Learn about Yoga Nidra: Powerful Relaxation Meditation

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Yoga Nidra is a technique from the great yoga adept Swami Satyananda Saraswati of the Bihar School of Yoga, India.

The word yoga means conscious connection to Self. Nidra means sleep. Yoga Nidra is a yoga meditation technique that allows us to relax, recharge, rejuvenate and awaken higher consciousness.

(Note: Yoga Nidra is a Sanskrit term that means the light, wakeful sleep of an accomplished practitioner yoga and meditation).

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is a powerful meditation technique where the mind remains conscious during the normally "unconscious" state associated with deep sleep.

Practice in the lying position, it is one of the most popular yoga meditation techniques because it induces a profoundly deep state of rest. It is effortless, enjoyable, soothing and recuperative.

As it is practiced today, Yoga Nidra is a technique that carries awareness deep into you, layer by layer. This process is called "introversion", or pratyahara in Sanskrit. The pratyahara of Yoga Nidra induces deep relaxation.

Thousands use Yoga Nidra scripts to relax and meditate.

Yoga Nidra takes your awareness deep into parts of you that you normally cannot access because of tensions. You systematically relax each part of your physical body and then move your awareness to the more subtle layers, your emotions and deeper mind, in order to relax these parts.

Insufficient Rest and Poor Sleep Causes Heart Disease.

Rest is the foundation of a Happy and Health life. And yet millions of people around the world are suffering from the effects of busy lifestyles, stress, overwork and fatigue. They work unable to rest, recharge and rejuvenate themselves.

Many people have lost their ability to replenish themselves through good quality sleep. Millions of people are clinically sleep-deprived or suffering from sleep disorders.

Work Hard, Party Hard.

We have become blind to the importance of sleep. "Work hard, party hard" is an accepted way of life in our modern 24 x 7 lifestyle. Sleep is given a low priority. It is seen as a weakness or something that gets in the way of life rather than as the foundation of a healthy and full life.

Sleep needs to be redefined as an activity to be treated with the utmost respect, like exercise and a good diet. Sleep, and our inability to relax and rest deeply, is the basis of a good life.

Sleep Statistics

The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research in America has labelled 'insomnia' is a silent epidemic staggering proportions".

30-40% of people in the USA and Australia have insomnia and poor quality of sleep each month.

40-70% million American experience either chronic or intermittent sleep-related problems costing $15 billion in health care and $500 billion in lost productivity.

Sleeplessness is a chronic problem for one in ten Australians, over 2 millions people.

Approximately 5 - 10% of people use prescribed sleeping pills. Another 5 - 10% of people use over-the-counter prescriptions. an unknown number of people use alcohol and other substance at night to try to help them sleep.

And yet these attempts to sleep well usually do not provide the deep rest and recuperation we seek.

How much Restful Sleep do you Need?

The amount of sleep and rest in each of us need is different. There is consensus that for the majority of people six hours sleep is a minimum. However, the best way to judge if you have had sufficient rest and sleep is to feel how tired you are and how you well or poorly you perform during the day.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation

Going to long without sleep diminishes your ability to function. It's like being drunk. Extended periods of sleep deprivation result in the brain shutting down. We are unable to make accurate judgements and in extreme cases this can result in hallucinations.

Lack of rest and untreated sleep disorders:

1) reduces quality of life,

2) lower productivity in school and workplace,

3) increase the chance of ill-health and death from heart disease, diabetes, depression and obesity,

4) increase the risk of accidents associated with excessive sleepiness.

5) increase the risk of accidents associated with excessive sleepiness.

Professor Charles A Czeisler from Harvard Medical School states that in the United States 80,000 people fall asleep at the wheel every day, an average of one person every second. Every two minutes one of those people crashes.

Research is now showing that lack of rest and the resultant burnout and depletion of energy is a major factor in a number of chronic illness, especially in heart and blood vessel disease.

