The Power of Dhyana: Meditation in the Bhagavad Gita for Yoga Instructors
In the current world, where Yoga is popularly regarded as the physical exercise, the actual essence of Yoga — Dhyana (meditation) — sometimes loses importance.
For Yoga instructors and teachers, however, the know-how of Dhyana is not a choice but a necessity.
The Bhagavad Gita, Yoga’s most revered scripture, presents ageless wisdom on Dhyana that every serious Yoga instructor must personify — not just for self-awareness but to inspire students more profoundly as well.
Let’s see how Dhyana, as imparted in the Gita, can transform us into superior teachers, superior practitioners, and eventually superior human beings.
Dhyana: The Soul of a True Yogi
In Sanskrit, Dhyana is “meditative absorption” — a profound, unshakable concentration that results in realization of the Self.
In Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna discusses Dhyana Yoga, the Yoga of Meditation, with Arjuna. He explains a Yogi as one who has conquered the mind and perceives the divine in all.
For Yoga teachers, this lesson is essential:
Authentic Yoga instruction isn’t about showing off fancy postures — it’s about passing on inner quiet.
When your own practice is grounded in Dhyana, your classes automatically become more than just exercise classes. They become refuge where students experience tranquility, genuineness, and change.
How Krishna Leads Us: Dhyana in Everyday Life
Krishna’s instructions on meditation are not mystical enigmas. They are highly applicable to Yoga instructors like us:
Establish a consistent foundation.
Find a clean, focused place. Have your environment assist your calmness.
Practice steady posture.
Spine up, mind calm. (Just what we work students towards in each session!)
Balance your life.
Too little work, too little rest. A Yoga teacher’s life needs to reflect moderation.
Withdraw and concentrate.
Direct senses inward. Develop focus — not merely when sitting on the mat, but throughout the day.
Introduce compassion to the mind’s vagaries.
If your mind wanders while meditating (or on a busy day of teaching classes!), kindly nudge it back, without toughness.
As Yoga teachers, embracing these principles makes our presence transformative.
Students sense the energy we embody — not only the words we speak.
Why Dhyana Matters for Yoga Teachers Today
In an age fixated on “performance Yoga” and Instagram-perfect poses, true inner mastery shines like a beacon in the darkness.
Dhyana is that light.
When teachers are more deeply practicing their meditation:
Their voice is smoother.
Their instructions are more instinctual.
Their energy becomes effortless healing.
Their relationship with students becomes heart-to-heart, not teacher-to-student.
And beyond the classroom — Dhyana assists Yoga teachers to navigate burnout, emotional depletion, and the rollercoaster of a teaching career with ease.
The Gita reminds us:
“The Yogi is superior to ascetics, superior to the scholars, superior to the ritualist.” (Bhagavad Gita 6.46)
Sense — it’s the inner practice that really qualifies a Yoga teacher as great, rather than mental knowledge or outside discipline.
Intensify Your Dhyana Practice with Online Yoga Life
If you’re a Yoga teacher — or in training to be one — and you sense the need to dive deeper into true Yoga practices, we welcome you with open arms to Online Yoga Life.
Our online teacher training courses extend beyond the fundamentals.
We weave in instructions on Dhyana, Pranayama, Kriya, Meditation, and classical philosophy directly from the origins of Classical Yoga.
Learning the practice and philosophy of Dhyana with us isn’t an intellectual exercise — it’s a living experience. You’ll not only intellectually grasp the Bhagavad Gita, but feel its wisdom permeate your teaching and daily practice.
Picture yourself taking your students not only into a stretch. but into silence.
Not only into sweat. but into serenity.
That’s the magic of authentic Yoga teaching.
Begin today at www.onlineyogalife.com.
Final Words: Be the Yogi You Teach About
Krishna’s description of a real yogi is not one who speaks of peace — it’s one who embodies it.
As Yoga teachers, we are privileged (and challenged) to tread this path ourselves first, so we can truly light the way for others.
Dhyana — the profound meditation taught in the Bhagavad Gita — is the heartbeat of this path.
Take time for your own quiet. Your students will notice it.
And most importantly, your own heart will flower in ways you cannot yet imagine.
Ready to put the soul back into your Yoga practice and teaching? Go to www.onlineyogalife.com and begin your journey towards mastery and meditation.