Myths of the Asanas by Alanna Kaivalya

Author:Alanna Kaivalya
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Insight Editions LLC
Published: 2011-02-15T05:00:00+00:00

Withdrawing the Senses

There is another important yogic practice represented by the tortoise. A tortoise that withdraws its limbs inside its shell is a great metaphor for the yogi in the fifth step of Patanjali’s eight-limbed path, called pratyahara. It is the stage at which we withdraw our senses from the objects that surround us so the undistracted mind can then focus itself on the object of meditation. This connection between the tortoise and meditation is referred to in a verse of the Yoga Sutra, where Patanjali suggests that meditation on the tortoise nadi, an energy channel found in the sternal notch of the throat, brings about steadiness (YS 3.32). In meditation we come in contact with the more subtle layers of our awareness, and we come closer to our essence. In order for this to happen, the mind must first quiet down.

Focusing our attention is important not only when we sit down for meditation, but also when we are engaged in asana practice. Where is our mind? When we pay attention to it, we will surely notice that it tries to escape the present moment all the time. So we begin by withdrawing the senses from distracting objects, then focus the mind in concentration (dharana), after which meditation (dhyana) will follow as a natural result after prolonged practice.

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