved when the knower, the knowable, and the known become one. When the object of mediation engulfs the meditator and becomes the subject, self-awareness is lost. This is samadhi - a state of total absorption….Though samadhi can be explained on an intellectual level, it can only be experienced at the level of the heart.”(4)
The Yoga Sutra describes the experience of samadhi like this: first, we reflect, then as our reflection turns into a focused study, we gain understanding, which also fills us up with “a feeling of profound happiness.” At that point, we are one with our meditation and from there, the merging of “I” with the Universe occurs and then we are in samadhi.(2)
From the Yoga Sutra:
4.29 —
There arises a state of mind full of clarity concerning all things at all times. It is like a rain fall of clarity.
4.30 —
This is, indeed, the state free from actions based on the five obstacles (kleshas).
4.34 —
When the highest purpose of life is achieved the three basic qualities (gunas) do not excite responses in the mind. That is freedom. In other words, the Perceiver is no longer colored by the mind.
Concluding Thoughts
You are not a bad yogi if you never experience samadhi. Also, if you choose to practice the physical aspect of yoga and ignore the rest, that is perfectly fine. Simply showing up on the mat opens you to the blessings of the Universe; a stronger body, a calmer mind, and the community of fellow yogis. If you ever seek more, the path will always be there, waiting whenever you need it. Even if you walk a different road, yoga remains, right where you left it.
Samadhi requires time, patience, dedication, and intention; the very lessons we absorb from the mat. There is no judgment, only acceptance. A yoga teacher often closes practice with the word “namaste,” meaning, the light in me honors the light in you. All living creatures have that light, even plants and animals. That light is the Universe, the Eternal, God, and our Higher Self.
Samadhi is the ultimate connection to that light. It is the highest consciousness, one of pure peace, joy, and love.
Namaste.
Bibliography
1 - Barrett, Hannah. Yoga Happy, 137, 148. Hardie Grant Quadrille, 2022.
2 - Desikachar, T.K.V. The Heart of Yoga, 109-110, 115, 117, 213-215. Inner Traditions International, 1995.
3 - Iyengar, B.K.S. Light on Yoga, 52. Schocken Books, 1979.
4 - Iyengar, B.K.S. Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health, 53. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2008.
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