YOGA FOR SLEEPING DISORDERS

[Guest guest]

YOGA FOR SLEEPING DISORDERS

Introduction by Dr Ananda

Balayogi Bhavanani

As a human being we have

different needs and one of the important needs we all have is that of sleep. We

spend one third of our lifetime in sleep. Sleep is refreshing, rejuvenating and

gives us the energy to face the challenges of the world. After a good night's

restful sleep when we get up in the morning any challenge that comes from the

world-we are ready to face.

Yoga takes a detailed look at

the concept of sleep. In general sleep may be called Nidra as in the Yoga

practice Yoga Nidraa, the Yogic sleep. When sleep is taken to be in relation to

a state of consciousness, we find that there are different categories in the

Yogic scheme of things. We have the state of wakefulness, alert, conscious

state, that state in which we pass the time in the world. That state is called

Jagrat, the wakeful state. The Yogic concept of the dream filled sleep, Swapna

is that of a state in modern medical terms that can be known as REM sleep, or

rapid eye movement sleep, where the eyeballs are moving even as we are sleeping

as we experience that dream filled state and react to the situations occurring

in our dreams.

The next stage in the yogic

concept is of Sushupti, which is a dreamless state of sleep. Modern medical

terms such as Non REM sleep indicate this, a state where we are completely

refreshed and that is the state where the reinvigoration, energization can

occur. Yoga views that state of Sushupti as a state where we can reconnect with

our real self, the cosmic being. The Yogic concept goes even a step further

that you have to go beyond the Jagrat the wakeful, Swapna the dream filled and

Sushupti the dreamless state and you go into what is called Thuriya. It is a

state of a super conscious level. And, as if that is not enough we go to an

even super super conscious level, Thuriyathita.

When we have a nice refreshed

good night's sleep, we get up in the morning and we are energetic and ready to

face the world. But if we don't, we get up groggy, we get up in a bad mood and

we don't have the energy, the physical, mental or emotional energy to combat

the stresses of the modern world. So many people today suffer from insomnia,

the inability to either go to sleep, or stay asleep or frequent breaks in the

sleep where they get up in the morning and they feel "down in the dumps". They

don't have the energy, leads to poor work ability, they are not able to work.

It leads to a sense of drowsiness in the daytime, what we call narcolepsy,

irritability and ultimately the quality of the life suffers. Yoga gives a clue

how to get back that refreshing deep sleep, how to get that energy so that we

are ourselves. We are fit physically, mentally and emotionally.

In this presentation we take a

look at various Yoga practices of the Gitananda, Rishiculture Ashtanga Yoga

tradition. These practices are based on an important concept of yoga that is

known as Sphanda-Nishpandha. Spandha refers to the tension, to the effort, to the

tightness, the contraction. Nishpandha is the deactivation, the relaxation, the

letting go of the effort. When we put the effort and then let go, the

relaxation obtained is much more than that if we try to relax without first

making the effort.

A certain level of tension is

essential just to stay alive but too much of tension leads to stress. Stress

may be physical, it may be mental, it may be emotional. Stress may be real, it

may be imagined. Often we are reacting to things that are not real. Often we

are reacting to stuff that we have just imagined.

When we talk about stress, more

often than not, it is actually our reaction to something that may or may not be

real. We think, so-and-so has said such-and-such to us and then we let that

fester. The wound festers, becoming deeper and deeper, our stress level goes up

higher and higher, and our ability to sleep goes down lower and lower.

Yogic practices work on

reducing the stress. Practices that work on the spine, bending forward, bending

back, twisting right and twisting left, practices that stretch the muscles producing

a sense of relaxation. The Pranayama

practices, especially Pranayamas like the exclusive left nostril breathing,

where we close the right nostril and breathe in and then breathe out though the

left nostril, the Chandra Nadi, these types of practices help to reduce the

stress that we are feeling. When the stress level comes down, we are able to

sleep better. The Spandha-Nishpandha practice where we tense the whole body

part-by-part and then let go of the tension is an excellent practice to help

the body understand the need for tension and relaxation, effort and relaxation,

activation and relaxation.

The Jnana Yoga and Hatha Yoga

relaxation practices, the Kaya Kriya, the Tala Kriya, Dridha Kriya, practices

like the Anuloma Viloma and some of the concentrative, meditative practices can

calm the mind. And, if the mind is calm, sleep is much better.

It may not be possible to do

all of the practices that I am giving you in this presentation. What I

recommend is that you consult a qualified, experienced Yoga therapist, check

out which of these practices will be best for you and then embark on a

disciplined and sincere practice of them. And I am sure you will find your

condition improving day by day. Finding yourself becoming more and more

energetic, finding yourself reaching your own level of potential, that level

where you are `yourself'.

I wish you a wonderful journey

with these Yoga practices, in moving from that state of ill health, to a state

of dynamic good health. Positive optimum health where you can function at the

best level of perfection.

Namaste.

 

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This is the transcript of Dr Ananda's introduction to his new DVD on "Yoga

for sleeping disorders" that is available from Dhivyananda Creations, Pondicherry, India. Pl contact yognat

for more details