Notes on pratyāhāra

 pratyāhāra as turning inward

Examples

- from outer Master to inner Master

- from a moorthi   

      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 aakaar to niraakaar

- from aakaar to nirguNa

- from nirguNa 

     to na-sat+na-asat

     (nasadeeya sooktha)

 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.