The Christmas holidays have come and gone. You’re planning to take the lights down next weekend and whispers of Silent Night Holy Night are just echoes in your brain. But was it silent? “All is calm, all is bright…” Was it calm? Maybe not. Maybe it was hectic and overindulgent and there was too much sensory stimulation. The sugar, the parties, the lights, the gifts. Maybe the holidays left you feeling weary and worn out. Maybe you’re already promising yourself that next year will be different. Next year, you’ll take the time to go for a quiet walk every morning, you’ll sit down at the piano and sing christmas carols with your family, you’ll roast chestnuts on an open fire, you’ll do whatever it takes to escape the overstimulation of Christmas and you’ll appreciate the quiet moments in between the chaos of travelling, shopping, cooking, drinking and carousing. But next year is here! Next year is now and it’s time to shut out the overstimulation.
Withdrawal from sensory stimuli in yoga is pratyahara. It’s silencing the external world in favour of listening to your internal rhythm. In the wake of Christmas festivities, when you were pulled in every direction and the flow of stimuli was exhausting, now is the time to practice pratyahara. Withdrawing the senses doesn’t literally mean putting in earplugs, holding your nose and shutting your eyes to the world around you; it’s more of a refined art of being able to tune out emotionally. BUT, tuning out takes practice. Just like musicians and athletes improve their craft by repeatedly practicing one refrain of music or spending hours in the batting cage, yogis improve their ability to withdraw by practicing sense withdrawal. Blindfolded yoga is the practice of pratyahara. Tune out from your sense of sight and tune into your inner rhythm. Yoga is the search for the freedom to be you. Pratyahara is listening to the essence of yourself. In the wake of the hectic holidays, there’s no better time to listen to your inner self.
Practice pratyahara in a humorous setting with Alison Devitt on Wednesday Night.