When, like a tortoise withdrawing his limbs, one withdraws each and all of the senses from their objects, his wisdom is established.
– Bhagavad Gītā, 2.58
prati = away from or against
āhāra = food; what we take in through our senses; external influences
pratyāhāra = withdrawal from external influences; sense withdrawal
Those of you who have been to my classes know that I usually open with some variation of: “Turning your attention inwards, begin to notice what your feel in your body.” This is a form of pratyāhāra, or the turning inward of the mind and senses. It is an intentional disengagement from the outside world, coupled with increased attention to the inner world. This is why I often suggest practicing with eyes closed once the postures and sequences become more familiar; it’s easier to stay tuned in to inner sensations when at least one of the senses (sight, in this case) is closed off to the outer world. A similar approach is to focus the eyes on one particular point; this is called dṛṣṭi (pronounced “drishti”).
But what I am coming to appreciate more and more these days is that pratyāhāra needs to begin even before we come to our yoga mats, especially as we prepare to undertake a meditation practice. Asana (posture practice) and prāṇāyāma (breath control) can help us to withdraw from the outer world, but meditation is not possible without some degree of pratyāhāra already established. Even āsana practice becomes much more effective and enjoyable as we develop pratyāhāra.
Ahāra refers to the things we take in, or consume, through our senses:
In yogic thought there are three levels of ahara, or food. The first is physical food that brings in the five elements necessary to nourish the body—earth, water, fire, air, and ether. The second is impressions, which bring in the subtle substances necessary to nourish the mind—the sensations of sound, touch, sight, taste, and smell that constitute the subtle elements: sound/ether, touch/air, sight/fire, taste/water, and smell/earth. The third level of ahara is our associations, the people we hold at heart level who serve to nourish the soul and affect us with the gunas of sattva, rajas, and tamas (the prime qualities of harmony, distraction, or inertia).
– David Frawley
All forms of āhāra – food, sensory impressions, associations – affect the body, mind and spirit. So let’s be conscious and intentional about what we take in; let it nourish us, rather than eat away at us from the inside.
One of my teachers, Sylvie Gouin, says that “what we consume ends up consuming us.” Food aside (I’ll save that for another post), think about the sensory impressions and associations you take in. What do you usually read? What do you watch? What kind of music do you listen to? How about the people in your life, and your interactions with them? All these things will replay in your mind; you may even find yourself “consumed” by these thoughts. Do they uplift your mind, or weigh it down with clutter, confusion and negativity?
The main focus in pratyāhāra is avoiding toxic or excess āhāra; but equally important is taking in foods, impressions and associations that nourish, inspire and elevate us. Choose clean, wholesome, peaceful foods. Create physical spaces and social circles that leave beautiful, joyful, peaceful impressions in your mind. Don’t believe me; try it! And you will find wise words and heavenly music echoing within you; heavenly images appearing and reappearing in your mind’s eye. May the beauty of the inner world reveal itself to us all. And may we bring this inner beauty out into the world around us. Swaha – so be it.
Pratyāhāra itself is termed as yoga, as it is the most important limb in yoga sādhanā [training, discipline].
– Swami Sivananda
Note: Pratyāhāra is one of the eight “limbs” of yoga outlined by Patañjali in The Yoga Sūtras. The eight limbs are:
- yama (moral restraints)
- niyama (moral observances)
- āsana (posture practice)
- prāṇāyāma (breath control)
- pratyāhāra (sense withdrawal)
- dhāraṇā (concentration)
- dhyāna (meditation), and
- samādhi (profound absorption).