YOGA NIDRA (YOGIC MEDITATION IN SLEEP)

Nidra is hindi word which literally means "Sleep" but Yoga Nidra is not a yogic sleep but it’s a yogic technique to relax and calm down conscious mind to reach subconscious mind, which is store house of all possibilities, powers, past birth memories, cause of present, our present nature, attitude towards life and the reason for our present being.

 

Yog Nidra is a tool to unlock that vast source of energy/consciousness which would definitely change your attitude towards life and not only this but you will also come to know about the causes of your sufferings in present life and its way out. You will be surprised to know that by practicing Yoga Nidra, I have many times slipped in transcendental state and have seen my 2 previous births. In yogic nidra, you become aware and become observer of event, like watching TV without getting involved into drama; however, your body get relaxed like in deep sleep and conscious mind also get calm down. The more your conscious mind gets calm down, the more you will get in touch with your subconscious mind. And you will find that your intuition is getting stronger and stronger day by day and in fact you will start getting messages from your subconscious mind which you have never expected. It is not like that you did not know that thing before but you were not having access to that. You will find increase of positive energy within yourself and you will also find that you have now become more compassionate and responsible towards other. It also decreases negative aspects of human like anxiety, anger, fear etc. You will find that every answer to any question lies within you.

 

Many ways have been written in various yogic text about how to do yogic nidra, but I will tell you my way of doing this. In fact I use to do it in two different ways- in one technique, I use mantra to calm down mind and in other technique I use to focus on breath to calm down concisions mind. Right now, I will tell you the second one.

 

First of all, you must find a place where you can be alone and will not be interrupted for at least 1 hour. It may be your bedroom or any other room. But i suggest that, you must practice it in your home only because some time person slipped in transcendental state of mind and remain there for hours.

 

At first, you have to lie down on carpet or mat in which you can lie down straight on back comfortably without any difficulty. The mat should not be very cozy or hard. It should be comfortable only. You should lie down on back in straight line in which you can put your neck straight like you do in standing position, by keeping your feet 1 foot apart. Now, at first, you just try to bring your awareness on your breath. That how your breath is coming in natural way and how it’s going out. You may think that by inhaling breath, a warm and positive energy is coming from head and going outward through legs by taking your all tensions and anxiety. And if you find any tension in any part of body then do concentrate on that part of body for a while and you will see that tension in that part of body has been reduced and gradually vanished. By focusing on breathing pattern (i.e. natural exhaling and inhaling), you will find that your mind and its chatter box is getting calm and simultaneously you body is also getting relaxed. But beware; there is thin line between Yoga Nidra and Sleep, many practitioners slipped into sleep rather in yogic nidra. In Yogic Nidra, you become more aware about any thought and witness that thought like watching TV. But at same time, you must also try to not involve in thought despite of fact that it’s bad or good thought. Because, if you will not get involved in that thought then you will see that gradually you have overcome that event/thought. Gradually you will see cessation of thoughts and stillness of mind. The more your mind gets stilled, the more you will get in touch with sub-conscious mind. It is not that you will find answers only in that meditative state but by practicing this technique, you will feel that the barrier which was restraint in conscious and sub conscious mind is getting thin and weak. And now you are getting various messages, thoughts from sub conscious mind.

 

In actual, when any person dies, the memories of that life gets stored in mind (chitta) which carries away with departed soul and when that soul entered into new body, that whole impressions comes in the form of sub conscious mind, which is nothing but you own experience, which you have gathered over 1000 of births. Every birth is a lesson for soul to get elevate in higher place of consciousness.  

 

Yogic Nidra is a kind of meditation which makes you more aware about your thought process and the way to control that thought process. It takes you at that point from where these thoughts emerge. By regular practicing yog nidra, you will gradually gain mastery over this technique and you will start achieving meditative state in shorter period of time. You may get glimpse of your past births, future events, cause of long illness. For eg. if any bodies death has been caused by knife in particular part then that part of body must be affected in this life also. In fact past life regression is also based upon this technique but difference is that in yog nidra, you on your own get touch in sub conscious mind; whereas, in past life regression, any consultant uses hypnosis upon you to take you at that point.   

