Mastering the Senses: Finding Inner Fulfillment through Yoga
Chapter 2 v.58-59
Learn practical ways to master the senses, calm the restless mind, and experience lasting fulfillment.
By mastering the senses, we are freed from the constant pull of restless desire, and can fully experience our essential nature: pure, joyful, free, and deep content.
In our previous contemplations of the Bhagavad Gita, we explored how abiding in the Self and releasing restless desires is crucial for establishing steadfast wisdom. In this post, we’ll deepen that exploration by examining verses 2.58 and 2.59, focusing on the yogic skill of pratyahara—mastering the senses and directing attention inward.
Why Mastering the Senses Matters
In earlier verses of Bhagavad Gita, we explored that desires cloud the mind, supporting an ego-based identity. When our minds are filled with desires, they become like a busy workshop—restlessly manufacturing more wants and needs, never reaching lasting fulfillment. To achieve clarity and true peace, it is essential to learn how to master the senses, withdrawing attention away from external stimuli and turning it toward our inner essence, our true Self.
"When the senses are mastered, we no longer chase happiness—we discover it as our essential nature."
—Yogacharya Ellen Grace O'Brian
The Skill of Withdrawing Attention
“When, like a tortoise that withdraws its limbs on all sides, a person withdraws their senses from the sense objects, then their wisdom becomes steady.” (Bhagavad Gita 2.58)
This beautiful imagery of a tortoise illustrates the powerful skill of pratyahara—the conscious withdrawal of attention from sensory stimulation. Like the tortoise that protects itself by withdrawing into its shell, we too can withdraw our attention inward to protect our vital force and stay anchored in our spiritual goals.
In practical terms, this means not letting our attention and energy scatter toward every sensory input or distraction that arises. Imagine walking past a bakery: even if our senses naturally move toward the aroma, through pratyahara, we consciously redirect our attention inward, choosing what best serves our well-being.
Two Essential Skills of Pratyahara
This verse highlights two essential skills:
Meditative Interiorization:
Cultivating the ability, through meditation, to consciously direct our attention inward, away from external distractions, and toward the blissful fullness of the Self. Paramahansa Yogananda called this "disconnecting the sense telephones," turning our attention inward to discover innate joy.
Discernment and Detachment in Daily Life:
Developing the skill to discern which sensory inputs serve our highest good and which distract us from it. By withdrawing attention from what doesn't serve our spiritual purpose, we conserve energy and align our actions with our true intentions.
My guru, Roy Eugene Davis, demonstrated this beautifully. He never wasted energy on activities or conversations that didn’t support his purpose. He taught by example: intentional living means protecting your energy, choosing consciously, and staying deeply connected to your higher purpose.
Beyond Willpower—Permanent Freedom from Desire
“The objects of the senses turn away from one who abstains from them; but the taste for them remains. Even this taste turns away when the supreme reality is apprehended.” (Bhagavad Gita 2.59)
This verse deepens our understanding of why mere abstinence from desires isn’t enough. At first, simply refraining from sensory indulgences helps—they gradually diminish in our awareness. Yet the mind’s attachment or "taste" for these desires often lingers as subtle impressions or cravings.
To achieve lasting freedom, something more powerful than self-restraint is required: the direct experience of superconsciousness (Samadhi). When we experience our innate wholeness, the mind’s desires naturally dissolve. The cravings vanish completely, just as a burned seed can no longer sprout.
This verse reveals a profound truth: true renunciation isn't merely about giving something up—it's about receiving something infinitely greater. When we apprehend the supreme reality, we naturally lose interest in lesser fulfillments.
Practical Strategies for Mastering Your Senses
Here are practical steps to help you develop pratyahara:
Set Clear Intentions for Meditation:
Start every meditation with the conscious intention of experiencing superconsciousness, gently reminding yourself that innate bliss is already within you.
Become a Witness:
Throughout the day, gently notice when desires arise. Observe without judgment. Become curious about the origins of these desires, their purpose, and their true necessity.
Redirect Attention Consciously:
When you recognize sensory distractions that don’t serve you, consciously redirect your attention to something more uplifting, nurturing, or spiritually aligned.
Keep a Spiritual Journal:
Maintain a daily record of your intentions and observations. Reflect at the end of each day to track your progress and deepen self-awareness.
Cultivate Discernment:
Ask yourself regularly, "Does engaging with this sensory experience support my highest goal, or does it lead me further away from it?"
Objects Turn Away When the Mind Lets Go
An intriguing teaching in Bhagavad Gita verse 2.59 suggests that when we abstain from sensory indulgences, the objects themselves seem to "turn away." Have you noticed how, once you truly let go of an attachment or habit, it gradually fades from your environment? You cease to encounter it. Why? Because the mind no longer attracts it. Our consciousness shapes our reality—what we hold onto internally manifests externally. When we let go internally, external attachments dissolve naturally.
As Roy Eugene Davis beautifully expressed:
“Our states of consciousness attract corresponding circumstances. When we have no attachments or feelings about a thing, it naturally fades away from our experience. When we truly let go, we become free.”
Embracing Inner Fullness
In mastering our senses, we are not losing joy—we are gaining it. Freed from the constant pull of restless desire, we can fully experience our essential nature: pure, joyful, free, and deep content. This path offers the gift of unshakable inner peace.
May we live intentionally, mastering the senses, discovering lasting fulfillment in the innate fullness of our true Self.
Listen to the full podcast episode below.
Bhagavad Gita, pt 15: Withdraw Sensory Awareness to Overcome Temptations
Chapter 2 v. 58-59
The teachings in these verses suggest that suppressing physical and mental urges is not the best approach to overcoming temptations. Instead, withdrawing sensory awareness from tempting circumstances and being centered in the soul and dispassionate can help us develop intellectual discernment and regulate sensory inclinations and desires. The benefits of consistent practice of contemplative meditation can help us turn the focus inward, leading to mental, emotional, and physiological balance.
Dive Deeper into Dharma Teachings and Practices
Drawing from the reservoir of Vedic wisdom and the principles of yoga, the Dharma 365! Live Your Higher Purpose online course outlines the path to a life of higher purpose. The course provide a comprehensive immersion in dharma studies and practices for discovering your higher purpose and living it every day with heart and meaning.
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