The eight limbs of yoga were first outlined nearly four thousand years ago in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, an ancient text that is the basis of several forms of yoga. These eight limbs describe a series of steps and practices that are believed to lead the student toward enlightenment.
The eight limbs are Yama (universal morality with others) Niyama (universal morality towards self), Asanas (physical yoga poses), Pranayama (control of prana through breath), Pratyahara (control of senses), Dharana (concentration and stillness), Dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (enlightenment).
The fifth limb is Pratyahara, which means control of the senses or withdrawal of the senses. This aspect of yoga is moving more toward the spiritual realm of the practice of yoga than some of the earlier limbs.
It’s important to note that although there is an order in the listing of the eight limbs of yoga, they do not all need to be mastered and practiced in that specific order. In other words, you don’t need to master all the yoga asanas and pranayama breathing before practicing pratyahara.
There are two types of pratyahara. One is withdrawal of the senses, or input the body and mind receive from the five senses. In this stage of the practice, the consciousness is focused away from the senses and external stimuli in favor of a more internalized practice. The belief is that preoccupation with the senses overloads the mind.
To control the senses, the student learns to control the flow of prana, or life energy. When practicing pratyahara and withdrawing from the senses, pranayama breathing is often used. Another technique that is used is third eye meditation, which focuses on a single point between the eyes at the level of the eyebrows. These techniques help to control and withdraw from the senses.
The second type of pratyahara is control of the actions. This includes the actions within the body and the work we do in the world and acting rightly in our work. This is sometimes called karma pratyahara.