Major Sleep Research

Recent medical research from Holland (2011) studied over 20,000 men and women for over 12 years. They showed that poor quality combined with insufficient sleep time is linked with massive increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease.

Sleep Research Findings

They discovered that short sleepers (6 hours or less) had a 15% higher risk of cardiovascular disease (disease of the blood vessels) and a 23% higher risk of heart disease (coronary artery disease) compared with people with normal sleep duration (seven to eight hours).

Researches found no association between poor quality sleep and cardiovascular disease. It was the combination of poor quality and short duration that caused the problem.

People who had a combination of poor quality sleep and short duration sleep had a massive 65% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and an 85% higher risk of heart disease than people with a normal sleep duration and good sleep quality.

 

Sleep Research Conclusion

This means that insufficient good quality sleep and lack of rest leads to exhaustion, which sets up the perfect conditions for degenerative illness.

Good sleep has to be experienced most nights if we are to function to the best of our potential and remain free of disease.

Get Extra Sleep Credits

Practicing relaxation techniques like Yoga Nidra in the morning following a bad night's sleep may prevent cadiovascular disease and heart disease.

Techniques such as Yoga Nidra allows us to gain deep rest and this diminish the damage that occurs t the body when it is exhausted.

If you wake feeling tired or exhausted in the morning the best thing you can do is to rest deeply with yoga Nidra before the day begins. This will give you the extra sleep credits your body needs

to maintain itself and keep you healthy and relaxed.

Although it does not replace normal sleep, 30 minutes of yoga Nidra is the equivalent of 3 yo 4 hours of sleep.

30 minutes of Yoga Nidra is the equivalent of 3 to 4 hours of sleep

Removing Deep-Seated Tensions

Tensions block awareness and energy. Yoga Nidra releases blocked energy that is trapped within the body-mind, often frozen by anxiety and worry. The release of energy during relaxation rebalances and harmonizes the body and the deeper mind. Energy that is released can be used for healing and positive growth.

Removing tensions allows you to penetrate your awareness into the unconscious areas of yourself. You become aware of and can connect to your inner abilities and potential. This expands your sense of self by expanding your awareness of the deeper and subtler parts of you.

Yoga Nidra therapy

Yoga Nidra is a yoga meditation technique that can be used in therapy settings to enable people to recuperate from exhaustion and illness. It can be applied as both primary therapeutic tool and as an adjunctive treatment for many acute and chronic physical and psychological disease condition.

Deep relaxation liberates the energy trapped within tensions.

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Source: Article by Dr. Swami Shankardev Saraswati with Jayne Stevenson.

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The Symbol – ॐ (Om)

Om pronounced 'ॐ' Om, is a symbol of the supreme Brahman.  Om ''ॐ' is an ‘idol’ representing the divine ideal.  It is considered the most powerful word-symbol used for meditation.   Brahman is the ultimate Reality sought by all spiritual practitioners.  It cannot be reached directly through human equipment.  Brahman is not something you can perceive with your sense organs.  Nor is it an emotion that you can feel with your mind.  Nor a concept  you can comprehend with your intellect.  Brahman is the ideal unknown to you.  You need a known idol to reach the unknown ideal.  An idol takes you to the ideal.  The idol can be either gross or subtle.  An example of a gross idol is the stone image in a temple.  Fire is a subtler idol.  Sound is the subtlest of all idols.  It is considered subtlest because only one of the five sense organs viz., the ear can contact it.  Of all sounds Om is the most potent, natural.  There are reasons for the choice of Om:

Kinds of Sounds:

(i) Sounds are of two kinds – articulate and inarticulate.  Articulate sound is that which can be represented by letters of the alphabet.  The articulate or alphabetical sound is concerned with topics which deal with the knowledge of the head.  The other type of sound is the inarticulate or intonational.  The  inarticulate or intonational sound deals with the heart.  Articulate sound has a limited application.  It is understood only by people who have learnt it through training.  A man comes and speaks to you in Persian or Russian.  You do not understand him.  You have not undergone that training.  He does not know your language either.  Nevertheless when he begins to laugh you understand him.  You know that he is happy.  Suppose you begin to cry.  He understands you are unhappy.  This language is inarticulate.  It is intonational, a universal language uttered and understood by even babies and animals.  Music is another example of intonation.  The sound of music has a marvelous effect.  It produces wonderful results.  