 

I suggest every person to do yoga nidra in daily life to get control over your persona to have more positive attitude towards life and other beings.  

 

~Soham~

Surat Shabad Yoga (Ancient Yoga)

Dear Friends

Let me tell you about that ancient yoga, which is propounded by all great Hindu Medivial saints of India. In actual, all hindu medivial saints like Saint Kabir, Guru Nanak Dev, Saint Ravidas, Saint Dadu Dayal, Saint Paltu Das etc. had not only practised Surat Shabad Yoga but also propounded the same to all their disciples and common mass. This is one of most easiest yoga which can be followed by any person. Even in Holy Bible it is said "In the begining was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God". The relevance of "word" is mentioned in all religion in some or other manner. So let me explain the "Surat Shabad Yoga".   

The Literal meaning of Surat is "conciousness" (face of soul) and Shabad means "Word" given by true saint/Guru. In actual, this Surat Shabad yoga is mainly practised in Guru (True master/Guru)-Shishya (Disciple) Parampara (following) and every master initiates his disciple in this Surat Shabad Yoga by giving him a Word to meditate.

 

Basically, the "Word", which we are talking about, is not a wordly Word but it is that Word or Sound, which yogies/saints heard in their deep meditative state. But to reach that Spritual True Word, first we have to start practising in worldly Word given by True Master. And when your meditation on that Wordly Word matures, you further start perceiving that real "Word/Sound", about which all saints preached and advised.

 

Its human nature that every person easily understands worldly words and found himself/herself comfortable to concentrate on that worldly Word. And this is the reason, that evey True Master initiates every of his disciple in Surat Shabad Yoga with one Wordly "Word" and then teaches him, how to reach that Spritual True "Word/Sound", after attainment of which, your Soul get attracted towards that Vast Unknown  Power, which we called 'GOD" PARAM BRAHAM" "RAM" "SOHAM" etc.

 

Many people think that whats the need of Guru in doing this kind of Surat Shabad Yoga practice, any one can start chanting any Word like Krishna, Ram, Allah, God etc. But it is not the same thing, because True Guru not only give you "Word" but also teaches you how to meditate on it and at what point. Secondly, True Guru also imparts his/her spritual energy into you along with that Word, and its like a push. Meaning thereby that when you have both i.e. Right Direction and Push, You will start running on that Path. And Last but not lease, in spritual journey, we come across various obstacles which is created by our previous samskars and imbalance of Prana Shakti then True Master is the only safeguard for you. So my humble advice to all readers of my blog is that you must not start doing any kind of Yoga practise without proper initiation in it and without proper guidance. So please start searching true Guru first.

 

The effect of Surat Shabad Yoga is so great that when your inner conciousness start merging with Word then your ego will start melting and you will find yourself more calmed and peaceful. And by the time, you will proceed further in this yogic path, you will start experiencing various Yogic Sidhis like Keval Kumbhak i.e. where you breath ceases on its own without any effort, you will start having visions, you may recall your all previous births (like I have seen my two previous births in trance), you will hear that Spritual Sound, which yogies called "Anhad Naad", you can experience fourth state of mind i.e. "Turiya"  where Soul rest in peace with that unknown power.

 

The main features which makes Surat Shabad Yoga more relevant in present times are - First- its most relevant in present times, where most of people doesn't have time to deal with difficult and technical Yogic Kriyas. This Surat Shabad Yoga is easy to do and understand. Secondly, It can be done anywhere and anytime, without any previous qualifications or eligibility, though best time is early morning and in evening. This Surat Shabad Yoga gives you best possible early results and gets you more closer to your inner conciousness. Thirdly, Surat Shabad Yoga can be practised by any person following any religion etc.

 

Continued ...

