Pratyahara: Moving Into Stillness
Pratyahara is grossly defined as the practice of sensory withdrawal. However, there is more nuance to pratyahara than simply withdrawing the senses. When we examine the Sanskrit roots of, prati (toward), a (from every direction in every respect) and hara (to pull, to withdraw, to bring, to carry), we end up with the translation, “pulling the mind from every direction and in every respect to a focal point.” — Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD
The practice of pratyahara is a part of the classical system of yoga and acts as the hinge between our inner and outer realities. When we overindulge in outer sensations, we diminish our connection to our inner reality. The practice of pratyahara rekindles this connection, bringing the gift of clarity that the happiness we experience from the objective world is simply a reflection of the pure and lasting joy which emanates from within our True self.
Photo Credit: Drew Torrente
Raja Yoga
Raja yoga is the systematic analysis of the mind to understand its workings and intrinsic nature. When the mind is under the conscious control of the practitioner, higher states of consciousness are experienced. Sri Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are considered to be the highest authority on the subject.
Within the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali defines yoga as the ability to direct the mind into a single point of concentration without distraction or interruption. In this uninterrupted state, the yogin rests within their True nature. Patanjali explains that due to the fluctuations in our mind, we often perceive things incorrectly and consequently, create unfavorable circumstances for ourselves. If we know how we create such problems, we can also learn how to free ourselves from them.
Patanjali’s step-by-step approach is called Ashtanga Yoga or The Eight Limbs of Yoga:
Yama - discipline concerning our dealings with society and the world: non-harming, honesty, wise use of energy, non-stealing, and to receive exactly what is appropriate and no more.
Niyama - personal discipline: cleanliness, contentment, purification, self-inquiry, and letting go or surrender of all actions to the Divine with no expectation.
Asana - A steady and comfortable seat.
Pranayama - The expansion and control of prana or vital energy.
Pratyahara - The withdrawal of the senses.
Dharana - The mind streams into a single point of concentration.
Dhyana - Meditation
Samadhi - Superconsciousness
Our Conundrum
Our mind is always changing, fluctuating, prompted by the insatiable cravings of the senses. Beyond this continually changing mind and intellect is an unchanging formless Spirit, unaffected by time, space, cause, name or form, which is hidden within the individual. Our unquenchable appetite for external objects is simply our longing for something that we innately feel is missing. The yogis claim that whether we are aware of it or not, we all long for unity, the state of being known as “yoga.”
The basic human motivation to be happy creates a cycle where we spend most of our life running towards what we deem to be pleasurable. We reason that if a little of the object or experience brought us happiness, then more of that objective experience will surely lead us to even greater happiness. Prompted by the senses, the mind works tirelessly to get more of what it desires, which in turn dissipates our time, energy and resources.
In our pursuit of the object, we experience restlessness which becomes its own habitual groove. Upon obtaining what we desired, we are momentarily satisfied, but quickly find we want more or something else altogether. Only when we learn how to quiet the mind will we be free from this exhausting cycle.
“Lacking contact with their respective objects, when senses assume the nature of the mind it is pratyahara.”
About Pratyahara
All that we see and experience is food for the soul. Our development as human beings depends on our ability to eat and digest the food that is our life. Therefore, we could loosely interpret pratyahara as the practice which helps us to develop a healthy relationship with foods that will enhance our connection to our divine core. At the same time, we decrease the foods which disconnect us from our True self.
There are three categories of foods that we take in: the food which we eat to sustain our physical bodies, the impressions which we take in that feed our minds and our associations with others which nourish our hearts. The practice of pratyahara asks us, is the food we are physically eating creating health and harmony in our bodies? Are the impressions that we take in through media and other sources creating clarity in our minds or making us more restless? Are our relationships and associations with others nurturing our soul or draining our very being?
Pratyahara is the practice of both eliminating “unhealthy foods” as well as opening ourselves up to the “healthy foods” which will create harmony in the body, mind and heart. Pratyahara is not a begrudging denial of the senses. Instead, it is a conscious choice to remove the negative sensory impressions which deplete our life force while simultaneously cultivating positive sensory impressions which generate the conditions for a calm and clear mind.
The mind, influenced by desire, easily justifies our sensory pursuits. Our world bombards our senses with stimulation, perpetuating the desire to seek outwards. We have become infatuated with sensory enticement leaving us unaware of the extensive consequences we are creating for ourselves. Pratyahara is often the overlooked limb of yoga and yet it may be one of the most beneficial practices for our modern era as pratyahara redirects our senses back to their source deep within our being.