Pratyahara
​The fifth limb of the eighth in Yoga.
This is the bridge between our inner and outer world.
The word is formed of two Sanskrit words. Prati means to withdraw or reverse. Ahara means food (nourishment) or anything we take in through our senses such as sight, smell our sounds.
Together, pratyahara means withdrawing from the sense organs or gaining control over external influences.
As we practice pratyahara, we begin to notice the influence of sensory input on the mind and with practice, we can create a distance between them.
This ensures that we are in control of our senses, rather than our senses being in control of us. It allows us to make decisions that benefit us, rather than decisions that give us instant gratification with no value.
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What we feed our external is what nourishes our internal.
Similar to an ecosystem of the human body.
How do we practice Pratyahara, “withdrawal of the senses”?
Mindful awareness:
Be conscious to observe your sensory input without getting caught up in the external details.
Pranayama (breathwork):
Deep and conscious breathing can aid in calming the mind and facilitating the withdrawal of senses.
Sensory restriction:
Practice periods of silence, dim lighting or practice voluntary celibacy.
Focus on internal sensations:
Practice asanas, shift your attention away from external alignment and instead focus on how your body feels internally.
Mindful Communication:
Be aware of your words and actions, avoid gossip and unnecessary chatter.
Integrate into daily life:
Try to incorporate elements of Pratyahara throughout your day by practicing mindfulness in everyday activities.
Vesak day commemorates the birth, enlightenment (Nirvana), and death (Parinirvana) of the Buddha, which are all said to have happened on the same day.
According to tradition the Buddha instructed followers how to pay him homage. Just before he died, he saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to weep, instead to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of the physical body but to regard his teachings (The Dharma) as their teacher from then on, because only the truth of the Dhamma is eternal, and not subject to the law of change. He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings.
The cycle of life: Birth, death and rebirth is which sufferings are trapped is, Samsara. Freedom of Samsara is known as Nirvana, a state of perfect peace and freedom from struggle that is beyond birth and death. The ultimate goal in Buddhism is to attain liberation from samsara, known as nirvana. Nirvana is a state of complete freedom from suffering. It is a state of awakening and realization of the true nature of reality. The Eightfold Path is the historical Buddha’s teaching on the path to liberation from samsara.
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It consists of ethical and mental practices, including right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
By following this path, individuals can break free from the samsaric cycle and attain nirvana.