HOW TO VISUALIZE YOUR DREAMS (STEP BY STEP)

 

                             AWARENESS OF THE BREATH

                           AFTER THESE ROTATIONS OF CONSCIOUSNESS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED, PHYSICAL RELAXATION IS THEN CONTINUED AND COMPLETED BY DRAWING ATTENTION TO THE BREATH. THERE SHOULD BE NO ATTEMPT TO FORCE OR CHANGE IT. ONE MAY WATCH THE BREATH IN THE NOSTRILS, IN THE CHEST, OR IN THE PASSAGE BETWEEN THE NAVEL AND THE THROAT. USUALLY, GREATER RELAXATION IS ATTAINED BY SIMULTANEOUSLY COUNTING THE BREATHS MENTALLY. AWARENESS OF THE BREATH NOT ONLY PROMOTES RELAXATION AND CONCENTRATION, BUT ALSO AWAKENS HIGHER ENERGIES AND DIRECTS THEM TO EVERY CELL OF THE BODY. IT ASSISTS PRATYAHARA FROM THE SUBTLE BODY IN THE PRACTICES THAT FOLLOW.

                             FEELINGS AND SENSATIONS

                            NEXT COMES RELAXATION ON THE PLANE OF FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS. FEELINGS THAT ARE INTENSELY PHYSICAL OF EMOTIONAL ARE RECALLED OR AWAKENED, EXPERIENCED FULLY, THEN REMOVED. USUALLY THIS IS PRACTICED WITH PAIRS OF OPPOSITE FEELINGS, SUCH AS HEAT AND COLD, HEAVINESS AND LIGHTNESS, PAIN AND PLEASURE, JOY AND SORROW, LOVE AND HATE. THE PAIRING OF FEELINGS IN YOGA NIDRA HARMONIZES THE OPPOSITE HEMISPHERES OF THE BRAIN AND HELPS IN BALANCING OUR BASIC DRIVES AND CONTROLLING FUNCTIONS THAT ARE NORMALLY UNCONSCIOUS. THIS PRACTICE ALSO DEVELOPS WILL POWER ON THE EMOTIONAL PLANE AND BRINGS ABOUT EMOTIONAL RELAXATION BY MEANS OF CATHARIS, AS MEMORIES OF PROFOUND FEELINGS ARE RELIVED.

                              VISUALIZATION

                                THE LAST STAGE OF YOGA NIDRA INDUCES MENTAL RELAXATION . IN THIS PART OF THE PRACTICE, THE STUDENT VISUALIZE THE IMAGES NAMED OR DESCRIBED BY THE INSTRUCTOR. SINCE THE IMAGES THAT ARE USED OFTEN HAVE UNIVERSAL SIGNIFICANCE AND POWERFUL ASSOCIATIONS. THEY BRING THE HIDDEN CONTENTS OF THE DEEP UNCONSCIOUS INTO THE CONSCIOUS MIND. THE IMAGES USED IN THIS BOOK INCLUDE LANDSCAPE, OCEANS, MOUNTAINS, TEMPLES, SAINTS AND FLOWERS, STORIES, AND DESCRIPTIONS OF POWERFUL PSYCHIC SYMBOLS SUCH AS THE CHAKRAS, THE LINGAM, THE CROSS, OR THE GOLDEN EGG.

                                 THE PRACTICE OF VISUALIZATION DEVELOPS SELF-AWARENESS AND RELAXES THE MIND, BY PURGING IT OF DISTURBING OR PAINFUL MATERIAL. IT LEAS THE MIND TO CONCENTRATION OR DHARANA. IN ADVANCED STAGES, VISUALIZATION DEVELOPSINTO DHYANA OR PURE MEDITATION. THEN THERE IS THE CONSCIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THE VISUALIZED OBJECT IN THE UNCONSCIOUS, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS DISSOLVES AND DISTRACTION IMAGES CEASE TO ARISE.

                                    ENDING THE PRACTICE

                                 THE VISUALIZATION PRACTICE IS USUALLY FINISHED WITH AN IMAGE THAT EVOKES PROFOUND FEELINGS OF PEACE AND CALMNESS. THIS MAKES THE UNCONSCIOUS MND VERY RECEPTIVE TO POSITIVE THOUGHTS AND SUGGESTIONS. THEREFORE, THE PRACTICE OF YOGA NIDRA ENDS WITH RESOLVE. THIS DIRECT ORDER FROM THE CONSCIOUS MIND TO THE UNCONSCIOUS IS THE SEED ENABLING ONE TO RADICALLY CHANGE ONE'S ATTITUDE, BEHAVIOUS AND DESTINY. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE RESOLVE BE STATED CLEARLY AND POSITIVELY. THIS WILL GIVE THE MIND STRENGTH AND A POSITIVE OUTLOOK. ONE SHOULD HAVE SINCERE FAITH THAT THE RESOLVE WILL BE EFFECTIVE. THIS FAITH STRENGTHENS THE EFFECT OF THE RESOLVE WILL BE EFFECTIVE. THIS FAITH STRENGHENS THE EFFECT OF THE RESOLVE ON THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND, SO THAT THE RESOLVE WILL BECOME A REALITY IN ONE'S LIFE.

                                 THE PRACTICE OF YOGA NIDRA IS CONCLUDED BY GRADUALLY BRINGING THE MIND FROM THE CONDITION OF PSYCHIC SLEEP TO THE WAKING STATE.