The Eight Limbs: Pratyahara
P2, Pratyahara.
The control of the senses.
This one can be really interesting. It's a whole new level of learning about yourself and, at the risk of sounding super cringeworthy, learning about the universe.
Let's talk about the senses. The senses bring us to the here and now. They are the things noticing what is going on around you and within you. Your senses bring truth; our only knowledge of the past is what our mind has pieced together of it, our only knowledge of the future is what our mind has made up based on past experiences, but the present, that is the only thing we know for sure is happening, and that is because of our senses.
The idea in Pratyahara is that you withdraw from the senses, because although they bring you to the here and now, they are often distracting. They show you what is happening but they don't give you the blissful moment of being able to acknowledge and accept it all. This is where Pratyahara comes in.
We want to go inward. We want to have that haven of silence amongst a busy, noisy world. We want to hear the sound of the universe, om.
Think about when you close your eyes. You dream, you have inner seeing. It's gonna sound super trippy, but this shows us that we can see without needing to use our eyes. Just because your eyes are closed doesn't mean you're not still a fully functioning human, does it?
One great way is going for a walk. Maybe start somewhere quiet with not too many things or people around. Try not to comment, judge or name the things that you see, hear, smell, touch or taste. It's really hard! The idea is to be present without being distracted. You might like to try closing off some of your senses one at a time, just to see what it feels like. It is likely that in the beginning this will make you anxious, but with time you will become more and more comfortable.
I, for one, began the journey of trying to be comfortable with no sight a long time ago. In my Junior Contemporary class we played a game where you all stood in a circle and placed a pen in the middle. One at a time, you take turns closing your eyes and walking forward, trying to put your hand directly on the pen. It was interesting because generally the people who got anxious when they closed they're eyes could not find the pen, but the people who were confident and just strode into the circle more often than not, got it. I then started closing my eyes for brief moments while I was walking home from school everyday, in an attempt to become more confident with walking without sight. It started off I could only do 5 steps. I then worked my way up to 10 steps, but at about 7 or 8 I would start to get anxious. I kept working at it, and now I could probably do 20 steps without freaking out. It's a working progress, but it sure is working. And it's really interesting to watch myself try and fumble around without my sight!
Anyway, in a yoga class we try to bring Pratyahara into our space by limiting outer stimulus. We try to have blank walls with so visible distractions, we make sure the music isn't too loud and sometimes turn it off when silence is needed, we try not to burn to much incense or candles, and sometimes we lay off the adjustments so our students aren't distracted by our touch. It's difficult in a class setting, it is easier in your home practice. You can close your eyes, ensure you're in a quiet space and no one (hopefully) will be touching you.
Pratyahara is another step leading towards concentration and meditation - we shut out distractions in our mind so we will be able to focus and concentrate.
And that's all for today! I hope you've learnt a little something :)
Namaste x
