सर्वद्वाराणि संयम्य मनो हृदि निरुध्य च | मूर्ध्न्याधायात्मनः प्राणमास्थितो योगधारणाम् || १२ ||
sarva-dvārāṇi saṁyamya mano hṛdi nirudhya ca mūrdhny ādhāyātmanaḥ prāṇam āsthito yoga-dhāraṇām
sarva-dvārāṇi—all the gates (senses); saṁyamya—controlling; manaḥ—the mind; hṛdi—in the heart; nirudhya—confining; ca—and; mūrdhni—at the top of the head; ādhāya—placing; ātmanaḥ—of the self; prāṇam—the life air; āsthitaḥ—situated; yoga-dhāraṇām—the concentration of yoga.
“Having controlled all the gates of the body, confined the mind in the heart, and placed the life air at the top of the head, established in yogic concentration—”
This verse describes the technique of yogic withdrawal (pratyāhāra) and concentration. The 'gates' are the nine openings of the body through which consciousness flows outward into the world. Controlling them means withdrawing the sense energies inward. The heart is the seat of the subtle self, and the crown of the head is the exit point for the liberated soul.
Pratyāhāra—sense withdrawal—is the fifth limb of Ashtanga Yoga and is often the most neglected. Practise it daily: after work or activity, sit quietly, close the eyes, and consciously withdraw attention from each sense organ. This restores inner energy and prepares the mind for deeper meditation.