Sacred Rhythms: The Art of Holy Withdrawal

My Faith Challenged

My husband fell ill in May of 2025. It would start a season of caregiving and chaos. We have a geriatric dog and a new puppy that my husband somehow talked me into on the cusp of the one year anniversary of our beloved yellow lab’s passing. Mixed with emotions, I reluctantly agreed to get another dog.

As one who has never given birth, many have told me that there is never a good time to have children. I quickly learned the same rings true of a puppy. Our 5-month old chocolate lab, Oliver, is as cute as they come. However, the timing of Oliver proved to be some of the most challenging months of my life.

My husband, Derek, had two serious infections at the same time. There was a full week where he was fighting for his life. My thoughts wavered from deep-rooted faith, eventually concluding to, “What am I going to do without him?” As I watched his skin turn color, his weight fall off, and change the soaked linens each day from his alarming high temperatures, I wondered what God wanted us to learn through this. Several times I walked in to find him crying, asking if I could hear the heavenly music. Each time I pleaded with God, “Please don’t take him.” In my experience when people encounter what Derek was hearing, God was calling them home. They were hearing Heaven and being called ‘home’.

As I put my thoughts into words for the first time here, we have come through the fire and I am filled with gratitude. The hard part is done. Yesterday, almost three months later, was a doctor’s appointment with good news and an excellent report. We rejoice in making it through. Three months doesn’t sound long but to us it felt like a lifetime.

In the evening as we walked hand in hand last night, it meant something so much more. Derek and I have always been grateful people and praise God for the lives that only He could’ve blessed us with. He has preserved us and divinely protected us on many occasions and we acknowledge His sovereignty over our lives. When he was able to walk, fold laundry, vacuum, and go out on dates, everything was right in my world again. I have a new-found sense of just how fragile life is and how very quickly it can change. There is new, profound sense of gratitude.

Organically our priorities have shifted. Spending time with those we love, each other, serving more, enjoying God’s creation and the life He has blessed us with takes precedence over everything. What used to seem or feel important no longer does. Living from a Sabbath heart allows us to live a Sabbath [deep rest] life. No more striving…just abiding. Getting back to the basics. Unplugging. Redeeming time. Reading and conversing instead of media and gadgets. Practicing Presence, God’s, others, and with ourselves in deep reflection. This Sabbath way of life requires withdrawal. When you withdraw from life’s distraction and focus on what truly matters, you’ll notice even the sky looks different. As my husband said, “Everything seems sweeter now.”

In our hyperconnected world, the ancient practice of withdrawal has become both more challenging and more essential than ever. As followers of Christ who seek to integrate body, mind, and spirit in our faith journey, we can learn profound lessons from the yogic principle of pratyahara—the fifth limb of yoga, often translated as “withdrawal of the senses.” Though Patanjali says that no limb out of the 8-Limb Path is more important than the other, I find a profound difference in the 5th limb. A choice to withdraw from the loud, chaotic rhythms of the world and enter into a time of reflection, meditation, and connection with Christ.

I invite you into God’s beautiful, sacred rhythm as well. It’s truly life changing.

The Biblical Foundation of Sacred Withdrawal

Long before the codification of yogic practices, Scripture revealed the necessity of withdrawing from external distractions to encounter God more deeply. Jesus Himself modeled this rhythm throughout His ministry:

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16)

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35)

These weren’t isolated incidents but a consistent pattern—a sacred rhythm that sustained Christ’s ministry and maintained his connection with the Father. In these moments of withdrawal, Jesus found renewal, clarity, and divine direction.

Understanding Pratyahara in Christian Context

Pratyahara, the fifth limb of classical yoga, involves consciously withdrawing our attention from external stimuli that typically capture and scatter our focus. Rather than being a passive disconnection, it’s an active redirection of our awareness inward, creating space for deeper spiritual encounter.

For the Christian practitioner, this withdrawal becomes a holy act—a deliberate turning away from the noise and demands of the world to turn toward God’s still, small voice. It’s not escapism but rather a strategic retreat that enables us to return to daily life with greater spiritual clarity and divine perspective.