       The word 'ॐ' Om has the advantages of both the articulate and inarticulate, alphabetical and intonational.  It has a deep philosophical significance.  You will appreciate it when you learn its meaning.  Besides, the chant of 'ॐ' Om has an extraordinary effect on human beings.  It produces harmony, peace and bliss to one and all.  Om brings the individual being in perfect attunement with the eternal being.

Meaning of the sound OM

(ii)  The proper way to write Om is 'ॐ' A-U-M, in Sanskrit.  According to Sanskrit grammar  (A) (अ) and  (U) (उ) when connected together coalesce into  (O).  Even the mute can produce the sounds of A_U_M (अ-उ-म्).   'A' (अ) is the sound emanating from the base of the throat.  'U' (उ); is the sound produced by the impulse rolling forward in the mouth.   (M) (म्) is the sound produced by closing the lips.  There is no sound beyond these two extremities viz., throat and lips.  So Om 'AUm' (अ-उ-म्) covers the full range of sounds.  It represents the entire phenomenon of sound.

(iii)  The symbol 'ॐ' (Om) stands for the pure Consciousness which pervades the three states of waking, dream and deep-sleep.  It is also called pranava.  Pranava means something that pervades life or runs through prana or breath.  The sound (pronounced (अ) ‘uh’) according to Vedanta, represents the material world, all that is observed in the wakeful state of consciousness.  The second sound  (pronounced (उ) ‘oo’) represents all the experience of the dream land, the subject and objects of the dreaming state of consciousness.  (pronounced  (म्)  ‘im’) represents all the unknown in the deep-sleep state of consciousness.  While chanting 'ॐ' Om you will have to concentrate your attention and put forth feeling in realizing that your Atman, your Self is the stern Reality pervading the three worlds.

(iv)  'ॐ' Om is the real name of the Almighty.  It is the key that unlocks the kingdom of heaven.  This mantra does not belong to any particular language.  The Hindu took it up.  It does not mean that it belongs to the Hindus.  It is a natural syllable.  It is nature’s word, nature’s mantra.  It is the name of God.  Some people discard it because they believe it comes from Sanskrit, from the Hindus.  They reject it on the ground that it is not their special label.  The word 'ॐ' Om is not subjected to the same conjugation or reflection or other grammatical manipulations to which all other Sanskrit words are subjected.  So it is not a Sanskrit word.  It is a word of nature, a pure and genuine word by itself.  The Hindus made good use of it.  So can you.  'ॐ' Om occupies a very prominent place in all languages of the world.  Omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent are the highest names for god.  They begin with 'ॐ' Om.  In your prayers when you reach the point of silence you utter 'ॐ' Om in some form or other.  In English you end the prayer with Amen.  In Arabic, Persian and Hindustani you say Amin.       

       In meditation the mind keeps chanting the mantra 'ॐ' Om.  The momentary silence that exists every two successive chants is called amatra.  Amatra represents the pure Consciousness, the Atman.  In the final stage of meditation your mind is held in single-pointed chant.  The function of the intellect is discrimination between pairs of opposites.  Your intellect is engaged in discriminating between Om and amara.  In the peak of meditation you must stop the chant.  What follows is absolute Silence.  There is no more sound of Om.  No thought.  With the extinction of the last thought your mind is extinct.  There is no longer the pair of sound and silence.  In the absence of pair no discrimination is possible.  Without discrimination your intellect is extinct as well.  Your mind and intellect are thus transcended in that absolute Silence.  That is the sacred moment of Realisation.  Your individual self merges with the infinite Self.

