Pratyahara is the fifth limb of Patanjali’s eight-limbed path of yoga and represents the withdrawal or control of the senses. The term comes from Sanskrit where “prati” means away or against and “ahara” means food or anything we take in from the outside world.
This practice involves deliberately turning attention away from external stimuli and redirecting awareness inward. Unlike conventional sensory deprivation, pratyahara doesn’t seek to eliminate sensory input entirely but rather to change our relationship with it—consciously choosing which sensations to engage with and which to release.
Pratyahara serves as a critical bridge between the more external practices of yoga (asana, pranayama) and the internal practices (dharana, dhyana, samadhi). It provides numerous benefits: it reduces mental chatter and sensory overload; develops concentration; conserves energy typically dissipated through sensory engagement; creates a protective shield against distractions; deepens meditation practice; and cultivates inner awareness.
Techniques for developing pratyahara include yoga nidra (yogic sleep), antar mouna (inner silence), trataka (candle gazing), sensory awareness exercises, and simply observing sensations without reaction during asana practice. Even savasana (corpse pose) contains elements of pratyahara as practitioners learn to release external awareness.
In our hyper-stimulated modern world, pratyahara provides a valuable counterbalance—teaching us to filter unnecessary input and preserve our attention for what truly matters. It doesn’t reject the sensory world but establishes mastery over how we engage with it.
