Deep Relaxation (Yog Nidra) :  Learn to relax yourself completely at will !

Most of us have forgotten the art of relaxation 

Consider this :

Nomadic peoples all over Asia, journeying night and day, reach an oasis or camping place and at once throw themselves on the ground and lie there limp, apparently lifeless from head to foot. One hour of this rest refreshes them with as much new vitality and energy as a night's sleep for the average person. These wanderers are able to undertake surprisingly long journeys with very little rest.

These people have not yet forgotten the art of relaxation, the ability to completely rest at will. This art has been practiced by yogis since ancient times. They began their experimentation on this state by watching animals in deep relaxation during sleep, and especially during hibernation.
   
Do you want to learn this art of deep relaxation ? 

     Let me tell you an ancient yogic method of deep relaxation (also known as Yog Nidra means the yogic sleep ) It is  strongly recommended for anybody who wants to learn meditation and is leading a very busy and demanding life to learn the art of deep relaxation. Since we all get exhausted (both physically and mentally) by the end of the day, it is very necessary for us to learn this art of deep relaxation. so that we an meditate with full vigor and enthusiasm. 

 Since we all get very tired and enervated in our daily routine, I am telling you a deep relaxation technique which is also a very powerful meditation. This technique serve the dual purpose of relaxation and meditation simultaneously. This is not only a very simple technique but  also a very effective way to completely rest our body and mind. 

 Most of us spend our day in rush hour. The minute we wake up till the minute we go to bed, our body is subjected to immense physical and mental pressure. In such condition it is natural when we go to bed, we are completely exhausted and enervated. When people say they feel like crying with sheer fatigue, they mean just that. Physically, they have reached a point where the only release for their weariness is an emotional purge. Afterwards, of course, they will end up completely exhausted, for nothing eats up one's energy like letting the emotions have full play. 

We keep loosing energy every moment 

Most of us are spendthrift of our energy resources. We dissipate them twenty-four hours a day. Just watch yourself and the people around you. Can you sit still, quiet and at ease, for ten or even five minutes? Or do you fidget, shift about, cross and re-cross your legs, drum with your fingers on the arm of your chair, rub your neck, bite your lips? In a room full of people, is there even one who is without nervous habits? If so, he is a happy exception. Nor mind you, does this apply to "busy-busy" persons alone. 

it is perfectly possible to spend a quiet day with nothing in the least urgent to do and still eat one's self up with tension. In fact boredom itself is an enemy in this respect. Think how many people with easy, routine jobs complain of being "dead tired" by the end of the day. And who of us hasn't said, at one time or another," I haven't done a thing all day, but I'm beat."?

What is NOT relaxation ?

Before we go on to a discussion of the actual techniques of Deep Relaxation, let us consider for a moment what relaxation is not. In the first place, it is not play. Nor is it a change of pace or of occupation. Play and change are fine, of course. They do help, they are a step in the right direction. But they are not the real thing. 

Thus the tired businessman out for a day of golf, the home gardener, the knitter, the Sunday painter are all people who indulge in pleasant hobbies in order to get away from other routines, but they are merely substituting one form of activities for another. The same holds true for the avid reader, the Hi-Fi enthusiast, the TV fan. Each finds a degree of respite in doing what he enjoys, but each remains occupied. The mind keeps ticking away, the muscles remain at work. Even listening to music with the eyes closed requires a certain expenditure of energy! Very definitely, recreation cannot be considered true, complete relaxation. 

Understand what is true relaxation 

The great art of relaxation is within the reach of all. It is better to understand it in detail. We use two kind of energy in our daily life - physical and mental. Overuse of physical energy results in exhaustion of physical body whereas use of mental energy results in an exhausted mind which specifically means exhaustion of our nervous system. In order to restore our vigor and replenish your energy , we need a relaxation exercise that helps us to relax us completely i.e. both mentally as well as physically.

A relaxation technique that that relaxes each and every muscle and every nerve of our body is Shava Asana ('Shuv 'Aa'Sun , Shuv sounds like 'love')

The Sanskrit meaning of Shavasan is Corpse Pose. It is not related to Death, only to hibernation, which has to do with the prolongation of life. It is an immense powerful technique for relaxing body and mind. This deep relaxation technique has far deeper effect than those of sleep. Moreover a very important meditation technique 'Death Meditation' is also based on it. This technique will relax you so deeply and so completely that it is impossible to sketch in words, the kind of vigour and energy you will received while doing it. 

So let us start learning Deep Relaxation by familiarizing ourselves with the important instructions for Deep Relaxation. 

click here   Instructions for Deep Relaxation