Raja Yoga is the system of yoga that deals with the practice of concentrating the mind and developing a calm, steady, continuous intensity of awareness without distraction. The ancient philosopher and yogi Patanjali composed a concise and detailed explanation of how raja yoga works and the methods to use so that you can experience the mental state of Dhyana (meditation). His explanation is known as the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and in it he explains how the mind works and how to overcome its influence. Meditation is the practise of concentrating the mind and developing a calm and steady continuous intensity of awareness without distraction leads into the mental state of Dhyana. The moment you become attracted to the thoughts and emotional energies within the mind, they influence your awareness. 

Dharana (Concentration) is the mental ability to remain focused and when distracted  you begin to follow a stream of thoughts. Meditation may involve mantra and concentration techniques that will develop the ability to focus the mental energies so that you can remain detached and impartial to the emotional influences of the thoughts that flow through your mind. When you meditate regularly you begin to observe and witness the thoughts and reactions as if you were separated from them and in this way you can have an unbiased perspective on the cause and effect of your own thoughts and the behaviour of others you interact with. For anyone who wants to achieve success in their efforts of mental discipline, it is necessary to first understand the principles and practice of yoga.

Yoga is a science based on the principles of energy which is called prana. Hatha yoga aims to purify the systems that maintain the body while bhakti yoga is dedicated to the purification and transforming emotional energy into reverence and devotion through ritual, mantra and worship. Karma yoga is the science of transforming karma through work and actions that are detached from the outcome and performed with an attitude of service and love. The personal needs and sense of achievement is surrendered in humility and compassion for others. Raja yoga is the science dedicated to the purification of the mind and psychic. 

The desire for happiness and contentment is natural and we strive to achieve our dream.  We are attracted to pleasure and reject unpleasant confrontation hoping to avoid pain.  Each of us has identified with a way of living that has its own philosophy and material aims.  Money gives us power over physical ownership, but our mental and emotional experience is still unstable.  Education and training empowers us with skills to earn material wealth but the life of inner feelings and mental confusion is always changing.  Work, lifestyle, marriage, children, sensual pleasure and power over others has no permanent effect on the on the personal state of mind and emotions. Happiness is always a momentary feeling that comes with a sense of achievement and recognition.  It is only a brief mental association with pleasure and is nothing more than a transition between satisfaction and dissatisfaction.  In fact all the ideas that exist within the mind about pleasure and pain, happiness and sorrow, joy and sadness are only concepts or ideas of the mind. They only exist as long as we identify with them and can associate the physical world with our mental / emotional imagination. 

When we try to control the external world we are following a belief in the mind that ownership and control will bring the happiness we seek, or that abandonment and rejection is the cause of our suffering.  But this is not the truth and until we are able to develop a detached awareness so that we can realize the truth happiness and freedom from suffering is never going to happen.  Until we can understand the mind and restructure our mental thinking so that we are free of the obsessive desires and  fear we will never be able to experience permanent joy and happiness.  As long as the mind is restless and unstable with more than one point of view it will not be possible to achieve mental, emotional nor physical peace. Meditation is the silent witness state of knowing the mind thoroughly.  Every corner of the mind both negative and positive must be known and also the behaviour and reaction of the opposite polarities in thinking should be fully understood.  Meditation is the way to achieve the knowledge of mind.

"Yoga is the essential ingredient for living a balanced and successful life. It helps us to develop a clear understanding of how to obtain faith, integrity and self-confidence. It is the key, allowing us to experience happiness"