PRANA & APANA YOGA

Dear Friends

 

Recently I got some mails from viewers of this Blog that they want to know about what is Prana and Apna and what is its function. So let me explain in brief that-

 

Prana and Apana are two vital forces (Prana Shakti) which works incessantly in all persons and when it stops,  the person died. The foremost efforts of true yogi is to first control Prana shakti and Apana Shakti and then to make effort to Unite Prana with Apana. Even Lord Krishna said in Gita that "A yogi who knows how to mix prana with Apana and vice versa, such Yogi is greatest among all Yogies". And the Moment Prana starts meeting / uniting with Apana, your breath starts slowing down and one day your breath will stop completely without any effort. Here, you will find a moment where there's no breath and also no mind at the same time. Meaninig thereby that as your breath stops on its own, your whole thought process also stops. And here your real inner journey starts and gradually your mind will become calmer and calmer day by day and one day your all energies will start ascending upwards towards higher chakras. At the same time, your all chakras will get purified and one day your Kundalini Shakti will reach your final destination i.e. your all energies will be reached at Sahastrasar Chakra where you will see your real identity i.e. Atma Sakshatkar (Self realisation).

 

~Soham~

Best Morning Set of Yoga Pranayam and Asana for over all Best results

My Dear Friends

I have received various queries related to one common question that "How one have to do  Yoga Asana and Pranayam in the morning".

So I want to tell you one of such set of yogic exercises that will bring best result to most of all persons. And if you will continue to do this at your home then definitely you will be get overall health benefit and also kundalini awakening. But it is one again repeated for the sake of precaution that before doing any yogic exercise, first consult with your doctor and if any person is suffering from any kind of heart problem then he/she must not do any kind of pranayam or excercise without consulting his/her doctor. Even pregnant ladies or females who want to conceive must not do such kind of yogic exercise otherwise you may got bad effects. It is always advised to do all yogic exercise and breathing techniques only under guidance and supervision of Competent Yoga Teacher. Please be advised accordingly.

So in morning best time is early 5 am to 7 am and First after getting free from natural calls, you first do some warm up exercise like 1 km walk or 500 mts jogging etc. so that in winters your body could be prepared for further yoga exercise. 

After that first sit in any comfortable asana in which you can keep your back/spine straight along with your neck and start doing Anulom Vilom (manually) for 5-7 minutes. Please remember while doing Anulom Vilom (alternative breathing exercise) the ratio of inhalation and exhalation must be 1:2. For example, if you inhale in 4 seconds then try to exhale in 8 seconds. For anulom vilom pranayam you may see my earlier post also.

Initial Yoga Asana-

1. Surya Namaskar is best.

2. Paschimotan Asana

3. Bhujang Asana
4.Sarvang Asana
5.Matsya Asana
 

SETS-

1. Anulom Vilom --                    5-7 minutes

2. Bhastrika Pranayam -          25 times in one go

3. Kapal Bhati Pranayam-       250 times in one go

4. Agnisar kriya          -             3 times

5.Tribandha Mudra -               3 times

then again -

1. Anulom Vilom --                    2 minutes

2. Bhastrika Pranayam -          10 times in one go

3. Kapal Bhati Pranayam-       250 times in one go

4. Agnisar kriya          -             3 times

5.Ashwini Mudra-                     3 times

then again -

1. Anulom Vilom --                    1 minutes

2. Bhastrika Pranayam -          10 times in one go

3. Kapal Bhati Pranayam-       250 times in one go

4. Vajroli Mudra          -             3 times

5.Ashwini Mudra-                     3 times

6.Tribandha Mudra-                 3 times

then again -

1. Anulom Vilom --                    1 minutes

2. Kapal Bhati Pranayam-       250 times in one go

3. Ashwini Mudra-                     3 times

4.Mahamudra-                          3 times

and at last you have to do

1. Vipreet Karni Mudra

2.Matsya Asana

3.Anulom Vilom

4.Agochari Mudra at least for 10 minutes

Please note that gradually, you have to increase the frequency of Kapal Bhati from 250 times to 500 times in one go. meaning thereby that, you will start kapalbhati from 1000 times to 2000 times in one sitting

  

The above given set of yoga Asana and Pranayam, will boost your internal energies. And you will feel that with the passage of time, glow on your face has been increased, your stamina has been increased, your food intake become low, your ingla and pingla is subside and your sushmana is now awakened for longer times. And one day your kundalini will also be awakened by doing Tribandha Mudra.