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Source: Excerpts from the book on “THE SYMBOLISM OF HINDU GODS AND RITUALS” by A.Parthasarathy.

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Destiny Designing

Introduction

          If life is a puzzle, Destiny Designing is a solution.  If life is simple, Destiny Designing makes it even simpler.  Each Destiny Designing analyses a certain aspects of life and delves into the depths of it.  The most striking feature of it is its simplicity.  It explains the “WHY” behind things.  Destiny Designing is an answer to all your unanswered questions of life.  Clarity is power.  Read Destiny Designing to gain clarity and the power that comes with it.

            A bunch of plastic flowers lived inside a flower vase, obviously sheltered and protected from the winds, the rains and even the sun’s rays.  One day a bouquet of rose flowers was placed next to them.  The presence and the fragrance of those gorgeous roses made one of the plastic flowers feel ashamed of its existence.  So it prayed to God, “I do not want to live as a faceless flower; please turn into a rose.”

            God replied, “Why do you want to get into unnecessary trouble?  The life of a rose is very arduous.  Someone will always pluck it.  The sun will burn the petals.  It has a very limited lifespan.  You are living a well-protected life, Do not forsake it.”

            The plastic flower insisted, “I have long lived a sheltered life.  Now, I want to feel real.  I want to feel the life of LIFE.  I want to fight death.  Please transform me into a rose.”  God finally yielded and it became a rose.  Almost immediately, its saga of trials and tribulations began.  A young boy plucked a few of its petals.  The midday sun followed and it burned the remaining petals.  As the day progressed it was feeling dehydrated and was beginning to dry down.  The other plastic flowers gathered around the rose and said, “We knew this would happen.  Don’t you see how secure you were in your old life?  Granted, even as plastic flowers we had our problem but they were old and familiar problems.  We were used to them.  Do you see what a mess you have made of your life?”

            To this the rose replied, “You are all fools.  It is far better to live as rose, even if it is for just twenty-four hours than to live in lifelong security as mere plastic flowers.  It was great to breathe, to feel the warmth of the sun and to be in communion with life.  I might wither away in twenty-four hours, but before I die I would have emitted fragrance.  I have achieved my soul’s fulfiment.  I lived fully and I am going to die fully.  As far as you are concerned, you live a life of living death.  To have been a flower and not to have known fragrance at all… is not to have lived at all.  I am real.”

            Life itself isn’t secure.  Then, where is the question of security within life?  Then why choose to be a plastic flower?  Why not be the real rose?  In searching for security, we resist change, and in resisting change, we stagnate.  We build our own comfort zones and become prisoners in our own comfort zones.  That which does not change, does not grow.  And, that which does not grow, dies.  And growth is your willingness to give up who you are, in order to become, what you can be.

            A seed is very well protected as long as it remains a seed.  There is a security in remaining a seed whereas a plant is always vulnerable.  To sprout into a plant makes the seed susceptible; but then, what else is the purpose of the seed?  It contains a thousand forests within itself and it is only when the seed transforms into a plant that those possibilities are opened.  If the seed resists change and remains a kernel, it is no better than a pebble on the beach.

            The most important quality of great people is in their willingness to change.  It is in the willingness to give up the life of a caterpillar that it becomes a butterfly.  That which does not change does not grow.  That which does not grow, dies.  Grow, we must.  So, change, we must.  Growth and the willingness to change are inseparable.

            If changes are the way to growth and growth is the way to greatness, then why is change always resisted?  Let us take an example.  See, when you were a just-born you were comfortable because you were completely dependent on your environment.  To learn to crawl was an uncomfortable transition because you would have bruised your knees so many times.  But this transition to learn to crawl was a needed one for you to grow.  Once you learnt to crawl, you were completely comfortable once again.  Now learning to walk was another uncomfortable transition because you would have fallen down and hurt yourself so many times.  But, again this transition to learn to walk was a needed one for you to grow.  Once you learnt to walk, you were completely comfortable once again.  So it was from blabbering to talking to communicating.  Therefore, it was from scribbling to writing to drawing.  So it was from school to college to work.

