This week’ article is an introduction to the fifth limb of yoga Pratyahara (Sense withdrawal)
What is Pratyahara?
Pratya means to ‘withdraw’, ‘draw in’ or ‘draw back’, and the second part ahara refers to anything we ‘take in’ by ourselves, such as the various sights, sounds and smells our senses take in continuously. When sitting for a formal meditation practice, this is likely to be the first thing we do when we think we’re meditating; we focus on ‘drawing in’.
How we relate to Pratyahara in our yoga practice?
The practice of drawing inward may include focussing on the way we’re breathing, so this limb would relate directly to the practice of pranayama too. The phrase ‘sense withdrawal’ could conjure up images of the ability to actually switch our senses off through concentration, which is why this aspect of practice is often misunderstood.
Instead of actually losing the ability to hear and smell, to see and feel, the practice of pratyahara changes our state of mind so that we become so absorbed in what it is we’re focussing on, that the things outside of ourselves no longer bother us and we’re able to meditate without becoming easily distracted. Experienced practitioners may be able to translate pratyahara into everyday life – being so concentrated and present to the moment at hand, that things like sensations and sounds don’t easily distract the mind.
I welcome your feedback and happy to answer any questions regarding this article or previous weeks’ subjects, please do contact me.
To read more visit source of information
