The January theme for the studio is Dhyana (7th) and Samadhi (8th): the last two limbs of the 8-fold path of yoga.
We combined the two since they are sometimes considered inseparable, or in the very least, Samadhi (awakening) is a progression of Dhyana, or deep meditation, deep awareness. The work involved in the first 6 limbs of yoga is foundational; its goal is to purify, remove distractions and go within (pratyahara and dharana) so that we can finally get to Dhyana and Samadhi, the effortless state of bliss.
We can potentially experience a form of dhyana in our yoga practice by being wholly and effortlessly absorbed in a yoga pose, your mind clear and focused. You may even get a fleeting hint of samadhi when you’re lying in savasana and your body’s sensation “disintegrates,” and becomes part of pure awareness, no distinction between you and the space around you. In Dhyana, we still retain a sense of self; in Samadhi, the self dissolves.