            Comfort zone – uncomfortable transition – again a new comfort zone – another uncomfortable transition – another new comfort zone – and one more uncomfortable transition – This is the cycle of growth.  Grow, we must.  So, change, we must.  So, we cannot avoid uncomfortable transitions.  Change is the willingness to give up an existing comfort zone and the willingness to take up an uncomfortable transition.  Giving up an existing comfort zone is never easy.  Uncomfortable transitions are never easy.  But grow, we must.  So change, we must.  So we cannot avoid uncomfortable transitions.

            The cycle of change is such that before change you are comfortable, after change you will again be comfortable; but the transition is never comfortable.  However, the comfort you experience after change is always of a higher degree than the comfort you experienced before change.  So, legends permanently keep their life in transition, for that’s the only way to grow up.  The alternative is mere stagnation.

            To sweep issues in a relationship under the carpet is comfortable; to talk and resolve the issue is never comfortable, but once the issue is sorted out, that’s where the higher comfort is. To sleep those extra hours is comfortable; to get up and exercise is never comfortable; to get up and exercise is never comfortable, but once the body is fit after adhering to the exercise routines, that’s where the higher comfort is.  To smoke is comfortable; to give up that craving for nicotine is never comfortable, but once you have transcended the desire for nicotine, that’s where the higher comfort is.

            So people who made it to the top in life had the vision to see the higher realities of life at the end of those uncomfortable transitions.  The willingness of a woman to go through the transition of labour gives birth to a new life.  Similarly, your willingness to through the transition of change will give a new life.

            On the bottom of a quiet pond lived a little colony of water bugs.  They did notice that every once in a while one from their colony clinging to the stem of a pond lily and gradually moved out of sight and was seen no more.  They wondered, “Why would anybody give up this comfortable life, great friends, and move up in search of a new life?”  One more found himself climbing up the lily stalk, and before he knew what was happening, he had broken through the surface of the water and fallen onto the broad, green lily pond above.  When he awoke, a startling change had come to his old body.  His movement revealed four silver wings and a long tail.  He moved his wings and found himself up above the water.  He had become a dragonfly!!  Swooping and dipping in great curves, flying through the air, experiencing the freedom of space, he truly felt on ‘Top of the World’. 

            Now, if this water bug had not given up the comfort of remaining a water bug, it would have never become a dragonfly.  This is where all great people stood out from the rest.  They were willing to change and grow.  They never sought comfort zones.  They never thought what is ‘Easy’ for me.  They always thought what is ‘Good’ for me.  So, do not settle.  Keep changing.  Do not settle.  Keep growing.  Do not look at the transition.  Look at the possibilities beyond the transition.

            People do not dare to give up their certainty for uncertainty.  They are afraid to push ahead.  It is not that they cannot.  Just that they don’t.  They wait and wait, hoping that some mysterious power may liberate them.  These people finally die still waiting.

            It is astonishing as to how the world makes way for a resolute soul and how obstacles get out of the pathof a determined man, who believes in the power of change and growth.  Transcendence is like taking the lantern in the hand knowing that you will always have light, just enough for your ext step, no matter how dark, for the light will move along with you.  Take oe step, then take another step and then another.. till your reach the top. 

Design your Destiny

            If you keep doing the same stuff, you will keep getting the same results.  If you have to achieve what you have not achieved before, then you must be willing to do what you have never done before.  That simply means, you must change.

            Mahatma Gandhi said, “Become the change you wish to see.”  You first have to “Become the change you wish to be,” much before you “Beome the change you wish to see.”  Give up who you are, and become what  you can be.  Sometimes, you need to give up, in order to go up.

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Source: Excerpts from the articles published in FT.