Investigating Pratyahara

The fifth limb of yoga is pratyahara. Summed up as "sense control", Desikachar translates it as "to withdraw oneself from that which nourishes the senses." He says it is to stop living off the things that stimulate. Once we achieve pratyahara, we will not be driven by our senses.

To me, this limb deals with addiction and the gluttony of our mind to want for more. The nose says, "smell this!" the eyes say, "look at that!" the nerves say, "get me some coffee!"

In pratyahara, we are able to disconnect from the senses and focus only on the mind. It does not mean we are asleep and our senses stop working. Our senses are still sending stimuli, but our mind stops responding--primarily because our mind has become absorbed in itself. It is important to understand, also, that pratyahara is not a state of decreased sense, but a state of increased consciousness. It is a shift in awareness from outside to inside.

One may think that pratyahara can only be achieved when you decide, "I want to meditate." But, although it is along the path leading to samadhi, there are many manifestations of pratyahara.

For example, when I think I hear my child crying, I will close my eyes and cock my head in the direction of the sound. In this, I have withdrawn from sight stimuli and focused on listening. And even in that listening, I am not responding to sounds that are not a child crying. I am focused on what sound is like a crying child.

When I teach yoga, I do not hear what is going on outside of the room. I am in a loud, bustling gym and there is soft yoga music playing. But I do not hear this. I listen to the breath of my students. I listen to my breath. This may not be full withdrawal, but it is controlling what I respond to as stimuli. As a matter of fact, when I am done, I sometimes forget to turn the music off!

It seems that practicing pratyahra is a particularly good exercise for fidgety people. People who constantly react to external stimuli can lessen associated problems (high blood pressure, for one!) by controlling that which excites them. It should also be a good practice for people with addictions such as to food or drugs. But as with any practice, it is not easy and must be attended to every minute of the wakeful day.

Desikachar reminds us that pratyahara is a state that can occur spontaneously. You can practice the means to make it happen, but it happens by itself.