Pratyahara: the fifth limb in Raja Yoga

by Nick on Jul 07 2018

Table of contents

For people who are new to yoga, yoga practice primarily consists of physical exercises, the asanas. But yoga is, of course, much more, as anyone who delves deeper into this millennia-old tradition will recognize. The fact that yoga embraces body, mind, and spirit equally is particularly evident in Raja Yoga (Asthanga Yoga). It has eight limbs, which Patanjali describes in his Yoga Sutras. Pratyahara is the fifth limb in the eight-limbed system of yoga. Here you can learn more about its classification, practice, and effects.

The eight limbs of Raja Yoga

Raja Yoga consists of the following limbs:

The stages of Pratyahara will not be explained further here. The point is simply to help you understand how Pratyahara fits in and that yoga considers body, mind, and soul as a whole.

Pratyahara: the withdrawal of the senses

Pratyahara, like many yoga terms, comes from Sanskrit. The word means "retreat from battle." Even though it's not military-related, the image is somewhat appropriate for today's world. We're often overwhelmed by sensory impressions and thoughts. The "war" that rages in our minds causes stress. Therefore, Pratyahara is an essential building block when it comes to our well-being. When nothing is bombarding us anymore, when our "inner troops" have withdrawn, we often feel the peace and relaxation we've long sought.

Characteristics of Pratyahara

This fifth limb in the eight-limbed path has several characteristics. First, it is the withdrawal from sense objects. In yoga, this refers to everything we can perceive with the senses: everything we can see, hear, taste, smell, or touch. Another characteristic is the withdrawal from our perception. This means that we do not allow any sensory impressions in this state at all. The third characteristic is the withdrawal from attachment. This involves not allowing the mind to become active.

Pratyahara in everyday life and meditation

In your daily life, you continually incorporate the fifth limb of Raja Yoga. This is, of course, only possible once you have gradually developed an awareness of this state. You can also incorporate it into meditation. Here, you might recall your first yoga classes, where you were supposed to sit in silence and allow any thoughts that arise to pass by without judgment.
Preparation is necessary. Pratyahara is the fifth limb of Raja Yoga for a reason. You should only begin these practices once you are somewhat familiar with the previous stages. It is also helpful to have a yoga teacher with solid spiritual practice at your side. Discipline and perseverance are very important in the beginning. The more you try not to focus on something, the more likely you are to do it in the beginning.

Withdraw the senses one by one

Withdrawing all the senses at once is almost impossible. Therefore, there's a rule of thumb for how to best achieve Pratyahara. This involves the wildest sense. It's the one that's most active in you individually. Concentrate on gradually reining in this sense. Once you succeed, you can add the next sense to your practice. Force is absolutely essential. The important thing is to withdraw the senses gently, so as not to draw the mind's attention to them and refocus.
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