abhyasa + vairagya = the "process" of raja yoga

samadhi is the goal to be achieved by rajayoga. But HOW?

Arjuna Asks the same question to Lord Sri Krishna having heard about this raja yoga.

अर्जुन उवाच
योऽयं योगस्त्वया प्रोक्तः साम्येन मधुसूदन।
एतस्याहं न पश्यामि चञ्चलत्वात् स्थितिं स्थिराम्।।6.33।।
Arjuna Said:
O Madhusudana (Krishna), this yoga of equanimity taught by you; I do not see steady continuance due to the restless unsteady nature (of the mind - which is well known)

चञ्चलं हि मनः कृष्ण प्रमाथि बलवद्दृढम्।
तस्याहं निग्रहं मन्ये वायोरिव सुदुष्करम्।।6.34।।
O Krishna, mind is turbulent, restless, strong and unyielding. Its "control" would be greatly difficult as controlling the wind (air).

Instruction 13: (Answer to the above question)

श्री भगवानुवाच
असंशयं महाबाहो मनो दुर्निग्रहं चलं।
अभ्यासेन तु कौन्तेय वैराग्येण च गृह्यते।।6.35।।
6.35 The Blessed Lord said -- Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed Arjuna, the mind is difficult to control and restless; but by practice and by dispassion it may be restrained.
असंयतात्मना योगो दुष्प्राप इति मे मतिः।
वश्यात्मना तु यतता शक्योऽवाप्तुमुपायतः।।6.36।।
6.36 I think Yoga is hard to be attained by one of uncontrolled self, but the self-controlled and striving one can attain to it by the (proper) means.

So, what is this "abhyasa" (practice) and the "vairagya" (dispassion)?
Rishi Patanjali also uses the same words and explains what they are in the Yoga Sutras.

In five sutras in the first paada (samadhi pada) Sutra 12 till sutra 16 he explains the abhyasa and vairagya as follows:

Having explained the five chitta vrittis Rishi Patanjali declares: (The discussion on chitta vrittis is done in one of the earlier posts on karma yoga)

abhyāsa vairāgyābhyāṁ tannirodhaḥ - 1.12
The chitta vrittis can be controlled by abhyasa and vairagya.

Abhyasa:
tatra sthitau yatnaḥ abhyāsaḥ - 1.13
sa tu dīrghakāla nairantarya satkāra āsevitaḥ dṛḍhabhūmiḥ - 1.14

The persistent effort is abhyasa
A long term uninterrupted practice establishes firmly (yoga - stoppage of chitta vrittis)

Vairagya:
dṛṣṭa ānuśravika viṣaya vitṛṣṇasya vaśīkārasaṁjñā vairāgyam - 1.15
tatparaṁ puruṣakhyāteḥ guṇavaitṛṣṇyam 1-16

vairagya is aversion to the vishayas perceived and those which were only heard of.
the para-vairagya is the ultimate aversion to the gunas (qualities) themselves.

So, the STRONG attachment to practice and STRONG detachment towards the seen and unseen temporary pleasures (bhogas) is the "means" of raja yoga.

Note: seen pleasures are seen in this world. Unseen pleasures refer to those which were told as heaven and other worlds. A YOGI should not even have least desire for either SEEN or UNSEEN/heard pleasures (bhogas).

A GURU who has understood these two terms (abhyasa and vairagya) and practiced them successfully to achieve equanimity of mind is required for successful practice of Raja Yoga.

om tat sat