First Light
How First Light worksTuesday 27 October·
- Sunrise
- 07:55
- Quiet hour
- 06:19–07:07
- Brahma Muhurta
- Moon
- Waning gibbous
- Next full moon: Tue 24 Nov
Autumn
The quiet hour (Brahma Muhurta) is the traditional time for practice, just before sunrise.
धारणासु च योग्यता मनसः
dhāraṇāsu ca yogyatā manasaḥ
And the mind becomes fit for concentration.
Yoga Sutras 2.53 · verse 104 of 196
Unfolding the thread
Breath prepares the mind for the next stage. A mind steadied by breath can be placed and held, which is dhāraṇā, concentration. You can feel this for yourself: after slow breathing, attention is simply easier.
Try today
Do a minute of slow breathing, then try holding your attention on one thing. Notice the difference it makes.
The Echo
The same truth, heard in another tradition
“As a fletcher makes straight his arrow, a wise man makes straight his trembling and unsteady thought, which is difficult to guard, difficult to hold back.”
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