Inward Turning
(Pratyahara): The Peace
That Waits Within
Withdrawal of the senses from
external objects quiets the mind and
enables mastery over sensory experiences.
Sutras ii.54–ii.55
Throughout most days, we fix our attention outwardly, on our work, families, activities, and natural environments. Our five physical senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch) are the windows through which outside stimuli enter the mind. We react to these forces, interpret them, and store our perceptions for later. From the moment we wake in the morning until the time we sleep at night, we receive endless information and input from our senses, some of which is pleasant, some not. Whatever stimuli we take in cause emotional and mental responses. These assure our survival, but also support a constant stream of desire and reactivity. And like movement on water prevents us from seeing the depths, these changes keep us from seeing into the depth of our own being. The fluctuation of the senses tosses us around on waves of change between happiness and suffering.
Pratyahara tis the practice of withdrawing temporarily from sensory engagement with the external world in order to calm the restlessness it causes in mind and body. By stilling the continual commentary of the senses, we prepare the way for deeper focus, access our higher wisdom, and enter the expanded awareness of meditation.
As we move further into the Sutras that outline the inner practices of yoga, we must start making choices about the sensory stimulation we surround ourselves with on a daily basis. We will benefit from limiting the intake overload and becoming more selective about what we listen to, read, and watch. This is because the images we receive visually continue to play in our minds, and the words of conversations or songs get stuck in our inner hearing. If these are aggressive or negative, they contribute to our unrest and unhappiness and make the process of turning inward more difficult.
Consider for a moment the sensory stimuli that draw your attention most. Entertainment? News? Food? Sex? Acquisition? If we practice a moment of reflection (Swadhaya), we will notice what leads us toward inner peace and joy and what is simply a passing pursuit of distraction. Interiorization (Pratyahara) begins as we elect moments of silence rather than idle conversation, periods of stillness rather than pointless busyness, and gestures of offering rather than ceaseless craving.
What Mastery of the Senses Entails
A few of the Yamas and Niyamas that we have explored specifically prepare the way for Pratyahara. Yama number one, peacefulness (Ahimsa) is a soul quality that leads us from restless outer blame to harmonious inner responsibility. As we consistently choose a peaceful approach within our own thoughts and in our treatment of others, we find our mind getting quieter and less judgmental. But if we involve ourselves constantly with the world’s drama, our internal focus on peace is compromised.
Niyama number one, purity (Saucha) guides us toward the choice of uncomplicatedness and joy. But if we relentlessly pursue fleeting pleasures, we lose control over the senses and they wage a battle within us for satisfaction.
Whenever the mind is identified with the senses, restlessness is the inevitable result. We take charge of our roaming thoughts by conquering the sensory impulses that trigger ideas, obsessions, and habitual actions. Being able to shift focus at will from the sensory and ego-based consciousness to the soul-centered, expanded consciousness develops self-mastery. Sensory withdrawal is a practice of energy control like Pranayama and Brahmacharya.
Noticing desire as it arises and choosing not to give in to it is a way to practice disconnecting from sensory impulses. We do not need to have everything we want. Desire creates perpetual longing for sensory experience and the regeneration of more Karma.
Rather than following desire from one sensory pleasure to the next, we can use desire as a doorway to self-inquiry. Why did that desire arise? When and how often does it arise? By asking ourselves these questions as we watch the sensory draw to indulge in whatever momentary gratification is pulling us, we can assess what sparks craving and address the underlying cause. Learning to be a witness to our internal life is the first step to being able to consciously change it in the direction of happiness.
Bare Attention, Nothing Added
By limiting the senses and being reflective as impulses arise, we recognize unhealthy, repetitive thinking and reactive, volatile emotions that do not serve our highest good. We develop the ability to mindfully watch our own experience and thought with clarity, perspective, and calmness, rather than being so engrossed with it that we are out of control.
With dedicated practice, we liberate ourselves from the unconscious distractions of the senses and use them instead as instruments of the higher mind. Then we are able to engage with sensory pleasures in a grateful yet detached way that neither binds us through addiction or plays us through habit.
By disconnecting from the constant pull of the senses, we develop subtle perception that utilizes the sixth sense of intuition, being able to see or feel things before they have occurred or as they are occurring elsewhere. This inner guidance system helps us with decisions, without lengthy external study or information gathering.
Periodically, throughout the day, notice how many of the senses are engaged. Is there one that could be turned off temporarily? By gaining mastery over the senses, we form the ability to direct them consciously with our mind. We choose when and how to expend our energy.
Unplugged from the ever-changing, overstimulated, external world, our nerves quiet and thoughts recede. Even when we only quiet the senses temporarily, we experience a vision of existence much greater than the grasping senses show us. With our focus directed inward, we simply hold gratitude for the origin of all sensory pleasure, which is Divine Source. Through Pratyahara we move closer to soul consciousness.
