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Steps to Rest & Refresh Yo u r Senses Suzan Colón Author of Yoga Mind Instagram: @suzanacolon suzancolon.net
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e’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.
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