Total pratyāhāra

 Outward w.r.t. body, [1]

 has 3+ levels:

- mānasik

- vācik

- kārmaṇik 

in traditional terms, or, 

using Babuji's sequence [2]:

- ideas

- thoughts

- words

or, combined:

- śruti

- manasa

- vāca

- karmaṇa

or, in English:

- vibrational

- mental or by inner instruments

- verbal

- physical

Physical may be 

further subdivided into 

prāṇik and kārmaṇik.

Also, "inner instruments" 

may be expanded as

the kośās of 

the subtle and causal bodies.

This expansion seems unnecessary 

beyond manas and buddhi [3]

because the discussion here

is only about 

what can be 

wilfully turned 

inward or outward.

pratyāhāra means 

reversing that which eats 

(āhāra - ingests or takes in,

 prati - reverse or oppose) -

from the outside to the inside.

That is, 

turning all our 

physical, 

energetic, and 

inner sensors 

from 

outer sensations, 

outside energies, and 

crucially, also from

inner representations of 

the outside world.

Normally, one cannot turn 

one's physical sensors 

inward completely.

An obvious example is 

the eyes, 

which cannot look inward.

But closing the eyes 

more or less pauses 

visual sensations. 

Inner sounds can be heard, 

but the ears cannot be closed 

physically at will. 

Ditto the nostrils - 

needed anyway to breathe. 

khecari mudra 

with the tongue

explicitly aims at 

an inner taste, 

but that is still physical, 

while we want to reach 

levels beyond even śruti!

pratyāhāra of prāṇik sensors 

refers to inward flow of prāṇa. 

This cannot be 

directly controlled 

by the body, 

but physically 

āsanās, mudrās, and bandhās,

like checkdams and canals,

can recirculate prāṇa and

reduce or prevent 

its outward flow. 

With this background, 

it is obvious that 

total pratyāhāra, 

or better 

total prati sañcaraḥ, or 

returning to 

the state of 

total unmanifestedness or 

ultimate potentiality 

requires much more than

simply closing one's eyes and 

performing assorted mudras and 

bandhās (clenching inner muscles).

Thus, by sitting in 

a nice closed-loop āsana, 

one may not be 

outwardly oriented 

physically or even prāṇik-ally. 

But one's mental and 

ideational 

orientation 

is still outward. 

(śruti is always manifestative or 

outward and 

anyway beyond 

individual control. 

It may be safely ignored in 

pratyāhāra or prati sañcaraḥ.)

Sahaj Marg meditation is therefore 

a complete pratyāhāra 

because the attention is placed 

on an idea 

(and so the ideational or abstract level) -

of light without luminosity, 

of the idea of light.

But, Heartfulness meditation 

extends that even further 

by thinking that 

the Ultimate Source 

(from which that abstract idea manifested)

itself pulls the attention inwards.

So we turn 

whatever levels of attention 

we do control 

inward, or 

at least pause 

their outward orientation, and 

let attention 

beyond our subtlest level of volition 

be drawn inward.

Drawn inward by?

By a presence 

subtler than 

our individual selves, 

but yet a presence that 

manifested us, 

sustains us, and 

unmanifests us.

prati sañcaraḥ _/|\_

NOTES

[1] manifestative,

      engrossening,

      sañcaraḥ (from tattva samāsa sūtra)

      away from oneness, centre (centrifugal?)

[2] Per Br V. Ramabhadram, 

      abhyasi since Babuji's time,

      Babuji has mentioned śruti - 

      the timeless or eternal flow of vibrations - 

      in this sequence 

[3] ahaṁkāra or I-me-my activity 

      also cannot be wilfully controlled,

      it can only be paused or

      ultimately, relinquished