THE RAJA YOGAM (YOGA)

                               PROCESS OF PRATYAHARA

                            IN THE YOGIC SYSTEM, YOGA NIDRA IS CONSIDERED AS  FORM OF RAJA YOGA. THE CLASSIC EXPOSITION OF RAJA YOGA IS FOUND IN THE YOGA SUTRAS, A MASTERFUL COLLECTION OF 196 SUTRAS OR APHORISMS, WRITTEN BY SAGE PATANJALI SEVERAL CENTURIES BEFORE THE BIRTH OF CHRIST. PATANJALI DIVIDED THE PATH OF YOGA INTO EIGHT STAGES, STARTING WITH THE BASIC RULES OF ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR THAT ARE CONDUCTIVE TO MENTAL PEACE AND ENDING WITH SAMADHI, OR SELF-REALIZATION , IN WHICH THE CONTENTS AND ACTIVITY OF THE MIND ARE COMPLETELY TRANSCENDED.

                    ❤💫     STAGES OF RAJA YOGA 

• YAMAS (SOCIAL CODE)
•  NIYAMAS (PERSONAL CODE)
•  ASANAS (POSTURES - STATES OF BEING)
•  PRANAYAMA (CONTROL OF PRANA, LIFE-FORCE, COSMIC ENERGY)
•  PRATYAHA (WITHDRAWAL OF THE SENSES)
•  DHARANA (CONCENTRATION)
•  DHYANA (MEDITATION)
•  SAMADHI (TRANSCENDENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS)

                        THE FIRST FOUR STAGES ARE PREPARATORY OR EXTERNAL STAGES. AND ARE CONCERNED WITH SPECIFIC PRACTICES. THESE STAGES ARE PERFORMED ESSENTIALLY BY THE CONSCIOUS MIND - THE RATIONAL, ANALYTICAL PART OF CONSCIOUSNESS WHICH IS ACTIVE IN THE NORMAL WAKING STATE. THE LAST FOUR STAGES ARE HIGHER OR INTERNAL STAGES, THESE ARE STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS AS WELL AS THE PRACTICES NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THEM. THESE HIGHER STAGES INVOLVES THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, WHICH IS THE STOREHOUSE OF ALL EXPERIENCES, AND THE EGO, WHICH REGULATES THE FLOW OF INFORMATION INTO THE CONSCIOUS MIND.

                       ❤💫   MEMORY TRAINING

                           

                           VISUALIZATION IN YOGA NIDRA CAN ALSO BE USED TO IMPROVE MEMORY. THIS IS DONE THROUGH THE POWER OF ASSOCIATION OF SYMBOLS. WHEN REQUIRED TO REMEMBER SOMETHING, YOU SHOULD FIND AS MANY OBJECTS AND SYMBOLS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT OBJECT AS POSSIBLE. THEN, WHEN RECALL IS NECESSARY, YOU HAVE A VAST ARRAY OF ASSOCIATIONS TO DRAW UPON.

                            MEMORY CAN ALSO BE TRAINED BY CONTINUOUS VERBAL OR MENTAL REPETITION OF THE WORD, NUMBERS, FORMULA OR WHATEVER IS DESIRED TO BE REMEMBERED. HOWEVER, THIS PROCESS IS MLNOTONOUS AND TIME CONSUMING. USING ASSOCIATED SYMBOLS IS A MORE DIRECT AND EFFECTIVE METHOD. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER SOMEONE'S NAME, FIRSTLY YOU CAN ALSO RECALL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME NAME.

                               THEN YOU COULD DRAW ASSOCIATIONS FROM THE MEANING OF THE NAME OR WHAT THE NAME MAY SUGGEST TO YOU. MENTALLY PICTURE THAT PERSON'S ACTIONS, DRESS, COMPLEXION, ETC. ALONG WITH THE NAME AS THE PROCESS IS CONTINUED. THE MORE ASSOCIATIONS YOU CAN MAKE, THE EASIER THE RECALL WILL BE. THE MORE FANCIFUL YOU MAKE YOUR ASSOCIATIONS, THE STRONGER THE IMPRESSION, AND HENCE RECALL VALUE, WHICH WILL BE LEFT IN THE MIND.

