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Location : Nawa Saraan Healing Space, Chiang Mai, Thailand
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is a form of yogic sleep where the body lies down and sleeps while the mind remains alert, vigilant and aware. The body falls into a deep relaxed state, far deeper than regular sleep. In this awake but dream-like state, you can explore into your mind, deep into the subconscious - get to know yourself a little more. In tantra, Yoga Nidra gives access to the powers and energies within the unconscious mind and opens the doorway to Samadhi.
Tall Claims
Tall claims about Yoga Nidra have been made by realized gurus. Some sages, seers, sadhus and masters don't even sleep - they just do Yoga Nidra. They claim that a 30-minute session can be the equivalent of three to four hours of sleep.
Tibetan Buddhist, Lama Thubten Yeshe, who authored Bliss of Inner Fire (Tummo Yoga) once remarked that he accidentally fell asleep (during the times people thought he was in his regular sleep) - which means he was never asleep all those times people thought he was sleeping.
Vipassana guru, S.N. Goenka said in a 10-day silent meditation discourse that Vipassana yogis remain aware 24/7 even during their 'sleep'.
What is sleep?
Sleep is like a pit stop when the body can restore and repair itself from the toil of daily existence. Not just the body, but the mind and spirit also take a respite. Energy is replenished and the system is rebooted back to homeostasis. The less damage the body sustains, the less maintenance. The more friction the body endures, the more damage, the more maintenance, the more sleep time. However, if the body is well lubed, well-tuned and well cleaned, there is much less friction, therefore less need for sleep.
Yoga Nidra is not the same as sleep. Sleep relaxes only the mind and senses. Yoga Nidra relaxes the inner self.
Overcoming Sleep in Yoga Nidra
During initial attempts at Yoga Nidra, the initiate usually falls asleep - this is normal. However, as the practice progresses, he becomes more relaxed and finds no need to sleep. This is the time when exploration can be done. You can explore the deeper workings of the internal organs of the body; the rhythm of the breath and its ability to calm and heal; the power of the mind and its ability to think, emote and create; and, if you can stay the course, the luminosity of the spirit. For active meditations, Yoga Nidra can function as a healing meditation.
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Sankalpa
Sankalpa is your intention or the thing you want to manifest. You start the practice with your desired sankalpa. It is essential in the practice of Yoga Nidra. Your sankalpa can be general like "I am aligned with the natural laws", or it can be specific, "I will talk less and listen more." The wonder about Sankalpa is that it works behind the scenes. While you go through with life, through the years, you may just realize that your intentions have already manifested without you even making an effort to make it happen. Separately, there is also a sankalpa mudra.
Body Scanning
The mind scans the body starting from the right thumb. There is a specific order in compliance to the map the brain uses in sending signals throughout the body. This scanning is done much faster than Vipassana Meditation body scanning.
Awareness on the Breath
Even though there is no pranayama in Yoga Nidra, awareness is still maintained on the breath. Awareness straddles between breath, body sensation and sankalpa.
Induced Sensations
Sensory perceptions are induced, often in opposites - feeling cold and then feeling hot. The purpose is to make you traverse the full range of the sensory spectrum. This moves faster than Vipassana scanning.
Visualization
Visualization, just like most meditation practices, gives you a concrete perception of your etheric environment. When done vividly, the brain cannot distinguish reality from visualization and thus react as though reality is really happening and connect the corresponding neurons accordingly. Old patterns are replaced by new patterns.
The 60-Minute Class
1] Muladhara Chakra
Move your awareness to the base of your spine. This is the seat of the Muladhara Chakra. Take a deep inhale, hold the breath, press the tips of the fingers and the heels against the mat, slightly lift the pelvis to squeeze the mula bandha, generating heat to awaken the kundalini shakti. Keep holding and intensifying. Release before you feel the strain. Allow the body to sink into a deep sleep again.
Observe any sensation that's happening here. Stay focused. Muladhara is where it all begins - this is your base...the foundational cornerstone of all your chakras. This is where both the female or Ida Nadi and the male or Pingala Nadi begin their ascent towards the Sahasrara Chakra. This is where the Kundalini Shakti sleeps. This is where you engage your Mula Bandha. Maintain your awareness here.
Take a deep inhale, and on the exhale, in your mind's eye, silently, chant the seed mantra, LAM, while feeling a resonance on this chakra. Repeat the chant 5 times.
2] Svadisthana Chakra
Move your awareness up along your spine to the sexual center at the sacrum. This is the seat of the Svadisthana Chakra. Take a deep inhale, hold the breath, press the tips of the fingers and the heels against the mat, slightly lifting the pelvis to squeeze the mula bandha, generating heat to move the kundalini shakti from the Muladhara chakra to the Svadisthana chakra. Keep holding and intensifying. Release before you feel the strain. Allow the body to sink into a deep sleep again.
Once you transcend the survival mode, you shift into pleasure, indulgence and intoxication - sex, drugs and rock & roll. You crave respect, prestige and admiration. You now aim for genetic immortality - thus the sacral chakra.
Take a deep inhale, and on the exhale, in your mind's eye, silently, chant the seed mantra, VAM, while feeling a resonance on this chakra. Repeat the chant 5 times.
3] Manipuraka Chakra
Move your awareness up along your spine to your navel. This is the seat of the Manipuraka Chakra. Take a deep inhale, hold the breath, press the tips of the fingers and the heels against the mat, slightly lifting the pelvis to squeeze the mula bandha, generating heat to move the kundalini shakti from the Svadisthana chakra to the Manipuraka chakra. Keep holding and intensifying. Release before you feel the strain. Allow the body to sink into a deep sleep again.
