pratyāhāra as turning inward
Examples
- from outer Master to inner Master
- from a mūrti
to its energy entity/being
(both outside me),
to its inner presence
in my heart
- from outer sensations
to inner thought layers
to inner ideas
to mental quiescence
- From sensations
to body sensors
to nerve signals
to brain processes
to non-physical processes
to silent vibrations
- from ākāra to nirākāra
- from ākāra to nirguṇa
- from nirguṇa
to na-sat+na-asat
(nasadīya sūkta)
pratyāhāra as intake/eating of only one thing
Subtler meaning of concentration, but effort-less-ly,
without anxiety or force:
- resting attention on something lightly and clearly
pratyāhāra also means
mental training of attention
on only one thing at a time
in a subtle yet natural way:
- moving attention without stickiness from something
- attention both
resting lightly and
lifting lightly
- surround sounds/sensations technique
- - first encountered in Bihar School of Yoga yoga nidrā book
- - applies tantra principle:
- -- "accept, then transcend or relinquish"
Also related,
across a larger timescale,
to saṁskāras
- emotional residues
or stickiness to past events
So non-stickiness here as well.
