Pratyahara
Pratyahara, which means withdrawal of the senses, is the fifth limb
of Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga. The etymology of Pratyahara states
that it is derived from two Sanskrit words: prati and ahara, where
prati means away or against and ahara meaning food, or anything
taken into ourselves. So, Pratyahara literally means "to withdraw
oneself from that which nourishes the senses." In yoga, the term
pratyahara implies withdrawal of the senses from getting attached to
external objects. Pratyahara is the stage at which an expert learns
how to control the "tentacles" of consciousness, which are known as
indriyas in Sanskrit. Once through this stage, the person is able to
see in subtle and the subtlest layers of multidimensional space, and
to exit of his material body into them and to settle in them,
accustoming himself to their subtlety, gentleness and purity.
Types of Pratyahara
There are two types of Pratyahara - Indriya Pratyahara and Prana
Pratyahara; these two further lead to two subsequent types of
Pratyahara - Karma Pratyahara and Mano Pratyahara.
Indriya Pratyahara implies Withdrawal Of Senses, or sensory
inputs into out physical being. Since five senses create sensory
overload, Indriya Pratyahara thwarts the collection in the mind.
Prana Pratyahara suggests Withdrawal Of Prana (vital energy
of the body), as prana is what that drives the senses. To stop the
dispersion of prana, we are required to control its flow and
harmonize it.
Karma Pratyahara implies Control Of Action, which actually
entails not just control of motor organs, but also right action or
work.
This finally leads to Mano Pratyahara which suggests the
Withdrawal of Mind. It is consciously practiced by withdrawing
attention from anything that is unpleasant, and distracting for the
mind, such as, by withdrawing attention from the senses, and
directing it inwards.
Practices In Pratyahara
Pranayama is one of the most common practices for Pratyahara.
While doing Paranayama, the person withdraws from the external on
its own, and brings his focus inwards towards his breath. His
connection with the external senses and stimuli get detached
steadily. Besides Pranayama, another practice is to concentrate
on Ajna Chakra or the third eye - the point between the
eyebrows.
Another common technique to facilitate the development of Pratyahara
is to first reduce physical stimuli, and then concentrate on
one sense, say hearing. It's natural tendency of the mind to roam
between the sensory inputs. In this situation, when there are no
longer major sensory inputs, and the mind gets tired of hearing, it
is compelled to turn inward. In the advanced stages, the electrical
currents, which pulsate through the nerves and even the reflex
muscles, are turned off by the practitioners. This may be achieved
through Pranayama.
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