HOW TO PRACTICE THE YOGA NIDRA !

 

                              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.

THE RAJA YOGAM (YOGA)

                               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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THE THREE TYPES OF TENSION AND ITS RECOVERY !

 

                              

                          THE THREEFOLD TENSIONS

                            WHETHER YOU THINK TOO MUCH OR YOU DON'T THINK AT ALL, YOU ACCUMULATE TENSIONS. IF YOU WORK PHYSICALLY OR YOU DO NOT WORK AT ALL, YOU ACCUMULATE TENSIONS. WHETHER YOU SLEEP TOO MUCH OR NOT AT ALL, YOU ACCUMULATE TENSIONS. WHETHER YOU TAKE A HEAVY PROTEIN DIET, A CARBOHYDRATE DIET, OR A VEGETARIAN DIET, YOU ACCUMULATE TENSIONS. AND THESE TENSIONS ARMASS IN THE DIFFERENT LAYERS OF THE HUMAN PERSONALITY. THEY ACCUMULATE IN THE MUSCULAR, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL SYSTEMS.

                            IN YOGA WE DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS OF TENSION WITH A WIDE PERISCOPE. WE REALIZE THAT IF THE MIND IS TENSE, THE STOMACH WILL ALSO BE TENSE. AND IF THE STOMACH IS TENSE, THE WHOLE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM IS ALSO TENSE. IT IS A VICIOUS CIRCLE OF EVENTS. THEREFORE, IN YOGA, RELAXATION FROM TENSION IS ONE OF THE CHIEF CONCERNS.

                           THESE INNER TENSIONS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTE TO COLLECTIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL TENSIONS WHICH CAN MANIFEST IN UNHAPPY FAMILY LIFE, CHAOS AND DISORDERS IN SOCIAL LIFE, AND AGGRESION AND WARFARE BETWEEN COMMUNITIES AND NATIONS. RELIGIONS HAVE FAILED TO GIVE PEACE OF MIND TO THE INDIVIDUAL. LAW, POLICE, ARMIES AND GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO ESTABLISH HARMONY BETWEEN PEOPLE. THE YOGIC TEXTS ALL UNEQUIVOCALLY STATE THAT PEACE CAN ONLY BE FOUND WITHIN, NEVER WITHOUT. THEREFORE, IF WE WISH TO CREATE A MORE PEACEFUL WORLD, WE MUST FIRST LEARN HOW TO RELAX AND HARMONIZE OUR OWN BODY AND MIND.

                           YOGIC PHILOSOPHY, AS WELL AS MODERN PSYCHOLOGY, ENUMERATES THREE BASIC TYPES OF TENSION WHICH ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THE AGONIES OF MODERN LIFE. THROUGH THE SYSTEMIC PRACTICE OF YOGA NIDRA, THESE THREEFOLD TENSIONS CAN BE PROGRESSIVELY RELEASED.

                ❤💟            MUSCULAR TENSIONS

•                                MUSCULAR TENSIONS ARE RELATED TO THE BODY ITSELF, THE NERVOUS SYSTEM AND ENDOCRINAL IMBALANCES. THESE ARE EASILY REMOVED BY THE DEEP PHYSICAL RELAXATION ATTAINED IN THE STATE OF YOGA NIDRA.

                     ❤💟        EMOTIONAL TENSIONS

•                            EMOTIONAL TENSIONS, WHICH STEM FROM VARIOUS DUALITIES SUCH AS LOVE - HATE, PROFIT - LOSS -  FAILURE, HAPPINESS -  UNHAPPINESS, ARE MORE DIFFICULT TO ERASE. THIS IS BECAUSE WE ARE UNABLE TO EXPRESS OUR EMOTIONS FREELY AND OPENLY. OFTEN WE REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE THEM, SO THEY ARE REPRESSED, AND THE RESULTING TENSIONS BECOME MORE AND MORE DEEPLY ROOTED. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO RELAX THESE TENSIONS THROUGH ORDINARY ROOTED. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO RELAX THESE TENSIONS THROUGH ORDINARY SLEEP OR RELAXATION. A METHOD STRUCTURE OF THE MIND.

            ❤💟            MENTAL TENSIONS

•                      MENTAL TENSIONS ARE THE RESULT OF EXCESSIVE MENTAL ACTIVITY. THE MIND IS A WHIRLPOOL OF FANTASIES, CONFUSIONS AND OSCILLATIONS. THROUGHOUT ARE ACCUMULATED IN THE MENTAL BODY. FROM TIME TO TIME THESE EXPLODE, AFFECTING OUR BODY, MIND, BEHAVIOUR AND REACTIONS. WHEN WE SAD, ANGRY OR IRRITATED, WE OFTEN ATTRIBUTE THAT CONDITION OF THE MIND TO SOME SUPERFICIAL CAUSE. BUT THE UNDERLYING CAUSE BEHIND MAN'S ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR LIES IN THE ACCUMULATED TENSIONS ON THE MENTAL PLANE. YOGA NIDRA IS THE SCIENCE OF RELAXATION WHICH ENABLES EACH OF US DIVE DEEP DOWN INTO THE REALMS OF THE SUBCONSIOUS MIND, THEREBY RELEASING AND RELAXING MENTAL TENSIONS, AND ESTABLISHING HARMONY IN ALL FACETS OF OUR BEING.

              💫❤      RESTING MORE EFFICIENCY

•                          MOST PEOPLE THINK THAT RELAXATION IS VERY SIMPLE, JUST RECLINE AND CLOSE YOUR EYES. YET, EXCEPTING THE SCIENTISTS, NOBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT RELAXATION REALLY MEANS. YOU ARE TIRED SO YOU GO TO BED AND THINK THAT IS RELAXATION. BUT UNLESS YOU ARE FREE FROM MUSCULAR, MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL TENSIONS, YOU ARE NEVER RELAXED. DESPITE A SUPERFICIAL SENSE OF WELLBEING, MOST PEOPLE ARE FULL OF TENSIONS ALL THE TIME. THEY HABITUALLY BITE THEIR NAILS, SCRATCH THEIR HEAD, STROKE THEIR CHIN, OR TAP THEIR FEET. OR THEY MAY PACE ABOUT RESTLESSLY, TALK COMPULSIVELY, DISPLAY CONSTANT IRRITABILITY , OR CHAIN SMOKE.

                💫❤        SECRET OF TRANSFORMATION

•                                 THROUGH THE PRACTICE OF YOGA NIDRA, WE ARE NOT ONLY RELAXING, BUT RESTRUCTURING AND REFORMING OUR WHOLE PERSONALITY FROM WITHIN. LIKE THE MYTHOLOGICAL PHOENIX, WITH EVERY SESSION WE ARE BURNING THE OLD SAMSKARAS, HABITS AND TENDENCIES IN ORDER TO BE BORN ANEW. THIS PROCESS IS NOT ONLY MUCH QUICKER THAN OTHER SYSTEMS WHICH WORK ON AN EXTERNAL BASIS ONLY, BUT THE RESULTS ARE ALSO MORE RELIEABLEAND PERMANENT.