HOW TO PRACTICE THE YOGA? (RAJA YOGAM)

                               PROCESS OF PRATYAHARA

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                            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.

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                    ❤💫     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.

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                       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.

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                              OUTLINE OF THE PRACTICE

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                      YOGA NIDRA IS A PRACTICE WHICH GENERALLY LASTS FOR TWENTY TO FORTY  MINUTES. THERE ARE SEPARATE TECHNIQUE FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM HYPERTENSION AND OTHER PROBLEMS, AND FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO GO DEEP INTO THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF YOGA.

                             YOGA NIDRA IS ACTUALLY A VERY SIMPLE PRACTICE, AND YOU CAN LEARN IT FROM A RECONDING. BEFORE STARTING, CHOOSE A QUIET ROOM AND CLOSE THE WINDOWS AND DOORS. TURN OFF THE TELEVISION OR RADIO, LOOSEN YOUR COLLAR AND TIE, AND SWITCH ON THE RECORDING. THEN LIE DOWN IN SHAVASANA AND LISTEN TO THE INSTRUCTIONS. GO ON FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS MENTALLY. DO NOT CONCENTRATE, DO NOT CONTROL YOUR BREATH, JUST LISTEN TO THE INSTRUCTIONS AND FOLLOW THEM MENTALLY. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOGA NIDRA IS TO REFRAIN FROM SLEEP. IF YOU FALL ASLEEP YOU LOSE THE AWARENESS WHICH YOU ARE AIMING FOR IN THE PRACTICE.

                          PREPARATION FOR THE PRACTICE

                           YOGA NIDRA IS PERFORMED IN SHAVASANA, WHICH MINIMIZES TOUCH SENSATIONS BY ELIMINATING CONTACT BETWEEN THE LIMBS OF THE BODY. FINGERTIPS, WHICH ARE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE ORGANS OF TOUCH, ARE KEPT AWAY FROM THE FLOOR BY TURNING THE PALMS OF THE HANDS UPWARDS. LIGHT, LOOSE CLOTHING SHOULD BE WORN. THE ROOM SHOULD BE NEITHER HOT NOR COLD, AND THERE SHOULD BE NO BREEZES OR DRAFTS HOT NOR COLD, AND THERE SHOULD BE NO BREEZES OR DRAFTS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE BODY. SIGHT STIMULI ARE ELIMINATED BY SIMPLY CLOSING THE EYES.

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                                   THE MIND IS THEN FOCUSED ON EXTERNAL SOUNDS. IF AL SENSORY IMPRESSIONS WERE FORCIBLY EXCLUDED, THEN THE MIND WOULD BECOME RESTLESS AND DISTURBED. THEREFORE, THE MIND IS DIRECTED TO THINK OF EXTERNAL SOUNDS, AND TO MOVE FROM SOUND TO SOUND WITH THE ATTITUDE OF A WITNESS. AFTER SOME TIME THE MIND LOSES INTEREST IN THE EXTERNAL WORLD AND AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES QUIET. THIS METHOD OF CALMING THE MIND IS CALLED ANTAR MOUNA. IT PREPARES THE CONSCIOUSNESS FOR PRACTICING YOGA NIDRA.

                        RESOLVE

                               YOU MUST CHOOSE YOUR OWN SANKALPA VERY CAREFULLY. THE WORDING SHOULD BE VERY PRECISE AND CLEAR, OTHERWISE IT WILL NOT PENETRATE THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND. THE FOLLOWING ARE A FEW SHORT, POSITIVE AND CLEAR STATEMENTS WHICH CAN BE USED.

• I WLL AWAKEN MY SPIRITUAL POTENTIAL.
• I WILL BE A POSITIVE FORCE FOR THE EVOLUTION OF OTHERS.
•  I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL IN ALL THAT I UNDERTAKE.
•  I WILL BE MORE AWARE AND EFFICIENT.
•  I WILL ACHIEVE TOTAL HEALTH.

                           CHOOSE ONLY ONE SANKALPA ACCORDING TO YOUR NEES AND INCLINATIONS. DO NOT BE IN A HURRY. ONCE YOU HAVE CHOSEN A SANKALPA YOU MUST NOT CHANGE TO ANOTHER. DON'T EXPECT RESULTS OVERNIGHT. TIME IS REQUIRED DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE RESOLVE AND THE DEGREE TO WHICH IT IS PLANTED IN THE MIND. THE RESULT DEPENDS ON YOUR SINCERITY AND DEEP FELT NEED TO ATTAIN THE GOAL OF YOUR SANKALPA.

                        ROTATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

                 ROTATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY IS A PRACTICE OF CONCENTRATION, AND IT DOES NOT INVOLVE ANY PHYSICAL MOVEMENT. DURING THE PRACTICE THERE ARE ONLY THREE REQUIREMENTS TO BE FULFILLED. 

1. REMAIN AWARE
2.  LISTEN TO THE VOICE,
3.  MOVE THE MIND VERY RAPIDLY ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS.

                           WHEN THE INSTRUCTOR SAYS "RIGHT HAND THUMB"  REPEAT IT MENTALLY, THINK OF THE RIGHT HAND THUMB AND MOVE ON. IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO VISUALIZE THE DIFFEREN BODY PARTS. YOU HAVE ONLY TO BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO FOLLOWING THE SAME SEQUENCE, MENTALLY REPEATING THE NAMES OF THE DIFFERENT PART BODY IN THE SAME WAY THAT A CHILD LEARNS TO REPEAT THE LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET. YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT PART COMES NEXT. THE WHOLE PROCESS TAKES PLACE IN THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND.

                           THE SEQUENCE OF BODY PARTS HAS TO BE AUTOMATIC, SPONTANEOUS AND THOROUGH. SOME PEOPLE TEACH YOGA NIDRA IN A VERY UNSYSTAMATIC WAY. SOMETIMES THEY BEGIN WITH THE LEFT THUMB AND OTHER TIMES WITH THE RIGHT. HOWEVER, THE PRACTICE OF YOGA NIDRA  IS VERY SYSTEMATIC.

                          THE ROTATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN YOGA NIDRA PROCEEDS IN A DEFINITE SEQUENCE, BEGINNING THE RIGHT THUMB AND ENDING LEFFT THUMB TO THE LITTLE TOE OF THE LEFT FOOT. SUBSEQUENT CIRCUITS PROCEED FROM THE HEELS TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD, AND FRO THE HEAD AND INDIVIDUAL FACIAL FEATURES TO THE LEGS.