dhyana,

literally, "meditation," "thought," or "reflection." Meditation proper. Whereas dharana is simply the "holding" of one thought in mind, dhyana allows the mind to expand or reflect on that one thought. Stage 7 in Patanjali's analysis of the yoga systems. "Dhyana is the continuous flow of thought [towards the object of concentration, or dharana]." ( Yoga Sutras 3:2)