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Now Pratyahara and Dharana (Turning Inward and Holding Steady)

Have you ever wondered — Why is it so hard to sit still and meditate?

You close your eyes, but your mind’s already at work: What’s for dinner? Why did she say that? Did I reply to that message? What’s happening here?

Your body is still, but your senses — eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin — are still wide awake, pulling your attention in a hundred directions.

That’s where Pratyahara comes in.

In simple words — it means withdrawal of the senses. Not by force. Not by running away from life. But by gently turning the spotlight inward.

Think of a tortoise. When danger appears, it doesn’t fight or flee. It simply pulls its limbs in and waits — calm, centered, protected.

Pratyahara is that natural drawing inward — not escape, but awareness without distraction.

It’s like saying to your senses: “Thank you for your service. Now let’s rest.”

And once this inner stillness begins...You arrive at the next step — Dharana: the ability to hold one steady thought.

But we’ll get there in a few steps.

First, let’s understand this beautiful gateway:

Pratyahara — the turning point from the outer world to the inner one.

What is Pratyahara? Have you ever felt like the world is too noisy?

Too many notifications, too many opinions, too much noise in the head — even when you're alone in your room? That’s where Pratyahara begins.

Pratyahara simply means: Pulling the senses back — like a turtle pulls in its limbs.

It’s the 5th limb of Ashtanga Yoga. And it acts like a bridge — between the outer practices (like Asana and Pranayama) and the inner ones (like Dharana and Dhyana).

Let’s ask: Are you using your senses — or are your senses using you?

That’s the real question. Because whatever you see, hear, smell, eat, or touch — doesn’t just stay outside. It enters your mind, nervous system, and even your energy. And without realizing, we become addicted to stimulation.

One more scroll.

One more video.

One more bite — even when we’re not hungry.

So, Pratyahara isn’t about closing your eyes and ears. It’s about learning to turn inward. It’s the moment you stop chasing what’s out there — and start paying attention to what’s in here. Like cleaning a window from the inside. Not cutting off the world — but choosing how and when to engage with it.

Can you pause… just for a moment… and listen to what’s going on inside you?

That pause — That turning inward —That’s the beginning of Pratyahara.

How to Practice Pratyahara in Daily Life:

Let’s be real —You can’t run away to a cave in the Himalayas. You have responsibilities. Deadlines. Family. Phones ringing.

So how do you practice Pratyahara right here — in the middle of daily chaos?

Let’s make it simple:

1. Notice your sensory habits

Start with small questions:

How much noise do I allow into my day?

How often am I checking my phone without a reason?

Do I eat while watching something?

Do I scroll through reels when I feel bored, tired, or low?

These tiny acts drain your mental energy. They scatter your awareness into the outer world. And slowly, you forget:

You have a rich inner life that’s quietly waiting.

2. Pause before you consume

Next time you reach for something — food, phone, music — just ask:

“Do I really need this right now, or am I just running away from silence?”

Even a 5-second pause before reacting is Pratyahara. It gives you the control — not your habits.

3. Create one quiet pocket in your day

Can you give yourself 10 minutes with —

No screen

No music

Just your breath, your body, and your mind?

Even while sitting with open eyes — try being fully present.

You don’t have to chant, meditate, or do anything special. Just be. That’s enough.

It’s like calling your senses back home. Letting them rest. Letting yourself rest.

4. Choose what you feed your senses

Your senses are gates to the mind. So, be mindful of what you feed them:

— The sounds you hear

— The images you watch

— The words you speak and listen to

— Even the smell and touch around you

Garbage in = Garbage out.

Purity in = Peace out.

So, choose wisely.

Pratyahara isn’t suppression. It’s self-care of the deepest kind. It says: “Let me not lose myself in the outer world. Let me return home to myself.”

Why Do We Fail in Pratyahara?

Let’s admit it —

We know we need peace. We know we need to disconnect.

But we still get pulled outside. Again, and again. Why?

Let’s explore with simple, real-life examples.

1. Because the outer world is loud… and addictive

Ever noticed how your hand just reaches for your phone?

– You’re eating alone — you open YouTube.

– You’re sitting quietly — you scroll Instagram.

