Flow Study: Pratyahara: Turning Inward in Daily Life, by Shauna Willetts
“One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.” (2.58 Bhagavad Gita on Pratyahara)
As we continue to delve into the Eight Limbs of Yoga, we have arrived at the fifth limb: Pratyahara, the conscious withdrawal of energy from the external senses to turn inward. The word Pratyahara comes from the Sanskrit roots of: Prati (withdrawal) and Ahara (anything we take in).
Pratyahara is described as a practice of moments of pause to cultivate presence within. Withdrawing from the external to turn inward. But how can we withdraw from external senses when the world around us doesn’t pause? The truth is, sometimes we can’t, and that’s okay.
The most beautiful thing about yoga and living in alignment with the 8-limb path is that it’s a practice. There is no end goal; there is only growth.
We can start softly by withdrawing one external sense at a time:
Scent: Practice not naming the scent of air flowing into your nostrils; instead, see how it feels to simply notice the air flowing in and out.
Touch: Allow the muscles to soften. Sit, stand or lie and imagine space between your physical body and the surfaces around you. Embodying the feeling of “floating.”
Taste: When you’re not eating or drinking, in between meals, take a small moment to lower the tongue from the roof of the mouth.
Sound: Cup your hands over your eyes to muffle external sounds.
Sight: Close your eyes. Settle into the withdrawal of seeing anything.
The practice of withdrawing from our senses isn’t about controlling our environment or victimizing external senses. Rather, it’s to practice pausing and reminding ourselves that we have the tools to turn inward (it just so happens to be the practice of turning inward itself).
Postures to play with in practicing Pratyahara:
Mountain pose - to play with withdrawing from the external sense of touch. Close your eyes and imagine the space between your feet and the floor.
Child’s pose - creating your own little cave of care. Withdrawing from sight, muffling scent and sounds around you.
Savasana - settling into softness, quieting the mind. Will thoughts arise? Sure. Let them rise and practice letting them go.
Rabbit pose - tucking the head and ears to withdraw from the outside sounds around you.
We can practice Pratyahara at any time. Because, luckily, we have the opportunity with each new inhale and each new exhale to pause even for just that single breath, and know that that is enough.