Dharana 78 of 112 · verse 111

Turning Until Stillness

Spinning the body until it can spin no more, and resting in what remains.

Recorded, not taught

Shoonyaka does not offer this one as a guided practice. It is here because the collection is of all one hundred and twelve, and leaving it out would misrepresent the text.

Before you try this

Not offered as a guided practice here. Spinning to collapse causes falls, injuries and fainting, and is dangerous for anyone with heart, blood-pressure, inner-ear or seizure conditions, or during pregnancy.

The practice

The verse describes turning the body round and round swiftly until one falls to the ground, and says that at the end of the energy of motion the supreme state is born.

What it works on

The same principle as the whirling of the dervishes, and the same logic as several other dharanas here: exhaust one faculty completely and the stillness on the far side is unlike ordinary stillness. Traditions that keep this practice keep it with prepared ground, supervision and years of training.

Notes

  • Dharana 75 — slow rocking — offers the accessible member of this family: rhythm and motion, without the fall.

Practise gently

Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.