– You feel anxious — you binge-watch something, anything.

Why?

Because distraction feels easier than presence. Your senses have been trained to chase pleasure, avoid silence.

And this is the first failure of Pratyahara — We mistake stimulation for relaxation.

2. Because we confuse entertainment with rest

A long day at work… and what do we do? Plug in music. Watch a crime drama. Scroll through negative news.

We think: “I’m relaxing.”

But ask yourself — Do you actually feel fresh after all that? Or more irritated, more restless?

True rest is silent and inward. But we’re not used to going inside — we’re trained to go out. That’s the second big failure — We try to escape the mind, instead of understanding it.

3. Because we don’t know the cost of overstimulation

Here’s a small truth nobody told us: Every time you overfeed your senses, your mind becomes more scattered — and your energy, more tired. That’s why you feel drained after a party. Or mentally fuzzy after too much scrolling.

You didn’t run a marathon — you just sat and scrolled! But still — you’re exhausted.

Why?

Because your senses were overused without rest. This is a major reason modern people suffer from anxiety, insomnia, and even depression — without knowing why.

4. Because we’re not taught to go inward

Let’s be honest: Nobody in school or college taught us how to sit quietly and listen to the breath. We’re told to succeed, compete, collect, compare — but no one says: “Go inward. Your peace is already there.”

So, naturally, we look outside — not because we’re bad — but because we’re untrained in inner living. This is where Yoga begins.

Pratyahara is not rejection. It’s redirection. It gently says: “You’ve gone out enough. Now come home.”

And that’s where the real Yoga begins — Not in your body. But in your inner space.

How We Get Trapped — One Sense at a Time

You’ve heard of the ‘Five Senses’ — But have you ever noticed how each one pulls you outward — in its own way?

Pratyahara means “withdrawal of the senses”. But before we can withdraw them, we must first understand how they control us — one by one.

1. Sense of Sight (Eyes)

Let’s start with the strongest one.

Open your phone — and BOOM. A flood of reels, ads, gossip, glamour — all rushing into your system through the eyes.

The eyes don’t just see — they trigger the mind.

You see something beautiful — and desire begins. You see something violent — and fear arises. You see someone richer — and comparison is born.

Sight creates craving, jealousy, anxiety — in seconds.

Try this small test for yourself: Can I sit in silence for 5 minutes — with eyes closed — and feel calm?

2. Sense of Hearing (Ears)

Music is soothing, yes — but noise is exhausting.

How much sound do we consume daily?

Traffic. News. Complaints. Background noise.

We carry it all — even when we’re asleep. And sometimes even praise can be a trap.

We hear someone say “You’re amazing” — and suddenly, we’re addicted to approval.

Hearing can create ego, fear, or dependency.

Try sitting in quiet — and feel the discomfort. That’s your habit of sound trying to escape silence.

3. Sense of Smell (Nose)

This one hides quietly — but it’s powerful.

The smell of coffee makes us want to drink.

A perfume can trigger attraction or memories.

A bad smell can instantly ruin our mood.

Even the environment we live in — clean or polluted — shapes our emotional landscape.

Smell directly affects emotions — often unconsciously.

Next time you feel low or restless, just check —Are you surrounded by stale energy, stuffy air, or overwhelming fragrance?

4. Sense of Taste (Tongue)

This one is perhaps the most obvious. Most of us live to eat — not eat to live.

We crave flavours — even when the stomach says "enough."

We eat to fill emotional hunger — not physical need.

 Sweet = comfort.

 Spicy = thrill.

 Fried = distraction.

The tongue becomes the master, and health becomes the slave.

Can you stop after one bite of your favourite? If not — the senses are in charge.   

5. Sense of Touch (Skin)

We don’t notice this often — but it’s always working.

Soft bed = relaxation.

Itchy fabric = irritation.

Physical touch = safety, love, or sometimes anxiety.

Even temperature affects us emotionally — hot, cold, humid, dry.

And in the emotional world —we crave validation through touch — a pat, a hug, a handshake.

Touch is deeply connected to safety and identity. Observe how restless you feel when you’re physically uncomfortable. Or how easily you get attached to comfort — a particular chair, blanket, even posture.

