Pratyahara

Withdrawal of the senses. Fifth limb of Ashtanga Yoga.

The mind normally flows outward through the senses, dispersing itself in external stimuli. Pratyahara reverses this flow: the senses disconnect from their objects and attention gathers inward.

It is not sensory repression, but voluntary detachment. A classical analogy: like the tortoise withdrawing its limbs into its shell.

Pratyahara is the bridge between external practices (asana, pranayama) and internal ones (dharana, dhyana, samadhi).