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Meditation · Advanced
Advanced Meditation
ध्यान · प्रगत
For those who already sit daily. Longer sittings, one-pointed concentration, and the classical map of dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi — studied from inside the practice.
"Concentration is not force. It is the absence of anywhere else to go."
The Course
Where this begins
A daily practice eventually reaches a plateau where sittings are calm, pleasant and not going anywhere. The tradition anticipated this and described what comes next in precise terms — but the descriptions only make sense to someone who has done the earlier work.
This course extends the sitting, sharpens it to a single point, and reads Patañjali's account of the stages against what you actually find. It also deals frankly with what arises when the surface quiets — old memory, strong emotion, and the long dry periods that make practitioners quit.
This Is For You If
- You have sat daily for a year or more
- Forty minutes of stillness is within reach
- Your practice has flattened and you want a direction
- You want the texts, not another guided recording
What You Practise
Six things, learned properly
Extended sitting
Sittings built from forty minutes toward an hour and beyond, with the posture work to sustain them.
Dhāraṇā
One-pointed concentration on a single object, held without substitution — the gateway to everything after it.
Trāṭaka
Steady gazing, usually on a flame, as a concentration practice with immediate feedback.
Antar mauna
Inner silence — the systematic practice of watching mental content without engaging it.
Self-enquiry
Ātma vicāra, the direct enquiry into who is doing the watching.
Sūtra study
The Yoga Sūtras on samādhi, read closely — and where the map does and does not match the territory.
A Session
How the time is spent
Sessions follow the same shape each week, so that attention goes to the practice rather than to wondering what comes next.
15 min
Prāṇāyāma and preparation
45 min
Extended sitting, unguided
20 min
Text study and discussion
20 min
Concentration practice
10 min
Individual guidance
What is expected
Before your first session
- An established daily practice of at least a year
- A sitting practice at home, not only in class
- A practice journal, reviewed with your teacher
- Readiness to sit with difficult material if it surfaces
- Steady prāṇāyāma — take the breath course alongside if not
- Tell us about any history of psychiatric illness beforehand
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What if difficult memories or emotions come up?
It happens, and it is not a sign of something going wrong. Your teacher is available between sessions, and we will slow the practice down or step back to gentler ground when needed. Meditation is not a substitute for therapy, and we will say so if that is what is called for.
Can I take this without the beginners' course?
Yes, if you already sit daily — the entry requirement is the practice, not our particular course. Speak to a teacher first so we can place you well.
Will I reach samādhi?
Nobody can promise that, and anyone who does should be treated with suspicion. What this course offers is correct method, honest guidance and the texts. What follows is not on a schedule.
Want the full picture from Dhāraṇā to here?
This course assumes that foundation is already in place. See meditation for beginners, from Dhāraṇā to advanced practice for how each stage connects to this one.
Is Soham meditation part of this course?
Soham draws on the same breath-awareness this course builds on, but it is taught as its own practice. Read about Soham meditation, the ajapa mantra to see how the two relate.
Going further
Begin where you are
Long-form practice is best deepened in residence. Antarbodh gives seven days of silence, structure and nothing else to do.