Dhāraṇā

Hey kiddo! So, have you ever tried really hard to focus on something? Maybe it was a puzzle or a game. That's kind of like what dhāraṇā is! It's a really important thing people do when they're practicing yoga or meditation.

Dhāraṇā is sort of like training your brain to stay focused on one thing. It's like teaching your brain to pay attention to something and not be easily distracted. Just like how you have to practice a game or puzzle to get really good at it, people have to practice dhāraṇā to get better at focusing their mind.

When you do dhāraṇā, you pick something to focus on. It could be your breath, a sound, a picture, or something else. The idea is to keep your mind on that one thing and not let it wander off to other thoughts. It's like giving your brain a job to do and keeping it busy.

People who practice dhāraṇā say it can help them feel more calm and relaxed. It's kind of like exercising your brain by making it focus really hard. It might not always be easy, but like with any exercise, you'll get better at it the more you practice.