Pratyahara is a practice that takes time to unfold. Even over decades it is still unravelling it’s magic for me. Recently, I had a week to fully practice detaching from stimulation (electronics, TV, computer, phone, social engagements, work etc). During this time I witnessed many mixed emotions arise and fall as I slowly withdrew my senses from the world.
Through our five senses (smell, sight, touch, hearing, & taste) we create our reality. If we take even just one sense away our reality, that we know as true, completely changes. All day long our senses are reaching outward to gather information so that our brain can interpret and make sense of the outer world. When we practice Pratyahara- sense withdrawal- it is a way of checking in with our reality, what is really true and what is from overburdened stimulation of the senses. Moreover, its a way to calm the mind, feel the stillness inside, and, ultimately, have mastery over your senses.
Each time I practice Pratyahara it feels like I am uncovering my soul from a heavy wet blanket that I never knew existed. During my week of detachment, first the muck of the mind upsurged from the sludge-y bottom. Once this cleared a feeling of stillness underneath crept upwards towards the sky that illuminated my inner essence. Pratyahara became this bridge to connect my outer sensorial world with my inner luminescence. My perception of the world had been reset.
WHERE DOES PRATYAHARA COME FROM?
Pratyahara is part of the classical yoga system called the eight limbs.
The purpose of the eight limbs is to help us purify our physical body, energy body, gain mastery over our senses, and become free from worldly illusions.
Pratyahara is the fifth limb of yoga in the ancient Ashtanga yoga system (not be confused with the branded Pattabhi Jois’ Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga).
Here are the eight limbs:
Yama (universal observances)
Niyama (personal disciplines)
Asana (postures)
Pranayama (breath work)
Pratyahara (control of senses or sense withdrawal)
Dharna (singular concentration)
Dhyana (meditation)
Samadhi (full absorption)
Pratyahara (#5 of the limbs) is a Sanskrit word meaning “withdrawal of the senses.” The two root Sanskrit words of Pratyahara are prati, which means “to withdraw,” and ahara, which means “food;” in this case, “food” refers to any external stimuli that you consume with your mind.
The experience of Pratyahara is the ability to detach (vairagya) your mind by controlling your reaction to external disturbances or stimuli. During Pratyahara, your five senses (smell, sight, touch, hearing, & taste) still detect external stimuli, but you don’t allow them to disrupt your state of mind. For a visual, think of it as a turtle withdrawing into its shell—the turtle’s shell is the mind and the turtle’s limbs are the senses.
PRATYAHARA AS THE BRIDGE
The mind has a relationship with the outer world which consists of choices for lifestyle, diet, relationships etc. We need a little help to navigate us to make healthy and wise choices from and for our outer world. The first 4 limbs help the process of our outer world choices. Yama and Niyama build your right behavior in your community as well as to yourself. Asana strengthens the physical body. Pranyama establishes vital energy and a clear mind.
Now, the mind also has a relationship with the inner world that is connected to higher consciousness. The last 3 limbs help to develop this connection. Dharna is focused on concentration, narrowing the mind to a single focus to cease it from wondering. Dhyana is meditation to sit in the present moment where all exists. And Samdhi is full absorption, full realization as spirit and unity of all. This is ultimately the final outcome of Yoga (unite with the Divine).
That leaves out the 5th limb. Pratyahara is the bridge from the outer world to the inner world. This may be the most important ingredient for Yoga. The practice of Pratyahara guides us how to move from one to the other. To go deeper within. It can be the most difficult for meditators and where ofter they will give up.
4 NATURES OF PRATYAHARA– adapted from Donna Farhi’s Masterclass
There are four sub-types of pratyahara that allow you to fully experience its benefits.
Indriya pratyahara: To create the best environment for relaxation of the mind, indriya pratyahara focuses on withdrawal from the external stimuli you experience via the five senses: hearing, taste, smell, sense, sight, and touch. To withdraw from the senses, concentrate on your natural breathing pattern or turn your attention to a chakra.
Prana pratyahara: When practicing pratyahara, it’s essential to control your prana—which is the universal energy flowing throughout the body—so that you can avoid focusing too much of that energy on your senses.
Karma pratyahara: This is the control of action. Karma pratyahara is about surrendering all actions or thoughts of personal reward in favor of acting in service to humanity or the divine. You can practice this through karma yoga, which teaches that desire is limitless and happiness is attainable when it is not attached to the results of your actions.
Mano pratyahara: This final type of pratyahara is withdrawal of the mind. When you practice mano pratyahara, you not only withdraw from external stimuli, but you actively control your reaction to it and redirect your attention inwards.
HOW TO PRACTICE
Learn how to become a conscious co-creator of your reality and reroute your attention inward to tune out unwanted external stimulation.
Mauna: Observe silence. This can either be at a retreat or at home for a day or for a set period of time every day. You can incorporate it into your meditation practice. Let your loved ones know you are practicing silence so that you are support.
Practice mindfulness. Adopt a regular practice of observing the body and the senses. As you move about your daily life, pay attention to each sensation that you experience. Notice how external influences contribute to your mood, your body, or your perception of an external object. This can be while doing something as simple as brushing your teeth. Take one sense at a time. What are you listening too? Is it harmonious or disharmonious for you? Does it bring you closer to the Divine?
Refrain from participating in idle gossip or any negative remarks. Avoid recycling negative energy. Bring awareness to how you participate in the outer world, retreating to your inner world when you notice that you’re participating in something that doesn’t contribute to your inner peace. This allows us to become aware of and begin to control our ego driven desires.
Practice periods of celibacy. When you choose to engage in pleasurable activities, do so mindfully and without the distraction of the external world.
Practice Fasting. The same with celibacy, it challenges our sensory needs for external stimuli. This helps for you to become the master of your senses rather than being a slave to them.
Unplug. Practice a day without any electronics. No phone, computers, or television. Observe your mind and body’s reaction. How do you feel from the beginning of the day to the end?
CLOSING WORDS
Swami Vivekananda (who introduced yoga and Vedanta philosophy to the West) calls Pratyahara a “gathering towards.” As if the practice gathers our scattered pieces of the external world and gives them a nice bath in calming waters. Ultimately, this allows us to return home clear and clean to the internal world of bliss.
Pratyahara is an important practice to contemplate. It is the ingredient, the bridge, to take you to the depths of who you really are. The unwavering space within. Practice with patience, kindness, and love.
Aum shanti.