                       OTHER SUGGESTED PRACTICES

                                                          💟💫💟💫❤💟💫💟  

       

• REVIEW OF THE DAY'S EVENTS IS VERY USEFUL IN MEMORY TRAINING AND IN OBSERVING YOUR OWN ACTIONS AND REACTIONS IN DAILY LIFE. THIS PRACTICE CAN BE FURTHER EXTENTED BY RECALLING A DAY IN YOUR LIFE FROM A WEEK AGO, A MONTH AGO, A YEARS AGO, AND SO ON BACK INTO EARLY CHILDHOOD. ALL THAT IS NECESSARY OF THE SEQUENCES OF EVENTS SURROUNDING IT. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED HOW CLEARLY AND VIVIDLY THE MEMORIES WILL MANIFEST.

• AN EXTENSION OF THE PREVIOUS PRACTICE IS TO RECALL AND WITNESS PAST TRAUMAS. IF TH WITNESS ATTITUDE IS MAINTAINED, THIS BECOMES AN EFFECTIVER METHOD OF OVERCOMING THE NEGATIVE SAMSKARAS OF THE MIND, BUT IT CAN BE EXTENDED FURTHER BY RECREATING THE EXPERIENCE IN THE MIND, ONLY THIS TIME WITH AN OUTCOME THAT WOULD HAVE LEFT A POSITIVE IMPRESSION RATHER THAN A NEGATIVE ONE. THIS NOT ONLY HELPS EASE THE PAIN, BUT PREPARES THE MIND TO RESPOND POSITIVELY WHEN SIMILAR SITUATIONS OCCUR IN THE FUTURE.

• THE BREATH CAN BE USED TO CONDUCT VISUAL IMAGES SUCH AS BREATHING IN LIGHT, AND BREATHING OUT SMOKY IMPURITIES. PAIN AND DISCOMFORT CAN BE RELIEVED BY DIRECTING THE INHALED BREATH TO THE AFFECTED PART, AND RELEASING THE PAIN WITH THE EXHALATION. THE SCIENCE OF PRANA VIDYA UTILIZES TECHNIQUES SUCH AS VISUALIZING THE AFFECTED PART OF THE BODY BEING BATHED IN GOLDEN LIGHT AND WARMTH, OR A PROCESS OF REMOVAL OF THE DISEASED TISSUE AND A REBUILDING OF HEALTHY TISSUE TO FACILITATE HEALING.

•   TO DEVELOP FEELINGS OF EMPATHY AND SECURITY, YOU CAN VISUALIZE YOURSELF IN A BUDDLE OR COCCON, WARM, COMFORTABLE, SAFE AND SECURE. BEGIN TO EXPAND YOUR BUBBLE TO INCLUDE OTHERS NEAR YOU, THEN ALL PERSONS IN THE ROOM. IF THE SENSATIONS IS UNCOMFORTABLE, WITHDRAW TO A COMFORTABLE. SPACE UNTIL YOU ARE ABLE TO EXPAND AGAIN. THIS EXPANSION CAN BE CONTINUED INCLUDE EVERYONE IN THE LOCALITY, COUNTRY, WORLD AND UNIVERSE.

                           THERE ARE MANY OTHER VISUALIZATION POSSIBILITIES WHICH MAY BE UTILIZED ONCE THE DOORS OF THE UNCONSCIOUS HAVE BEEN OPENED. THE CREATIVE POTENTIAL IS VAST AND THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF VISUALIZATION IN YOGA NIDRA, THE POSSIBILITY OF SELF-REALIZATION ADVANCES ANOTHER STEP.