The essence of Pratyahara

Yoga helps in inner growth. The classical yoga system incorporates eight limbs, each with its own function. Of these, pratyahara is probably the least known.

As the fifth of the eight limbs, pratyahara occupies a central place as an integral aspect of yoga, without which the system cannot work.

The term pratyahara is composed of two Sanskrit words, prati and ahara. Ahara means "food", or "anything we take into ourselves from the outside". Prati is a preposition, meaning "against" or "away".

Pratyahara means literally "control of ahara", or "gaining mastery over external influences". The term is translated as "withdrawal from the senses".

Levels of Ahara

In yogic thought, there are three levels of ahara, or food. The first is physical food that brings in the five elements necessary to nourish the body. The second is impression which brings in the subtle substances necessary to nourish the mind – the sensations of sound, touch, sight, taste and smell. The third is our associations which serve to nourish the soul.

Pratyahara helps you withdraw from the wrong food, wrong impressions and wrong associations, while opening you up to the right food, right impressions and right associations, just like fasting.

The benefits

• It withdraws our awareness from negative impressions
• It strengthens the mind’s immunity power
• It’s an essential practice to reach higher levels of meditation in yoga
• It helps in clearing repressed memories