Pratyahara is the fifth limb of the eightfold path. This one is about sensory withdrawl. Sensory pleasures can hypnotise a person, and pull them towards stimulus, towards the external experience, and that is how we engage with our lives, But this specific practice is about temporarily disengaging from sensory stimuli so that you can draw your attention inward. Remember the old screen saver on your computer that you would mindlessly stare at... where are you when that is even happening? This is like temporarily freeing the mind of desires to make space for contemplating the soul, the true depth of your being. If I think back on my teenage years, I think that maybe all of it was based around sensory pleasure seeking of some form, as a way to figure out my identity, which ironically was nowhere to be found. I thought it could be found in imitating a certain style of some sort, but nope. So if we don't grow past that phase, we'll get stuck identifying with the external world.

If you sit quietly and watch your mind, you soon realise about all the preferences you make and how you tend towards seeking ways to gratify yourself, in any subtle way. Right now, I am shifting in my seat to get a bit more comfortable in my body, adjusting my body temperature with my ugg boots, contemplating another piece of chocolate, looking at the huge spiderweb above me, hearing what my husband is listening to on his iPad....it seems to be continuous input.

So there is like a current, or a stream of what the mind is seeking or engaging with in any moment, and so our energy and focus gets lost, or just used up through our 5 senses. These senses are there to enrich our life experience, but the renunciation of sensory pleasures allows for one to create new mental impressions, rather than impulsively repeating old experiences. We are usually overstimulated, and that can tend towards distraction, agitation, restlessness, and disharmony.

Retreating inwards is like a reset button. This is about silence and stillness rather than pointless busy-ness (so hard for me to not be busy). I'm the type of person that just organises a drawer if I have a moment to spare. Maybe its productive, maybe I just crave the feeling of being useful, as a way to combat against background boredom, which is really just a way to become restless. So this is a practice of energy control and fine-tuning how we choose which sensory experiences to indulge in or which ones to avoid so that unwanted imprints aren't left on us because of our choices. You are the conscious creator of your life, not by choosing your circumstances, but by engaging appropriately with your sensory experience.

Go against the grain (or current) by noticing the pull of desires and aversions and turn them off. Be with what is rather than how you think things ought to be instead. Free yourself from unconscious distractions, which is hard because they're unconscious, like picking up your phone mindlessly or staring into the fridge when you're definitely not hungry. But in the moment of noticing when we are in that state, shine the light of awareness on it so that you are vividly present to what you are doing. I did that once with a bag of M&M's. I just ate it very slowly and made sure I was there for the taste experience instead of half chewing and just swallowing. I started to realise that it seemed to taste metallic and gross and I wasn't enjoying it. It is possible that we can learn to engage with sensory pleasures in a detached way that doesn't bind us through addiction or play us through habit. Mastery over the senses is the basis of true mental health and inner equanimity. Sensory inputs ties into our moods, so by closing the window to the outside world and drawing attention inward, we can be less reactive and more aligned with our Spirit.

Reflect:

Where do you overstimulate?

What sensory experiences call out to you the most?

Could you hit pause on life for a moment and just sit and feel your experience?