Does the time to reach the samadi state decreases by practising more?

Question

It is very very difficult to reach the samadhi state for a beginner in yoga as it is the last step in ashtanga yoga. A lot of practice and other qualities are needed to reach the state. In general, it will take years for a person to reach the samadhi state. All the steps are as follows:

1. Yama
2. Niyama
3. Asana
4. Pranayama
5. Pratyahara
6. Dharana
7. Dhyana
8. Samadhi

Suppose a person reached the samadhi state after a rigorous practice, she may return to normal state after some time. Assume that she was in savikalpa samadhi and not in nirvikalpa or sahaja samadhi. So, she needs to sit and try for samadhi state again.

How much time will it take to reach samadhi state for the second time? Obviously, it will not take years again, but I want to know whether the time decreases every time she reaches the samadhi state or not.

Answer 1

Possible.

As per Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (1.21 & 1.22), those who are extremely focused and who practices with more courage/energy, gets faster success.

Patanjali's Yoga Sutras > Chapter-1 (Samādhipādaḥ) > Verse 21

तीव्रसंवेगानामासन्नः ॥२१॥
tīvrasaṁvegānāmāsannaḥ ॥ 21 ॥

Tivra - keen. Samvega - the consciousness of supremacy. Tivra samveganam - for those having consciousness of supremacy, for the extremely energetic, Asannah - proximate, speedy

21. Proximate for those whose consciousness of supremacy is keen

मृदुमध्याधिमात्रत्वात्ततोऽपि विशेषः ॥२२॥
mṛdumadhyādhimātratvāttato'pi viśeṣaḥ ॥ 22 ॥

Mridu - mild. Madhya - middling, Adhimatra - intense, Mridumadhyadhimatratvat - by mild, middle and intense natures, Tatah - thence, further. Api - also, (further), Vishesati - differentiation

22. A further also differentiation by mild, middling and intense.

Vyasa discuss in detail about different type of Yogis according to their intensity of mind/consciousnesses

Quoting from Yoga Sutras of Patanjali with Vyasa Bhashya

There are nine descriptions of such Yogis. Their application to the means of achievement is mild, middling or intense. Thus some are of mild energy, others of medium energy, and others again of intense energy. Of these, the mildly energetic are three-fold, those having mild consciousness of supremacy, those having middling consciousness of supremacy, and those having keen consciousness of supremacy. Similarly, those of medium energy and those of intense energy. Of these, the attainment of trance and the fruit of trance are near to those who are intensely energetic in their application to the means of achievement and possess a keen consciousness of supremacy

Mild-intense, middling-intense and intense-intense. There is differentiation by that too. By that differentiation too the attainment of trance and its fruit becomes the speediest in the case of one whose application is intense and whose consciousness of supremacy is keenly intense

Though it looks that sutras are talking about the types of Sadhakas on the basis of their strength of mind/consciousnesses. It would be possible for a Sadhaka to accelerate the journey by developing more focused consciousness or by adopting the means which can help in doing so.

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Vivekananda's explanation/translation you can read at RamakrishnaVivekanand Site and one more translation with Yoga Bhasya is available on Internet Archive.

Answer 2

In Shiva Sutras by Jaideva Singh, Section III Verse 41, Shiva says,

Of the yogi whose awareness is firmly established in the fourth state(turya or transcedental state), there is the ending of the state of the empirical individual with the ending of desire.

Since there is no desire at all, the state of samadhi is present as always; Verse 44 from same section, Shiva says:

In all the channels left(iDA), right(pingalA) and the middle one(suSumnA), there is prANa Sakti. By the constant practice of the awareness of Reality that is in the center of the inner state of prANa Sakti, there abides the awareness of that central Reality viz., the supreme I-consciousness under all circumstances, and in all conditions.

So to answer your question, once the Yogi reaches to the state of Samadhi, he not only feels himself full of the that bliss, but also experiences the external world as full of that bliss. And when internally and outwardly, same bliss is felt, the state remains intact. It doesn't need time to reach again. It is there always.

Answer 3

If your subtle system is clean then it is very easy to experience samadhi state effortlessly. Sahaja Yoga is an effortless meditation technique to experience Nirvakalpa Samadhi.Founder of Sahaja Yoga meditation is Smt Mataji Nirmal Devi and is practiced in more than 80 countries across the globe. Please visit a Sahaja Yoga meditation center near you to get your self realization free of cost. You will also understand how to cleanse your subtle system to experience continuous Samadhi.