The happiness that comes from this form of self-mastery is far greater than the fleeting enjoyment of the senses. We experience a clear inner palette through which to relate to the world and other people. Mastery of the senses is the basis of true mental health and inner equilibrium.
Focus on the Third Eye
In daily life, the majority of information we gather from the outside is done through the sense of sight. By closing our eyes and changing our visual focus to a point within, we immediately begin the journey toward interiorization of consciousness. To do this, the point of focus (drishti) recommended by yogis is the metaphoric third eye, the center of concentration, will, and creative thought, found more or less near the point between the eyebrows.
As discussed previously, the two main nerve channels, the Ida and the Pingala, transport energy throughout the body. Initiating at the base of the spine, they cross each other at the seven major chakra points as they wind up the Sushumna or central axis. They finally join at the sixth chakra or third eye.
The practice of intently gazing internally to this point, so that the closed eyelids become motionless, is called the Sambhabi Mudra. A mudra is a gesture that affects a particular quality, like creativity, by stimulating certain nerves, in this case those associated with the pineal gland, also known as the pineal eye. French philosopher René Descartes, considered the “father of modern philosophy,” described the pineal gland as the principal seat of the soul and considered it equivalent to the yogic third eye.
The pineal gland is a small endocrine gland responsible for our sleep patterns and circadian rhythms. It rests directly between the two hemispheres of the brain in diagonal alignment between the third eye and the medulla oblongata, the posterior part of the brain that tapers off into the spinal cord. Yogis believe the medulla oblongata to be the spot where Life Force Energy enters the human body. Connecting our awareness between the medulla and the third eye creates a powerful pull of energy toward higher consciousness.
The Sambhabi Mudra is accomplished by gently turning the closed eyes upward, focusing at a point between and just slightly above the eyebrows. There is no need to cross or strain the eyes in any way. Concentrating within, then we utilize Pranayama to draw greater energy through the medulla and link it to the third eye, center of intuitive soul wisdom. In this way, we join our physical and spiritual worlds. By temporarily closing down the windows to the outside world, and turning our focus inward, we find the simplicity and joy of stillness within. Then we can bring this back to our outer lives.
What Waits Within
It is important now to create a quiet space and time in our home for dedicated practice of Pratyahara and the other limbs that are to follow. Interiorization takes concerted effort and if ambient noise from traffic, neighbors, or family members is distracting, it can be helpful to wear earplugs. As the energy currents that flow outward from the ears are trained to focus inward, delicate inner sounds will be perceptible. Sometimes the prana moving through the nerve channels can be heard as subtle Divine music similar to the sounds of harps, bells, or waves. And when our own mental voice gets quiet, the still, small voice of wisdom speaks intuitionally to us. In deep stillness, eventually the great vibration of creation, the Cosmic Aum, is audible.
For some visual people colors and lights will display on the field of inner vision when concentration is deep. And for the more kinesthetic, currents of energy may be felt in the spine and brain. The Sutras caution us not to seek phenomena but to enjoy it without attachment if it arises spontaneously.
The most important thing to focus on as we withdraw attention from our senses and concentrate within is simply our personal experience of Spirit as our true nature. The system of the Eight Limbs leads us into this reunion of sense to soul, or individual consciousness to Universal Consciousness.
Effects of Pratyahara
If we remain identified solely with the body and its sensory pleasures, our ego will run our lives and we will struggle and suffer as a result. Through practice of Pratyahara, we gain control over our senses, moods, and thoughts. We regain the inner perception of our Divinity, which allows us to function with more joy in our humanity, as we remain focused on the bigger picture of life. We have less reactive and happier relationships, more non-attached fun and contentment in our activities, and more clarity and ease in our work. Established in soul-centered awareness, perceiving Spirit within and without, we engage empathetically with others and seek the common good rather than just serving our own impulses and desires.
When spiritual perception becomes our primary goal, then any challenge life throws at us will not embitter us, make us despair, or entice us to retaliate. It will simply push us more intently toward higher consciousness. As we maintain internal focus, we will find freedom in our bodies as they become unfettered by sensory habits. In addition, we will enjoy a blissfulness that is beyond all physical experience.
The Sutras assure us that through the combination of Pranayama and Pratyahara, the inner light of Truth is revealed. We achieve peace and contentment and are able to bring this unshakeable serenity back into daily life as a lightness in our overall being.
Daily Practice
Integrate an active practice of interiorization into your daily life. Recognize that as much or more of life lies within as it does without, and find a balance of functional living combined with peaceful withdrawal.
Questions for Further Reflection
Take a moment with your journal now to answer the following questions. Or find a quiet pause sometime today to remember the practice of sensory withdrawal and contemplate these thoughts further.
Affirmations to Post and Remember
Affirmations solidify beliefs in our subconscious minds, creating a foundation from which we can then manifest positive change in our outer lives. Repeat these often with strong intensity and full faith.