In the past 100 or so years, the pace of our life and the volume of information we have to deal with have increased exponentially. Gone are the days when you could work in the same place for 30 years. For many of us, even living in the same country is not a guarantee. We have to constantly adapt to the ever-pressing demands of the world around us, to keep pace with the latest innovations, and to juggle work, leisure, spirituality, family and health.
As a friend of mine once said, in a world such as this, I would be surprised if you DID NOT have anxiety.
And to a great extent, she was right. Our bodies and nervous systems may not have adapted to the changing pace of life. We are literally not made to live like this. While the plagues of the centuries past have largely disappeared, tension is now the primary cause of disease in the Western world. In fact, many of us in the healing field have seen that the vast majority of physical health concerns have psychosomatic origin.
Our mind is bombarded by information, but has trouble focusing and remaining in stability. As an act of balance, many in the West idealize tribal cultures or Eastern mysticism, and seek greater simplicity as an antidote to the overly rational and cluttered way of life.
Where do we find that point of balance? And what practical steps can we take to restore clarity and awaken our intuition?
Ultimately, each one of us has to find their own way of life and their own practice, and stick to it, to the degree that is possible in current life circumstances.
I think the Western tradition, including Christian monasticism, actually has a lot more answers than many are aware of, answers that have taken the form of practical exercises and choices to make in order to keep the mind clear and receptive. Despite our unique challenges, the basic steps to choosing peace and tranquility have essentially remained the same throughout centuries.
But today I wanted to share something practical from the yogic tradition, two guided meditations that you may find helpful in your daily life — namely, yoga nidra. Traditionally, this is done after asana practice, when you lie down on the floor in the position called shavasana (the corpse pose), but you don’t need to know anything about yoga to reap its benefits.
Yoga nidra helps release tension from the mind and body, and, if practiced regularly, can also help you develop intuitive gifts and psychic abilities, learn to increase awareness in your dream state, and thus make lucid dreaming possible, as well as help mitigate pain and illness that is of psychosomatic origin. It is also a tool that facilitates third eye awakening, and connection with your inner wisdom.
Yoga nidra is a form of a guided meditation, but the name really means “yogic sleep,” where you go into a state between waking consciousness and sleep. Thus, it is not a meditation, but rather a relaxation technique, where you go through a quick series of guided visualizations and bring attention to various parts of your body, as you facilitate your relaxation.
I have recorded two yoga nidra sessions for you, each about 30 minutes long, which you can practice either in the morning before you start the day, or in the evening to mark the transition to the time of rest. You don’t need any props, except perhaps a warm blanket to cover yourself. Preferably, this practice is done lying on the floor (not on the bed), as you wouldn’t want to fall asleep. So create a sacred space, and dive in!
Thank you Inga. Such lovely meditations at a time when I really need them. Kind regards, Rita
Thank you! I am glad it is of help, more to come! XOXO