All Five Senses Together:

Now imagine — all five senses open and untrained — all day. No wonder the mind feels exhausted, agitated, and out of control.

Pratyahara means giving each sense a little pause. A little space to breathe. You don’t have to give up life. Just create small gaps — from noise, from screens, from tastes, from distractions. That’s where inner peace begins.

DHARANA – The Power of One Thought

So far, we’ve been learning how to clean the body and mind (Yama and Niyama), sit with stillness (Asana), breathe with awareness (Pranayama), and gently withdraw the senses (Pratyahara).

Now begins the real inner work — Dharana, the practice of holding the mind in one direction.

And it starts with a single line:

देशबन्धः चित्तस्य धारणा (Yoga Sutra 3.1) (deshbandha chittashya dharana)

“Let the perception of the mind be fixed in one direction.”

This is often translated as:

“Fixing the mind on one place is Dharana.”

But let’s go deeper — not just repeating what’s popular, but truly understanding it.

Let’s break it down carefully:

चित्तस्य(chittasya) means: “of the mind” — it’s a possessive case, not a subject.

धारणा (dharana) is a noun, not a verb. It refers to a perception — a held idea or thought-form.

देशबन्धः(deshbandha) is also a compound noun (देश+बन्धः), meaning “anchoring to a particular direction or space.”

So, this is not a command or a verb-based instruction. It’s describing a state of the mind. Thus, the sutra blossoms into this gentle essence:

“चित्तस्य धारणा देशबन्धः भवतु” (chittashya dharana deshbandha bhavatu)

Let the perception of the mind be fixed in one direction.

That — is ‘Dharana’.

Not ‘holding the breath’ or ‘staring at light’

Over the centuries, Dharana got confused with techniques like:

Staring at the third eye

Watching the breath

Holding attention at the navel or heart

Visualizing lights or gods

But all this became external and mechanical.

True Dharana means:

Choosing a clear, conscious perception — a single thought, image, or mantra — and anchoring the mind to it. Without scattering. Without switching.

Why Dharana Is So Difficult. And Why Most of Us Keep Slipping:  

If Dharana means holding one perception steadily, why is it so hard?

Simple.

Because the mind doesn’t like staying in one place.

Let’s test it right now.

Try to hold one thought — maybe a soft mantra, or a peaceful image — for just 30 seconds.

Chances are… Some other thought jumps in.

A memory.

A doubt.

A phone notification.

A random visual.

And suddenly — you’re no longer holding it.

You’re being pulled.

This Is the Nature of the Mind

Our mind is like a monkey — swinging from one branch of thought to another.

Not because it’s “bad” …  But because it’s been trained that way — by years of distraction. And this is where most people go wrong.

They think:

“I can’t meditate. My mind doesn’t stay still.”

But Dharana isn’t about forcefully stopping thoughts. It’s about gently holding one thought — again and again — no matter how many times the mind slips.

Just like training a puppy. With patience. Not pressure.

Real-Life Moments Where Dharana Fails:

You're working, but your mind drifts to a conversation from yesterday.

You're reading, but you keep checking your phone.

You're trying to meditate, but end up planning tomorrow's to-do list.

In all these — you lose your one-pointed perception.

This is what Pratyahara was preparing you for — So that your senses stop hijacking your mind every five minutes.

Now, Dharana begins.

How to Practice Dharana in Real Life:

(Without Forcing the Mind or Getting Frustrated)

Let’s begin simply.

You don’t need to sit in a cave or chant Sanskrit to enter Dharana. You just need to hold one gentle perception — with awareness.

Step 1: Choose Your Perception

This is personal. It could be:

A mantra (like So-Ham, Om, or any sacred sound close to your heart)

A peaceful image (like a quiet flame, the ocean, or a symbol that brings calm and reverence)

A quality (like gratitude, stillness, truth)

Even your breath — if held with presence and sincerity

Or the presence of your Higher Self — the quiet, witnessing awareness within you

Whatever you choose — let it be something that uplifts your being, brings stillness, and aligns with truth.

Not a fantasy of control or revenge — but a direction that makes your mind quiet and your heart kind.

