Pratyahara : Conscious Disengagement

Pratyahara –  conscious disengagement

Saturday, May 23rd, $35

Swami Sivananda says: “Pratyahara itself is termed as Yoga as it is the most important limb in Yoga Sadhana” – this is true today, more than ever. Our  senses are constantly bombarded by external stimuli.  We become so accustomed to sensory overload that we begin to seek it and may even become addicted to it.

In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, pratyahara is the fifth limb of yoga, standing at the threshold between the outer disciplines and the inner limbs of concentration and meditation. Although commented upon by many teachers, it often remains less clearly understood or insufficiently emphasized in practice. It is the withdrawal of the senses from their objects, so that the senses cease to follow their outward course. These objects may be external, arising through the senses, or internal, appearing as impressions and agitations within the mind – a deeper aspect sometimes referred to as mano-pratyahara, the withdrawal from the movements of the mind itself. Thus, we are no longer carried away by them, but remain quietly present and attentive within experience. Through pratyahara, the disturbance born of attraction and aversion (raga and dvesha) is quieted, and the mind becomes fit for concentration and meditation. We will consider some traditional means by which this can be cultivated in practice, so that it may become a support both in daily life and in meditation practice.

Teacher: Sarasvati