Pratyahara

Pratyahara is the fifth step or limb, which is characterized as "the intentional withdrawal of energy from the senses." This limb perplexes almost everyone who practices yoga. Pratyahara is a sense of withdrawal. This technique teaches you the way to journey inward and find ultimate peacefulness. The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Hindu scripture, says your senses are likened to a boat on water. Each time the five senses are enraptured with external objects, the boat is swayed by the tumultuous waves of sense perception.

When you cut our senses off from the external world, you are able to dive within ourselves to the vast universe that lies inside. You find this practice to be another revolutionary act in the world we live in today. Each time you sit with ourselves and curiously inquire within, you combat the harmfulness of constant externalization of the mind via social media, the news, and consumerism. The easiest way to practice pratyahara is to close your eyes while practicing asana.