Looking inwards

When we talk about looking within for the real Guru - the Self, a natural question that arises is: how? Looking inwards means internalising the mind just like the centripetal pull. This is done through the practice of Pratyahara, which means withdrawal of the senses. It is the fifth limb in Raja Yoga and is the beginning of looking inwards or getting into the practice of Meditation.

Our mind is strongly influenced by the five senses. More we involve ourself into sense gratification, the more cluttered our mind becomes with superfluous thoughts. To get into the practice of looking inwards, one has to gradually withdraw from the senses. For majority of us, the most distracting senses are those of sight and hearing. We need a lot of discipline, patience and perseverance to control these senses. A typical example to withdraw from the sense of hearing or sight would be to detach yourself from your favourite music at the time you most feel like listening to it …or stop watching the news on your TV / mobile phone …or stop subscription of your newspaper if you love reading it as first thing in the morning. Similarly, for the sense of taste, simply reject the thought of your coffee in the morning - the time when you crave for it. There are many more examples, like checking the impulse to engage into a debate / discussion, no matter how strong you feel opinionated about the topic or how much knowledge you own on the subject.  

It is pertinent to mention here all the eight limbs of Raja Yoga, which are: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharna , Dhyana, Samadhi. All of these have specific roles in one’s journey to Self-realisation.