Samyama is when the intellect of the head and the intelligence of the heart are united as one. At this time, not only does a vast change happen in consciousness but the extent of knowledge is substantially refined and becomes sensitive. Here one discovers many hidden things under the umbrella of samyama. It is a process of absorbing the psychological or mental aspects into the ‘object of meditation’. Samyama can be demarcated into two parts- bahiranga and antaranga. Patanjali says that dharana, dhyana and samadhi taken together constitute ataranga sadhana as an integrated whole(antaranga samyama). This samyama belongs to the vijnamaya, cittamaya and antahkaranamaya kosas, as these are in close contact with each other. Patanjali connects the antarendriyas(buddhi, ahamkara and citta) with dharana, dhyana and samadhi. If dharana, dhyana and samadhi are antaranga samyama, then asana, pranayama and pratyahara are bahiranga samyama as they integrate the body with the organs of action, senses of pereception and the mind. Mastery of samyama is required for wisdom to dawn. In this refined state, one can identify a threefold process, wherein each encases what is enveloped by the other.
Samyama is required by the sadhaka to vanquish the obscure and cultivate discernment, enabling him to relinquish the small self and realise the true state of the self, and then to proceed towards Isvara pranidhana. The unit of dharana, dhyana and samadhi is the focus for subject of samyama, but in fact this unit is relegated to the external when compared to nirbija samadhi. There are levels of samyama that needs not be associated with meditation only, but are a process of integrating one’s lifestyle in terms of ethics, correct social observances and self-analysis. These three aspects of integration help to cultivate the whole self. These external aspects are, in fact vital to enable the refinement of the internal levels of integration.