Fifth Stage of the Eight Limbs of Yoga – Pratyahara
If the first 4 stages of the Eight Limbs of Yoga are considered to cover the external aspects or outward quests (bahiranga sadhana) of Yoga, and the last 3 stages (Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi) are considered the internal quests (anataranga sadhana), then this fifth stage of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, Pratyahara, can be considered the bridge between the external and the internal.
The word Pratyahara is derived from two root words, ‘prati’ meaning ‘away’ or ‘against’ and ‘ahara’ meaning ‘food’ or ‘anything taken into ourselves’. Therefore together they mean ‘weaning away from ingestion’. Are more common meaning given to Pratyahara however is “withdrawal of the senses”.
Pratyahara is cultivated during the practice of meditation, asana or pranayama, where the practitioner (sadhaka) becomes so focused and immersed in the practice that his or her senses are withdrawn from the outside World or external objects. Because the mind has a tendency to roam between sensory inputs, Pratyahara is something that needs to be cultivated over time.
One of the most common ways to cultivate Pratyahara is through Pranayama (it is not a coincidence that Pranayama is the fourth stage of the Eight Limbs), where much focus is drawn inward through the focus on the rhythmic breathing patterns, that the link between the mind and external senses or World is greatly severed.
Another way to develop Pratyahara is during meditation when, for example, focus of attention is held on the point between the eyebrows (known as the symbolic location of the “third eye” or “Ajna” chakra).
Only when the senses are brought under control, when this stage is reached, can the sadhaka (practitioner) go through the search of self-examination.