Withdrawal of the Senses ( Pratyahara, Sutra II, 29) follows the disciplines of postures, then breath control, then Sense Withdrawal, followed by concentration, then Meditation.
…………and then. as we follow all of the Eight Limbs of Yoga, we come to Concentration, and then the 8th Limb, so hard to define, we find enlightenment, the true self, the realization of the Divine.
I am guilty, as all of us can be, to see Yoga as a way to energize or align my body, and then, as a human being in this very difficult world, perhaps there comes a stillness of the mind that allows for rest and for getting a real sense of what is.
It’s easy to stop there. Occasionally, we may think we understand the principles of honesty, non-grasping, being a careful and committed student, non-violence, to name only a few of the Yamas and Niyamas that lead us to being a better person, more compassionate and patient with ourselves and others. But only then are we positioned to understand the poses. And, THEN, quite amazing, we begin to study Pranayama, breath control, and all of its diagnostic and therapeutic uses. Ok. We have finally arrived at Limb 3. This has been an accessible path, given the availability of the simplest versions of yoga available today.
Limb 4: Meditation. This one, also, seems to be available and getting together to learn and to practice meditation. That is all around us also. So, let’s say, we get that one, the fourth limb, the one we always thought was the end point. That, of course, is just the beginning.
Mindfulness Via Yoga 