Move your awareness to your navel - the seat of the Manipuraka Chakra. When this chakra is activated, you develop a strong body and a strong mind. You are determined and you make things happen. You influence public opinion. You are now powerful but not necessarily spiritual. Despite the power, you are left asking, "Is this all there is to it?". The Napoleons and Elon Musks of the world reside in this chakra. Observe any sensation that's happening here. Stay focused.
Take a deep inhale, and on the exhale, in your mind's eye, silently, chant the seed mantra, RAM, while feeling a resonance on this chakra. Repeat the chant 5 times.
4] Anahata Chakra
Move your awareness up along your spine to your heart. This is the seat of the Anahata Chakra. Take a deep inhale, hold the breath, press the tips of the fingers and the heels against the mat, slightly lifting the pelvis to squeeze the mula bandha, generating heat to move the kundalini shakti from the Manipuraka chakra to the Anahata chakra. Keep holding and intensifying. Release before you feel the strain. Allow the body to sink into a deep sleep again.
Stay focused here. When Anahata opens or becomes activated, you develop a heightened sense of perception about the reality. You begin your spiritual path where you feel the connection with the universe at large. You transcend the confines of your self-centered world and you open up for love and compassion. You straddle the 2 worlds - one leg remains anchored on default reality and the other leg rests on Cloud 9. As you deal with the challenge of existence, you also have heaven in your mind.
Silently, chant the mantra YAM and feel the vibration in your heart.
5] Vishuddhi Chakra
Move your awareness up along your spine to the soft spot on the base of your throat, slightly above the center where the 2 collar bones meet.. This is the seat of the Visuddhi Chakra. Take a deep inhale, hold the breath, press the tips of the fingers and the heels against the mat, slightly lifting the pelvis to squeeze the mula bandha, generating heat to move the kundalini shakti from the Anahata chakra to the Vishuddhi chakra. Keep holding and intensifying. Release before you feel the strain. Allow the body to sink into a deep sleep again.
This is your Vishuddhi Chakra. As you activate this energy hub, you no longer fight with life. You move with it, in compliance to the natural laws. You find yourself in the right place, at the right time, meeting magnificent lives who open doors to manifest your intentions. You operate at a higher level of competence. People gravitate to you. They sense that you do things beyond their abilities and you understand things beyond their comprehension.
In your mind's eye, silently chant the mantra HAM and feel the etheric reverberation within the throat chakra.
6] Ajna Chakra
Move your awareness up along your spine to the spot between your eyes, slightly above the center. This is the seat of the Ajna Chakra. Take a deep inhale, hold the breath, press the tips of the fingers and the heels against the mat, slightly lifting the pelvis to squeeze the mula bandha, generating heat to move the kundalini shakti from the Vishuddhi chakra to the Ajna chakra. Keep holding and intensifying. Release before you feel the strain. Allow the body to sink into a deep sleep again.
Focus on your Third Eye. Observe whatever sensation is taking place here. It can be throbbing, it can be pulsating, it could be warping or even tingling. Just observe and witness with no reaction, without attempting to change anything. Activating this chakra means you are intellectually realized. You have gained knowledge and you have wisdom. Psychic abilities begin manifest. You transcend this dimension and gain access to other worldly realities.
Silently chant the mantra OM and feel the activation of this chakra.
7] Sahasrara Chakra
Move your awareness up along your spine to the spot on top of your head. This is the seat of the Sahasrara Chakra. Take a deep inhale, hold the breath, press the tips of the fingers and the heels against the mat, slightly lifting the pelvis to squeeze the mula bandha, generating heat to move the kundalini shakti from the Ajna chakra to the Sahasrara chakra. Keep holding and intensifying. Release before you feel the strain. Allow the body to sink into a deep sleep again.
From the Ajna, there is no established path towards Sahasrara. There is no blueprint, there is no template. You are on your own to take that leap of faith, trusting the process. When this chakra is activated, duality ends and union happens. Male and female unite as one. Power and consciousness become one. Shiva and Shakti are reunited. You are in a very deep state of meditative absorption where it becomes very clear that you are not your body, not your thoughts, not your feelings and not your memory. You are pure consciousness, you are divinity and you are the universe - and you are all of that combined into a singularity. This is where the self, the universe and God, become one. Pause. Let that sink in. Take as much time as you need to let that register.
Take a deep inhale, and on the exhale, in your mind's eye, silently, chant the seed mantra, OM, while feeling a resonance on this chakra. Repeat the chant 5 times.
Ending Thoughts
Ideally, meditation and savasana are essentially a form of yoga nidra - not sleeping and keeping the mind alert and vigilant. If you fall asleep, then it failed. But when it succeeds, it becomes a very powerful tool. Imagine getting the benefits of an 8-hour sleep in only 2 hours? That leaves you 6 more productive hours within a 24-hour day. Not only that, when you come out of yoga nidra, everything is rebooted. You start out fresh again - unlike in some sleep where you can wake up exhausted from where the mind takes you. There is a reason why advanced yogis and meditators no longer sleep - they are just in a state of yoga nidra.
--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
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For more train info: Bangkok to Chiang Mai trains - departing from Hua Lamphong - MRT (Bangkok)
(I'm using Bang Sue as a starting point because I was closer to it, but you may be closer to the Hua Lamphong station)
Travel Tips for Thailand
This process is BEFORE Covid 19. Not sure what it is now.
60-Day Thai Tourist Visa
NOTE: There is no need to go back to your country to get the Thai tourist visa. Any major city with a Thai Embassy will do. Apparently there is also no need to have an invitation from a Thai establishment to justify the visa.
30-Day Extension
NOTE: When your 60-day visa is close to expiry and you want to extend your stay. No need to leave Thailand.
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