Sights, sounds, scents, flavours, texture.
Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching.
These are the 5 categories of sense objects and the 5 ways in which you perceive and interact with the physical or outer world.
Through these 5 avenues, the outer world of name and form feed your mind and keep it engaged. And this can be endless. Your body has limitations but your mind does not. The craving in the mind for more is the origin of addiction – the mind craves more and more but the body is unable to keep up.
Pratyahara is the process of disengaging the mind from the outer world and turning it inwards.
On your journey to inner stillness, peace of mind and higher levels of consciousness, pratyahara is the bridge.
Pratyahara is the fifth limb of yoga as enumerated by Sage Patanjali thousands of years ago.
Table of Contents
What are the Eight Limbs of Yoga?
yama niyama–asana pranayama pratyahara dharana dhyana samadhayo-‘stavangani
|2.29| Patanjali Yoga Sutras
Restraint, observance, postures, regulation of breath, substitute food for the mind, ability of the mind to focus, meditation and higher states of consciousness are eight limbs of yoga.
The limbs of yoga develop together; similar to how pulling one leg of a chair results in the entire chair coming toward you, when you practice one limb of yoga, the other limbs begin to develop as well.
The Goal of Yoga
Before we can dive into pratyahara and the purpose of pratyahara, let’s understand yoga.
The word yoga comes from the root word yuj in Sanskrit. Yuj means union between the body, breath and mind. It is when we come into that union that we experience all the wonderful benefits of yoga.
Besides what is already commonly understood about yoga, here are some of the lesser-known facts about the practice:
- Yoga is a spiritual practice.
- Yoga brings your body, mind and soul into harmony.
- Yoga helps you find purpose, peace of mind and deeper meaning in life.
- Yoga helps you heal, burns your karmas and takes you toward moksha or spiritual enlightenment.
The goal of yoga is to eliminate pain and suffering from your life, empower you, and bring you home to your Self.
The Role of Pratyahara in Yoga
If yoga is union with your Higher Self, pratyahara is the bridge.
When we look at the 8 limbs of yoga, there are 4 limbs practiced in the outer world (yama,niyama, asana,pranayama) and 3 in the inner world (dharana,dhyana,samadhi). Pratyahara is providing alternate food for the mind to enable it to come inwards where your Higher Self lives.
The nature of the mind is to run here and there, and cling to whatever you give it. Pratyahara, however, enables you to subdue this tendency of the mind and let go of the sense objects for some time so that you can go inwards and experience deep rest.
Why Practice Pratyahara
For spiritual seekers wanting to raise their vibration, reach moksha, or experience samadhi, pratyahara is a stepping stone on the way.
For anyone wanting to reduce suffering, get out of addiction and heal unhealthy attachments in their life, pratyahara is also a stepping stone on the way.
And third, for those seeking to reconnect with their Higher Selves and find purpose, peace of mind and deeper meaning in life, you guessed it, pratyahara is, indeed, a stepping stone on the way.
Save yourself from Extremes and Overindulgence
Let’s understand the value and practical application of pratyahara.
Think of a kite that has gone to the end of its rope. It is so high up that it’s getting caught up in jet streams and dragged here and there. It’s almost impossible for you, down on the ground, to reign that wayward kite in. Any joy you were getting from flying the kite has now turned into terror that the string will break and you will lose your precious kite.
This is the same thing that happens with your mind.
If you recall, earlier we said the body has its limitations but the mind doesn’t. You can only eat so much but the mind’s desire to eat is endless.
You can only have so much sex – after some time, the body gets tired. The mind however? The mind will continue craving sex endlessly.
The same applies for all senses objects.
In fact, the mind runs after sense pleasures so much, that it tires you out.
Supplying your mind with alternative food will allow you to let go of the desire for sense pleasures and go inward.
Your inner world is a world of silence, stillness and infinite beauty. When you rest and repose in this space, you get the deepest rest of your life.
Each night, when you go to sleep, you return to this space. However, if your mind is restless before bed, it will not allow you to let go of the outer world and sink into the stillness within to get the deep rest you need to be dynamic and energetic the next day.
This is where pratyahara comes into play.
Pratyahara will reign the mind in so that you can enjoy the world and its multitude of pleasures without getting caught up in them and allowing them to bring you misery.
Practicing Pratyahara to Get Deep Rest
Your body, breath and mind are all connected. This means that if you practice one limb of yoga, the others will develop as well.
Over time, you will develop more control over the senses and have a say over the senses. That means if the tongue wants to eat something but you know your belly is full, you will be able to say no.
With continued practice, you will be able to get deeper and deeper rest every time you sit to meditate or practice yoga or pranayama.
Getting Started with Pratyahara
To begin to get a handle on the wild animal that is the mind, you can:
- Start practicing yoga asanas
- Practice pranayama (breathing techniques)
- Do guided meditations
- Stop multitasking and engage yourself 100% in what is currently in front of you
- Practice mindful eating
- Immerse yourself in chanting and calming music
- Learn how to play an instrument
- Actively counteract the mind’s tendencies (tapas)
- Fast
- Practice celibacy
- Observe silence
The beauty of pratyahara and yoga as a whole is that you will get much more out of your practice than you put in.
If you give this practice your 100%, you will get 1000% out of it.
And these gains? They’re for eternity.
The cherry on top?
You’ll be able to enjoy every last bite of your favourite dessert without ever getting tired of it.
Experience the Power of Authentic Yoga
Start your journey towards Purpose, Peace of Mind and Deeper Meaning in Life with the Ancient Practice of Yoga. Experience Deep Rest and True Inner Stillness in our Signature Yoga Classes.
