A How To: Sensory Withdrawal with Pratyahara.

Word of the Week

Pratyahara, Sensory Withdrawal http://edge.yoga

There is a concept in yoga called Pratyahara. In this practice, we explore our ability to withdrawal from the senses. This has long been practiced in traditional yoga and has been increasingly seen in the West. A practicing yogi may observe cold  temperatures in the room during meditation. By zeroing in on the temperature, the student is more likely shiver. This physiological response is either in response to the actual temperature, or to the student’s awareness of it. Perhaps a little of both. This would suggest that bringing the awareness away from the temperature and towards the breath, for example, could lessen the intensity of the shiver. There is a very clear relationship between thoughts and their subsequent physiology. 

I’ve been reading The Healing Self by Deepak Chopra, M.D. and Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D. and it has prompted quite a few musings. To begin, the Placebo Effect. Why is it when patients are given a placebo, it oftentimes has the same effect as the drug believed to be taken? This reality has long been accepted by the medical community and begs the question…How is this possible? 

What does this say for the mind’s ability to adapt to the body’s external conditions to achieve homeostasis? Does this suggest that our very thoughts and beliefs drive us towards health or illness?

This leads me to the question, how much power does a yogi have over their own physiology through their awareness of it? I highly recommend giving The Healing Self a read (or listen on Audible) if you want to explore these questions further.

*Of course, we are all responsible for our own wellness and should seek recommended medical treatment when instructed to do so. Due to the increasing number of medical law suites, I often wonder how many doctors opt not to share information for fear of legal repercussions.

Shanti,

M.

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