Step 2: Sit Still, Breathe Easy

Sit comfortably — no strain. Back soft, not stiff.

Breath flowing, not forced.

Let the body be like a still pond.

Then begin to gently hold your chosen thought or image — like placing a flower in the centre of the water.

Step 3: When the Mind Slips — Gently Return

This is the key. The mind will wander.

You’ll suddenly notice you’re thinking about dinner, a WhatsApp message, or some silly memory from school.

Don’t panic. Just return.

Softly. Kindly. Without guilt.

That moment of returning without judgment — is real Dharana.

Start Small — Just 2 Minutes a Day

Yes. Just two.

Set a timer. Hold your one thought, gently.

When the timer rings — smile and stop.

Why?

Because discipline with love builds faster than perfection with pressure.

Can Dharana Be Practiced in Daily Life?

Yes. Not only can it be — it must be.

If your mind becomes steady only during meditation and chaotic the rest of the day — the practice isn’t complete.

Let’s see how Dharana can walk with us… even while we cook, work, walk, or talk.

Start with Micro Moments of Attention

Everyday life is full of small gaps — waiting for the kettle to boil, washing your face, locking the door.

Instead of picking up your phone or daydreaming, try this:

Breathe in slowly and feel the air.

Bring one clear thought — “I am here”.

Or just feel your heartbeat for a few seconds.

That’s Dharana — alive in your day.

Create Anchors During Routine Work

Pick one activity you do daily — brushing teeth, chopping vegetables, taking a bath.

Turn it into a mini-Dharana practice:

Stay fully with the moment

Feel the touch, the sound, the movement

Whenever the mind wanders — gently return

One minute of pure attention is better than one hour of scattered thinking.

Use Emotions as Entry Points

Let’s say you feel angry or anxious.

Instead of suppressing it or reacting, try to:

Pause

Watch the feeling like a cloud

And ask — “What’s this trying to teach me?”

That pause, that return to inner steadiness — is Dharana in real life.

So, Dharana is not locking yourself in a corner.

It’s the art of choosing your thought — and coming back to it again and again, with love and awareness.

From Dharana to Dhyana: A Natural Flow

Once you learn to place your awareness on one single thought — gently, without force — something subtle begins to shift inside you.

At first, the mind might still waver. But if you keep coming back to that one thought — like the presence of your Higher Self, the idea of a Super Power, or even just a soft feeling of peace — then slowly, the distractions begin to fade, like ripples settling in a quiet lake.

This effort to stay with one thought — this is Dharana.

And here’s the beauty of it:

The more naturally your attention stays with that one point, the more you stop trying.

And in that effortless awareness — you are no longer holding the thought… the thought is holding you.

This is the doorway into Dhyana — true meditation.

You don’t ‘do’ Dhyana. It happens to you — when Dharana becomes so gentle, so natural, so unbroken that there is no gap between you and the object of your awareness.

Your separate self — the thinker — starts dissolving.

And what remains is just — Being.

So Dharana is not a practice to reach somewhere. It is the quiet turning of your face towards the light — so that the light can slowly take over.

That’s the journey of Dharana.

And it flows naturally — silently — into the next stage of Yoga: Dhyana.

So, this was Dharana — the sixth step of Ashtanga Yoga. Not a strict exercise, but a gentle and loving training of your attention — from wandering in a hundred directions to softly resting on just one.

And when you learn to stay — without tension, without struggle — you will notice something quietly opens inside. A feeling of presence… a sense of connection… As if your Higher Self is not just a concept — but a real, living guide within you.

That’s when Dharana begins to melt… And you are gently invited into the stillness of Dhyana (meditation).

Let’s walk into that silence — in the next part.

Stay blessed. Stay centred. Stay simple.

If you want to learn the very minutes of Raj Yoga with complete guidance and support, then contact me.

A Special Note:

Thank you for reading this blog with your heart. If it touched you or brought any clarity to your inner journey, I have a small request — please share it with those who might also be searching for peace, focus, or freedom from inner chaos.

Your one act of sharing might become someone’s turning point.

May you keep walking the path — softly, surely, and inward.