Pratyahara Philosophy & Theory

Introduction

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• Pratyahara means “to hold back” (Richard Rosen) or “gaining mastery over external influences” (Dr. David Frawley).
• It’s often translated as “sensory withdrawal.”
• Pratyahara is the key point of moving from the outer to the inner aspects of yoga. It’s where attention is withdrawn from the outer world and turned inward.
• It’s the preparation for concentration and meditation.

GAINING MASTERY OVER EXTERNAL INFLUENCES

The term pratyahara is composed of two Sanskrit words, prati and ahara. Ahara means “food,” or “anything we take into ourselves from the outside.” Prati is a preposition meaning “against” or “away.” Pratyahara means literally “control of ahara,” or “gaining mastery over external influences.” It is compared to a turtle withdrawing its limbs into its shell — the turtle’s shell is the mind and the senses are the limbs. The term is usually translated as “withdrawal from the senses,” but much more is implied. – Dr. David Frawley 

DIFFICULT AND DELIGHTFUL

In a culture devoted to sense pleasures — ah, the cashmere caressing your skin, the rosemary-seasoned flatbread enticing your tongue — it can be both difficult and delightful to practice pratyahara, withdrawal of the senses… Simply put, the practice requires you to detach your normal outwardly directed awareness from the world around you, retract it, and redirect it inward toward the self. – Richard Rosen

SEPARATE FROM PRANAYAMA

Although the senses are quieted during pranayama, pratyahara is a separate discipline which draws them to a standstill… Pratyahara is a preparation for concentration and meditation. – Silva Mehta 

Expert Readings

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TRANSITIONING FROM BODY TO MIND

As the fifth of the eight limbs, pratyahara occupies a central place. Some yogis include it among the outer aspects of yoga, others with the inner aspects. Both classifications are correct, for pratyahara is the key between the outer and inner aspects of yoga; it shows us how to move from one to the other. It is not possible to move directly from asana to meditation. This requires jumping from the body to the mind, forgetting what lies between. To make this transition, the breath and senses, which link the body and mind, must be brought under control and developed properly. This is where pranayama and pratyahara come in… both prerequisites to successful meditation. – Dr. David Frawley 

PRATYAHARA IN CONTEXT OF 8 LIMBS

Let’s put pratyahara in the context of the eight limbs, as part of a process of progressive interiorization:

• Yama and niyama help maintain equanimity of mind in interactions.
• Asana helps the mind become impervious to the effects of dualities.
• Pranayama removes the veil that covers the light of consciousness, preparing it for concentration (dharana). It makes the mind energetic and alert while further stilling the activities of the vrittis.
• Pratyahara brings attention within by withdrawing attention from ambient sounds, odors, or other sensory stimuli.

– Rev. Jaganath Carrera 

JUNCTURE BETWEEN OUTER AND INNER

Pratyahara is the last of the “outer limbs” and the pivotal juncture between outer and inner. It is considered an outer, external limb only because it involves the sensory organs. – Nicolai Bachman 

THE SENSES ARE LIKE A MIRROR

The senses are like a mirror. Turned outward, they reflect the outside; turned inward, they reflect the pure light. By themselves the senses are innocent, but when allowed to turn outside they attract everything and transfer those messages to the mind, making it restless. Turned inward, they find peace by taking the form of the mind itself. – Sri Swami Satchidananda 

FREES US FROM OLD PATTERNS & HABITUAL THINKING

Consciousness becomes far more sensitive when it detaches from the senses. As the senses withdraw, the intuitive mind awakens. Thus, the practices of pratyahara free our conscious awareness from old patterns and habitual thinking. The creative solution to a problem, the aha moment, the burst of creativity all come from the part of the mind unconstrained by what we already know—a mind that is less fragmented, more receptive, and more whole. – Sandra Anderson 

RELAXING GRASP ON EXTERNAL WORLD

Pratyahara is the subtlest aspect of hatha yoga. It is a prelude to meditation… With spiritual maturity, our inward explorations go beyond the physical world to explore the mystical fields. This necessitates a relaxation on the grasp our outer senses have on the external world. Because of the degree of over-stimulation (rajas) in our modern society, this can be a difficult shift. Accustomed to going every which way they please, the senses need to be cajoled as they rotate inward toward this new journey. – Nischala Joy Devi 

A WANDERING HEART-MIND IS THE ANTITHESIS OF YOGA

A wandering heart-mind is the antithesis of yoga. Learning to focus our attention in one place helps clarify and purify our consciousness by reining in the sensory organs. The true nature of our heart-mind is transparency, which allows our inner light of awareness to shine through our being without distortion and illuminate our world with knowledge, kindness and compassion. – Nicolai Bachman 

COME TO KNOW THERE IS AN INFINITE FACET OF EXISTENCE

[In the practice of pratyahara,] the capacities of smell, taste, sight, touch and hearing are withdrawn from their objects and the senses begin to follow the mind inward and not outward… When we turn our minds from the outer world to the inner world, we come to know that there is an infinite facet of existence in us which can only be experienced in samadhi. It is not approachable through the intellect. Therefore, this chapter [Yoga Sutras Chapter Two] is aimed at giving a sadhana (a discipline undertaken in pursuit of a goal) starting from yama and niyama and ending in pratyahara. – Swami Satyananda Saraswati