32 Unusual Ways to Practice Pratyahara (Sense Withdrawal)

Withdrawing the senses (i.e.: practicing pratyahara) in our modern times is rather hard. In a recent post about it James commented and asked what "modern methods" for practicing could be found. He suggested "turning off e-mail" for example, which sounds like a good suggestion and is included below. Thanks.

I thought about coming up with 32 suggestions for incorporating the practice at a very basic every-day level.

Sort of "0.1 level", which comes way before 1.0 level.  I imagined them as mini-breaks for the senses suggestions that can bring further awareness to the practice as we move through the pressing issues that life may throw our ways.

Some are mine some are from other bloggers, teachers, books. I would love to hear if you have other suggestions.
  1. Turn off Facebook / E-mail / Twitter / Phones / and any other electronic around, then sit for a few minutes, in silence. If you are really brave, make it an hour, or at least become conscious of how much of the day goes in inefficient leakages on these.
  2. Stop mindlessly reading news.  Most news are upsetting or what Patanjali would classify as "wicked".  There is not much you can do about it and it clutters your mind as well as pulls your senses outwards.
  3. Every hour or so, get up from your computer and take a walk
  4. At night instead of watching television sit in your living room and pay attention to your breathing and how your body is feeling
  5. Follow the wonderful suggestion Grimmly shared here: Create a moment of silence and become aware of the sounds around you, find the most subtle, focus on that one, then find one that is even subtler, focus on that one.  See how long you can carry this on for.  
  6. Close your eyes for 30 seconds every half an hour.  Every time I even think about doing it my body takes a deep breath
  7. Follow Iyengar's suggestion: when you breath out, at the end of the exhale, breath out a bit more. That is the way to eliminate toxicity, both mind and matter ones.
  8. While having dinner ensure you taste every little bite, every piece of food. Do you even like what you are eating?
  9. Moderate your diet. The Gheranda Samhita says: Eat pure sweet and cooling food to fill half the stomach: eating thus sweet juices with pleasure and leaving the other half of the stomach empty is called moderation in diet
  10. Eat in silence, at least one meal a day.
  11. Practice "functional speech" or talking only if necessary.
  12. Then upgrade to practicing silence for longer and longer stretches of time 
  13. Then try silence of body by not calling attention to yourself 
  14. Then, if possible, try silence of the mind.  Even if for one breath at the time
  15. When walking outside see if you can NOT name anything you see, just receive and experience. That is another B.K.S. suggestion.
  16. Read about Pratyahara, here is a good place to start.  Just being aware has an effect on me.
  17. While practicing yoga-asanas (poses), see if you can internally connect with every single cell of your body, feel the soles of your feet, the skin on your back, the depth of jaw relaxation, the ends of your hair
  18. Clear the clutter around you.  Starting with one room per weekend is a good suggestion. In the North East we have the Vietnam Vets that come to your door and pick up donations of things you no longer need.  A more sparse environment can help with internal focus
  19. Identify people and situations in your life that drain your energy either due to extra drama, or because of lack of clear boundaries.  Deal with it so you stop leaking energy.
  20. Write down and clarify where your finances are.  Create a budget, look at where the money is going and where it needs to go.  Redesign so that the flow is efficient
  21. Make sure your body is flowing too, as in going to the bathroom for 1 and 2
  22. Take a Vipassana meditation course as soon as you can, or a meditation retreat that speaks to your own truth.  Might be better if it is a silent retreat.
  23. If there is nature near you take a walk in it, the more often the better.
  24. Next time you see a sunset or a sunrise greet it and receive it, just let it in with no labels.
  25. See how much of a interesting book you can read giving it your full undivided attention, try extending that time
  26. Learn a game like chess, or Go, try playing them as if you needed to become a master within a year.  Games like these require a lot of concentration  (which is the step after pratyahara)
  27. Take a look at your yamas and niyamas (do's and don'ts of yoga practice).  They are after all the foundation.  It might be good to see where you stand on them, or at least know what they are.
  28. Practice Pranayama, which is the bridge into Pratyahara
  29. Read Light on Life by BKS Iyengar
  30. Read Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings, by A.G. Mohan
  31. Light on Astanga Yoga is a book that Iyengar published in India, it is not easy to find (amazon does not carry it) but it is a gem worth finding.
  32. Before you go to sleep at night see try and close your senses one at the time, sight, hearing, smell, taste, tact.  Then have a good night sleep.
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