CAUTION- PLEASE READ MY CAUTION POST/MAIL BEFORE DOING ANY KIND OF YOGA TECHNIQUE. THE CONTENTS OF THIS BLOG IS JUST FOR YOUR PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE AND COMPARATIVE STUDY. AND ANY YOGIC TECHNIQUE MENTIONED HEREIN MUST BE DONE UNDER GUIDANCE AND DIRECT SUPERVISION OF COMPETENT YOGA  GURU.

Unmani Mudra (State of "No Mind")

"Unmani Mudra"

The word Unmani means “thoughtless” or “no mind”. Unmani Mudra is easy to learn but very difficult to master. Unmani Mudra is very useful in developing awareness of chakras and this Unmani Mudra prepares platform for higher yogic techniques. In actual Unmani Mudra is having very deep effect on mental plane because this yogic technique is practiced more on mental plane than physical.

So let me explain how to practice Unmani Mudra. First you must sit in any comfortable asana in which you can keep your spinal cord straight along with neck for long time. It may be Padam Asana, Vajra Asana, Sukh Asana or Sidha Asana (best). Now first bring your awareness at “Bindu” (where Pandits keep their hairs locked) and your eyes must be open wide without focusing on any external thing. It means that though your eyes are open but your awareness is at “Bindu” (and when you will be perfected in this Mudra, then you won’t see anything despite of fact that your eyes are open). Then breath deeply and when breath starts going outside the body, imagine prana is going downwards through spine while crossing chakras in Spine i.e. from point Bindu to Agya chakra, Vishudhi, Anahat, Manipur, Swadisthan and then Muladhar. And your eyes in synchronization with breath and awareness, will also get closed slowly as you proceeds from Bindu towards Muladhar. And your eyes will be closed completely at the time of exhalation of breath completely and your awareness comes to Muladhar. This is one round. Again breath-in and do the same procedure for 11 rounds.

Some people do Unmani Mudra by fixing gaze in Shunya  but outside body for long time.

Please don’t get upset if not done initially but keep doing it and it will happen spontaneously. The important part of this Unmani Mudra is that a person learns how to shift his/her  awareness despite of active Gyan-indriya (eyes-sight, ear-smell, tongue-taste, nose-smell and skin-touch).

AGOCHARI MUDRA (Nose Gazing Technique)

AGOCHARI MUDRA (Nose Gazing Technique)-

Agochari Mudra or Nose Gazing Technique is very powerful and effective yogic technique to activate Muladhar Chakra in short span of time or we can say that this is the easiest and most effective technique to activate muladhar chakra, where Kundalini Shakti rest. Kundalini Shakti is represented by Snake having two mouths coiled three and half times and upper mouth of that serpent (kundalini shakti) is opened by which some Prana Shakti pervades in ourselves to sustain life by way of breathing etc. However, before activating Muladhar Chakra and activating Kundalini Shakti forcefully, it is always advised to first invoke Sushmana Nadi and only then start doing any other yogic technique of Kundalini Yoga. Hence it is always advised to practice any kind of Yogic sadhna only under any competent guru, otherwise it may possible that practitioner instead of getting any benefit may suffer irreparable damage/loss on psycho-physiological plane.

Agochari Mudra or Nose Gazing technique is primarily yogic technique to activate Muladhar Chakra but in actual it also activates Agya Chakra. As Muladhar Chakra is also directly connected to Agya Chakra. If any person is activating Agya Chakra then his Muladhar will also get activated upto some extent and vice versa.

Now I am going to tell you that how to do Agochari Mudra- First you have to sit in some comfortable Asana/pose like Padma Asana, Sidha Asana, Sukha Asana, Gupta Asana, Vajra Asana etc. in which your spine and neck must be in straight line and then close your eyes and first do 4 rounds of Anulom Vilom slowly. After completing Anulom Vilom, you just be aware about your incoming and outgoing breath for 4-5 minutes and then open your eyes and start doing gazing on tip of nose by pointing your eye balls on tip of nose. While doing gazing on tip of nose, you must be focusing on shape ‘V’ of Nose and if you are not able to see Shape ‘V’ then you must correct your focus. The easy way to do the same is by way of putting thumb in front of your face and start gazing on thumb and then bring your thumb slowly towards nose tip while continuing gazing on it and then shift your focus from thumb to tip of nose. By this way, you will be able to gaze correctly on tip of nose while having shape ‘V’. You have to focus on tip i.e.  on tip of ‘/\’. 

