Practice 4

Withdrawing the Senses

Welcome to the 4th meditative practice in the Awakening Presence Within Program. Congratulations for making it this far through your foundation practice!

The next meditative tool that we will begin to practice is called sense withdrawal.

Sense withdrawal is an important natural process that occurs unconsciously every night when we enter sleep. When we rest at night, we allow the senses to withdraw naturally and effortlessly most of the time, but we are just not aware of it.

Because we go through sense withdrawal process unwittingly, we are unaware of how to replicate this process consciously for the sake of generating a consistent and effortless relaxed meditative state, rather than waiting around for this state to occur on its own, randomly.

In sense withdrawal we are simply reducing our anticipation and attachment to the outward senses and slowly learning to turn them inwardly, wakefully. 

If we are waiting for our senses to withdraw on their own we might be waiting for a long time, and that can make our meditation process frustrating and taxing. By applying deliberate and methodical sense withdrawal we retrain the body to consciously enter into these deepened relaxed states much faster and with more consistency. This makes the meditative process much more effective and can help you bring your meditation into every moment—on or off the cushion.

Because the body is not used to relaxing into the deep dreaming states of sleep while sitting up, it is very difficult to produce the same sleep-like state while in the seated position, but this is only because we are not used to it. And instead of your having to sit for months on end to achieve this state, we are inducing it intentionally using theta brainwave entrainment audio, saving you time by accelerating your process (in the background of the guided meditation track).

Furthermore, it is the mastery of the sense withdrawal that gives us the strength to overcome outside influences that can cause us to lose our meditative depth and focus, forcing us to waste time readjusting over and over during the practice session.

The sense withdrawal practice involves taking the five tactile senses of smelling, tasting, seeing, touching, and hearing, and reverting them.

How can we make these typically outward-pointing senses turn inward with full consciousness?

There are many techniques for withdrawing the senses, but we are going to implement just one simple but effective technique for now. 

For this particular technique, it is important to remember that we are not expected to totally eliminate the outward perception, we are just reducing the need to react to the senses, that is all. 

As you continue with this and the following meditations, you will likely learn how to totally tune out of the outside world altogether. But that is a very difficult state to achieve at first, so have patience for now. Learning how to tune so far into yourself so that the world around you tunes out without lunging toward the external stimuli of our senses is the main goal, and it will happen over time.

Besides deepening and strengthening your inward-pointed focus, the importance of achieving such a state has the additional benefit in revealing the more subtle, True reality that lies behind the Maya of the illusory material world. When you can ‘see’ the world for its essence in congruence with its costumes, you can deepen your intimacy, appreciation, and connection with all things and beings.

Once you have reached the correct preliminary state of deep relaxation, take the first step by gently aiming your focus exclusively toward your physical body and the way it vibrates and feels.

The elements in the body must be purified and active in order for energy to flow without resistance, helping us relax and go within. It is helpful to have engaged with a very healthy diet along with ensuring your physiology is vitally balanced to optimize your body’s stillness within. Connect with your teacher if you would like to learn more about purifying and maximizing your vital energies.

To achieve some of the energetic purification found in this meditation, we will move through the anchor points presented in the audio track, ending at the solar plexus and allowing that center to stir over time. You may notice emotional energy or constrictions in your solar plexus area upon holding your extended focus on this chakra—that is completely normal. If they do arise, do not resist these energies and hold an open curiosity about them without entering into thought-based stories that will distract you from experiencing them directly.

You should give this practice at least a week, and could be used for 2 weeks or more, strengthening your inward pointing focus and will energy.

Remember to make this meditation relaxing and fun, reminding yourself that this practice does not require stress or strain, just a conscious and focused letting go. So if you find yourself struggling or straining you are likely not relaxed enough. Relaxing should never take effort. Just allow yourself to let go and soften further into yourself, and into presence.