The Eight Limbs of Yoga: Samadhi (Absorption) On and Off the Mat

Samadhi, the final limb of yoga, is often described as enlightenment, but that word can feel distant, something reserved for monks on mountaintops or ancient sages lost in deep meditation. In reality, Samadhi is not an achievement; it is an experience. It is the state of complete absorption, where the sense of self dissolves, and all that remains is presence.

Samadhi is not about escaping life—it is about fully merging with it. It is the moment when there is no separation between the observer and the observed, between breath and body, between self and universe.

What Does Samadhi Feel Like?

I don’t claim to have experienced the highest states of Samadhi, but I have felt glimpses—fleeting moments where the boundaries of “me” seem to disappear.

There have been times in meditation when I am so still that my body no longer feels separate from the space around me. It is as if my edges blur, and I become both nothing and everything all at once. The mind stops grasping, stops analyzing, stops searching. Instead, there is just being.

I’ve felt it in movement too, when I lose myself in the rhythm of a vinyasa flow or a long hike, where my breath and my steps sync so perfectly that it feels like I am not the one moving, but rather I am being moved by something greater.

And sometimes, it happens in the most unexpected places: watching the ocean stretch endlessly into the horizon, hearing laughter echo through a room, holding the hand of someone I love. In those moments, life feels whole, complete, and untouched by worry or time.

Samadhi On the Mat

In yoga practice, Samadhi is not something to chase—it is something that arises naturally when all the other limbs fall into place. It may come in moments of deep meditation, in the effortless flow of breath and movement, or in the stillness after Savasana, where everything feels perfectly aligned.

Some ways to invite glimpses of Samadhi into your practice:

• Letting go of effort – The more we try to “achieve” Samadhi, the further it slips away. It comes in surrender, not in force.

• Being fully present – Whether in a pose, in breath, or in silence, true presence dissolves the illusion of separation.

• Releasing attachment to outcomes – There is no “goal” in yoga, only the experience itself. The moment we stop striving, we begin to arrive.
  

Samadhi Off the Mat

Off the mat, Samadhi can be found in the moments when we forget ourselves—in music, in laughter, in the feeling of wind against our skin. It is there in deep connection, in love, in surrender to something greater than ourselves.

Many spiritual traditions describe this experience in different ways:

• In Christianity, it is the feeling of being completely enveloped in divine love.

• In Buddhism, it is Nirvana, the cessation of suffering and the realization of unity.

• In poetry and art, it is the moment of inspiration where the self dissolves into creation.
  

The truth is, Samadhi is not somewhere far away. It is not something only yogis or mystics attain. It is here, in this breath, in this moment, always waiting for us to notice.

Have you ever felt those moments of complete presence? Share your experiences in the comments. With love and gratitude,

Niah Blue