6 Steps to Rest & Refresh Your Senses

We’re always saying we want more downtime, that we need to unplug, destress and relax. But even when we’re not working at our jobs or around the house, what do we do? We bingewatch 13 episodes of a show in one weekend, we go out, we log on to Facebook. There’s nothing wrong with doing any of these things, if we give ourselves time to do nothing, to completely relax and let our senses rest and recharge.

But we usually don’t, because ours is a culture where busyness is regarded as a sign of success. We’re also being bombarded with information. We’ve been trained by our phones to check our email and social media constantly. Many of us work on computers, where alerts routinely derail our trains of thought. There are screens in elevators, the backs of cabs, even embedded in the mirrors over restroom sinks. It’s overwhelming, and it’s burning out our senses and brains.

But there is a solution to this modernday sensory overwhelm—one that’s thousands of years old.

Pratyahara is one of many spiritual tools of yoga that people rarely hear about in the average yoga class. Pratyahara means “sense withdrawal”— closing the eyes, blocking the ears and reducing all external input as much as possible. This allows you to experience true stillness, to go deep within and find balance and calm.

Do this regularly, and you’ll feel less exhausted and more readily able to find your own sense of balance and peace.

{1} Choose a time and place where you won’t be disturbed for 15–20 minutes. You can set the timer on your phone, choosing a gentle tone, and mute all other notifications.

{2} Put a blanket or a few towels on top of your yoga mat to create a soft surface to lie on. Place a rolled blanket or towel under your knees to relax your lower back, and a folded blanket or towel under your head. Place an eye pillow or hand towel over your eyes. If there’s noise filtering in from outside, use earplugs.

{3} After you’ve let your body settle, begin Deergha Swasam threepart breathing practice: Exhale gently, then breathe in by expanding the abdomen, bringing the breath to the lower ribs and then upper chest. Exhale from upper chest, relax the lower ribs and gently pull in the abdomen. The breath should not be too full or the lungs too empty; it feels something like a sigh of relief. Do a few rounds and then let your breathing return to its natural pattern.

{4} Allow your thoughts to fade to the background. There’s no need to become involved with them right now, though after a while of not being distracted by external input, you may find solutions to problems or be able to release troubling thoughts.

{5} At first, you may feel as though you’re “not doing anything.” That’s the point! Pratyahara is a time to rest the senses. Bring your gentle focus to relaxing your eyes… your ears… your sense of taste and touch. Know that by giving your senses this quiet time, you are allowing them, and the mind that processes the input, a chance to rest and recharge.

{6} When your alarm sounds, give yourself a luxurious stretch, remove the eye pillow and, if using, the earplugs. If you like, continue some of your Pratyahara session by taking a break from social media and email for a few more hours.

Suzan Colón is the author of Yoga Mind: Journey Beyond the Physical, 30 Days to Enhance Your Practice and Revolutionize Your Life from the Inside. A former senior editor of O, the Oprah Magazine, Suzan has been studying yoga for 25 years and teaching since 2002.