To get benefit of this Mudra, you must try to gaze on tip of nose atleast for 10 minutes twice a day. And you will feel that after some time your will power has become stronger and stronger and now you are able to counter your fear or any task of your life with great ability. If you will be able to continuously do this yogic technique for long period then you will start experiencing some divine experiences like smell of some divine fragrance and many people may also feel vibration in Muladhar Chakra and automatic kapalbhati kind of movement in abdominal area near “Manipur Chakra”, which you would not be able to stop on your own because its caused due to movement in Kundalini energy. Actually Kundalini Shakti trigger from Muladhar and settles in Manipur Chakra, so while practicing this Agochari Mudra, many of you may also feel activation of all chakras including Manipur Chakra. 

Last but not least, it is again advised to all readers that don’t try any kind of Yogic Sadhna on your own but only under guidance of Competent Guru. While practicing any kind of Kundalini Yoga technique, it is advisable to have pure life including pure vegetarian food.    Please also read my warning /alert post in the beginning of Blog.

Chakra Purification Technique

Dear Friends

In continuation of my last post, now I am going to tell you very easy and one of most effective techniques of Yoga to control your Prana i.e. energy inside your body. I have already explained about Prana Shakti and state of Prana in your body indicates your state of soul. Let me explain it with one simple example .. Imagine that there’s lake of pure and clean water and you want to see your face in its water but until ripples in water stop, you won’t be able to see you face. In like manner, Prana is vibrating in our body in some frequency and that frequency is our (Spirit’s) spiritual growth on the graph of time and universe. And until that vibration of Prana is not lowers down or stop, you cannot see or feel your own true state. Profound Yogies first attempt to control their Prana Shakti and then turns this Prana Shakti in their spiritual growth. The moment, this prana becomes static even for a moment, your breath ceased and your thought process also slows down and one day you will also have state of “no thought". And from here, you starts feeling real yogic experiences. In this stillness and state of “no mind”, you will be able to experience "peace" in its true meaning and gradually in due course of time, you will also find your true self, which we called “Atma Sakshatkar”.

Now I am going to tell you this simple but very effective yogic technique but before that you must go through my earlier post, in which I have told about the chakras and their location in our spine - First you have to sit in sukhasana or Padma Asana or Sidha Asana or any other Asana in which you can sit comfortably with erected spine and straight neck. You must first calm your mind by concentrating on your in-breath and out-breath and after 4-5 minutes you can start doing this yogic technique. 

You now first start from Muladhar Chakra (Root Chakra) and chant “OM” while imagine that such sound of “OM” is echoing on Muladhar Chakra location and immediately shift your awareness to Swadisthan Chakra and again chant “OM” mentally on Swadisthan Chakra in the same manner and then shift your awareness to Manipur Chakra and repeat the same procedure upto Bindu. From Muladhar to Bindu is half procedure and when you start shifting your awareness from Bindu towards Muladhar, you first shift your awareness at point where our neck connects with skull and repeat the same mantra “OM” and then to vishudhi, Anahata, Manipur, Swadisthan and Muladhar. This whole procedure is one cycle. And you can repeat this atleast for 12 cycles and upto any time.

While doing above mentioned yogic technique, you will gradually feel that, the location where chakras are located, there are some kind of knot type feeling in spine and you may also feel sweet pain in those locations of chakras and gradually these knots will dissolve with due course of time as you will progress in your this yogic journey. But the main part of this yogic technique is that you will feel that while doing this yogic technique, your awareness starts drawing inside and you will start forgetting the outside world at all. You will also feel that your breath starts slowing down and even it ceased sometimes for a moment upto few minutes. Many of my students have felt that their breath ceased upto 5-8 minutes without any effort or outer control. This cessation of breath start on its own and this is what we called “Keval Kumbhak”. You may chant any other single word of GOD like Ram, Krishna, Soham etc. in place of OM.

Please note that- you don’t have to think and feel the same thing, which I have told you. Rather you just start doing this yogic technique and you will start feeling the same. Please also tell your experiences on this blog, so that others may also know about the same.