When we practice pratyahara, we deliberately turn off sensory perception. At the beginning of the session, we close our eyes to block the flow of visual images and then work to reduce the severity of our reaction to any stimulation of the senses. In the state of pratyahara, we still retain the ability to hear and feel, but signals from the outside world through the nervous system no longer distract or disturb our minds. This helps us to better understand the difference between consciousness and sensory experience, which is changeable and impermanent in nature.
