Yoga Stories Episode 12: Pratyahara

How do you talk about withdrawal of the senses? (Or indeed how do
you present that in a photo?) That's how pratyahara is most often
translated. The fifth limb of yoga is perhaps something that
happens to you when you practice consistently, rather than a
recognisable practice or tradition that you can follow. After our
discussion about Prana, however, it makes more sense in that
context: by making the mind the master of the "sense organs" you
can learn to put them under your control, allowing you to focus
the mind more successfully.

One really common distraction we are all having to learn to
control, which makes pratyahara more difficult, is the smart
phone. Indeed any of our electronic devices nowadays is designed
to stimulate and occupy the "monkey mind". So for many of us the
first step to Pratyahara is going to be switching off the
phone.

And when does your teacher stop being your teacher? There's a
definite difference of opinion there!