The Sacred Moments Hidden in Plain Sight

In our rush through daily routines, we often miss the sacred moments that God weaves throughout our ordinary days. The practice of withdrawal helps us develop what Brother Lawrence called “practicing the presence of God”—a heightened awareness of the Divine in every moment.

These sacred rhythms might include:

Morning Stillness: Before the day’s demands begin, creating space for silence and prayer, allowing God’s peace to settle our hearts and minds.

Transition Moments: Those brief pauses between activities when we can offer a breath prayer, acknowledge God’s presence, or simply rest in divine love.

Evening Reflection: Consciously withdrawing from screens and stimulation to review the day with God, offering gratitude and releasing concerns into his care.

Sabbath Rest: Weekly rhythms of withdrawal from productivity and consumption to simply be with God and allow our souls to breathe.

Practical Steps Toward Holy Withdrawal

1. Create Sacred Boundaries

Just as we might dim lights for better sleep, we can dim external input for better spiritual reception. This might mean:

• Designating phone-free zones or times
• Choosing silence over background noise
• Setting boundaries around news consumption or social media

2. Engage Your Senses Intentionally

Rather than withdrawing from all sensory experience, redirect your senses toward the sacred:

• Light a candle and focus on the flame as a symbol of Christ’s light
• Listen to the sounds of creation—birds, wind, rain—as God’s symphony
• Practice mindful breathing, recognizing each breath as a gift from God

3. Cultivate Interior Quiet

Pratyahara isn’t just about external withdrawal but internal stillness. Practices that help include:

• Centering prayer or contemplative prayer
• Lectio divina (divine reading) with Scripture
• Breath prayers that anchor your mind in God’s presence

4. Embrace Solitude as Sacred Space

Following Christ’s example, regularly seek solitary places for prayer and reflection. This might be:

• A corner of your home designated for prayer
• A walking path where you can commune with God in creation
• A church sanctuary during quiet hours

The Fruit of Sacred Withdrawal

When we consistently practice these rhythms of withdrawal, we begin to notice profound shifts in our spiritual life:

Increased Sensitivity to God’s Voice: As external noise decreases, we become more attuned to the Holy Spirit’s gentle promptings and God’s guidance in our daily decisions.

Deeper Peace: The anxiety that comes from constant stimulation gives way to the peace that passes understanding, rooted in God’s unchanging presence.

Clearer Discernment: Withdrawal creates space for wisdom to emerge, helping us distinguish between what truly matters and what merely demands our attention.

Renewed Compassion: Time in God’s presence naturally overflows into greater love and patience with others, as we’re filled from the divine source.

Sacred Rhythms as Spiritual Discipline

The beauty of incorporating withdrawal as a spiritual discipline is that it can be adapted to any life season or circumstance. Whether you have five minutes or five hours, the principle remains the same: intentionally creating space to withdraw from external demands and turn your heart toward God.

This isn’t about perfection but about consistency. Like any spiritual muscle, our capacity for withdrawal and presence grows stronger with regular practice. Some days the distractions will feel overwhelming, and that’s okay. The invitation is simply to return, again and again, to these sacred rhythms that connect us with the heart of God.

Living the Rhythm

As part of the Christian Yoga Association community, we understand that our faith journey involves the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. The practice of withdrawal, inspired by the fifth limb of yoga but rooted deeply in Christian tradition, offers us a pathway to experience God’s presence more fully in every moment.

In a world that profits from our distraction, choosing withdrawal becomes a countercultural act of worship. It’s a declaration that our souls belong to God, that our deepest identity isn’t found in external achievements or validation, but in our belovedness as children of the Most High.

May we embrace these sacred rhythms not as another burden to bear, but as an invitation to the abundant life Christ promises—a life marked by His Presence, His peace, and His transforming love.

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As you explore these practices of sacred withdrawal, remember that each person’s rhythm will look different. Be patient with yourself, start small, and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into the specific practices that will most nourish your soul and deepen your relationship with God.

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