The 61 Point relaxation Technique

1. 61 point relaxation technique Study = This figure This figure illustrates 61 points on the body. To do this exercise, you need to memorize the sequence of points. (This is not difficult, because the points are arranged in a simple pattern) They begin at the forehead, travel down and up your right arm, then across to your left arm, down to your torso, down and up your right legs, then back up your torso to the forehead. 2. Focus your attention on one point at a time Begin at your forehead, focus your attention between your eyebrows and think of the number one. Keep your attention fixed at point one for several seconds until you feel that your awareness of the location is clear and distinct. Think of yourself being located at this point. Before moving on to the next point, you should feel a sense of warmth and heaviness at this spot. 3. Move through each point in sequence In the same manner, successively focus your attention on each of the first thirty-one points. Proceed slowly, and imagine you self being located at each point as you reach it. Feel the sense of warmth and heaviness before moving on. Do not allow your mind to wander. At first you may find this difficult to do: you will find that at times you suddenly will forget that you are doing the exercise and start daydreaming or thinking about something else. IF you lose your place, return to the beginning or the last numbered point you attended to, and continue. Practice with thirty-one points until you can attend to them all in sequence without daydreaming or losing track. 4.Extend your practice to include all sixty-one points When you can attend to thirty -one points in sequence, repeat steps 1 and 2 with all sixty-one points. Practice this until you can do all points without losing your focus. Now you are ready to use this exercise with lucid dreaming induction techniques. This technique was acquired from Exploring The World Of Lucid Dreaming, by Stephen Laberge and Howard Rheingold. ( Figure was adopted by Exercise without movement by Swami Rama [Himalyan Institute, Honesdale, PA.]) 61 Points: 1 center of forehead 2 base of the front of the neck 3 right shoulder 4 right elbow (inside or outside, as you prefer the same for all other joints) 5 right wrist 6 right thumb 7 right index finger 8 right middle finger 9 right ring finger 10 right little finger 11 right wrist

12 right elbow 13 right shoulder 14 base of the front of the neck 15 left shoulder 16 left elbow 17 left wrist 18 left thumb 19 left index finger 20 left middle finger 21 left ring finger 22 left little finger 23 left wrist 24 left elbow 25 left shoulder 26 base of the front of the neck 27 center of chest 28 right of chest 29 center of chest 30 left of chest 31 center of chest 32 navel 33 pubis 34 right hip 35 right knee 36 right ankle 37 right big toe 38 right second toe 39 right third toe 40 right fourth toe 41 right little toe 42 right ankle 43 right knee 44 right hip 45 pubis 46 left hip 47 left knee 48 left ankle 49 left big toe 50 left second toe 51 left third toe 52 left fourth toe 53 left little toe 54 left ankle 55 left knee 56 left hip 57 pubis 58 navel 59 center of chest

60 base of the front of the neck 61 center of forehead

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Lucid Sleeping (Yoga Nidra)

Also known as Yoga Nidra, lucid sleeping is among the deepest possible states of relaxation while still maintaining full consciousness. It is not the same as the similarly named "lucid dreaming", though the two can be easily confused, since the practices that lead to lucid sleeping can also generate lucid dreaming. What further confuses the issue is that, as opposed to being completely separate experiences in kind, the two states are actually only different in degree, existing as they do at opposite ends of a particular slice out of the spectrum of consciousness. Hence, lucid sleeping can "slide into" lucid dreaming and vice versa, a fact which can cloud the real difference between the two.

The distinguishing difference is the degree to which you remain cognizant of your actual physical environment as opposed to a dream environment. In lucid dreaming, we are only (or mainly) cognizant of the dream environment, and have little or no cognizance of our actual environment. Sounds or events in our actual environment may become translated into very different dream material and we will feel our bodies "moving" just as in normal dreaming. During lucid sleeping, on the other hand, we remain fully cognizant of our physical environment and of the actual content of sounds and other events, and likewise maintain a correct sense of the position of our bodies.

Hence, so-called "out of body" experiences are instances of lucid dreaming, even though we may have a sense of the room in which we are sleeping. Nevertheless, the sense of our body as moving in space is dream material, likely initiated by the activity of the propioceptive sensory organs influencing the subconscious mind. What "out of body" experiences nicely demonstrate is the fluid nature of the boundary between lucid sleeping and lucid dreaming, existing as they do at a point somewhere midway between the two.

On a final note, neither state is necessarily "deeper" than the other. That said, lucid sleeping can potentially be far deeper, given the kind of brain waves predominantly generated, than lucid dreaming. During any kind of dreaming, we are effectively blocked from the deepest states of relaxation by the generation of dream material, which occurs within a specific range of brain wave frequencies which are relatively high in comparison to those of deep sleep. While engaging in lucid sleep, on the other hand, we can consciously relax ourselves beyond that dreaming range of frequencies into the slowest range of deep sleep frequencies.

It is best to attempt this practice only after you have mastered 61 Points insofar as 61 Points is the easier of the two. It serves as a good way to learn how to navigate progressions of points through the body (there are nearly 150 points used in the following Lucid Sleeping exercise), and it also offers a stepping stone to the deeper relaxation youll experience with Lucid Sleeping.

It will also likely be necessary to stop practicing 61 Points altogether once you begin with Lucid Sleeping. The format of the concentration points is quite different. If you try to alternate the practices, you can become confused as to the correct progression of the points, which in turn can make you tense and unable to relax. Nor do you want to have to concentrate on remembering which point follows which, as this too will affect your ability to relax. Each point should follow effortlessly and automatically one after the other, with no need to try to remember which one comes next.

Of course, the first few times you do the exercise, you will need to make an effort to remember the format, so dont expect to have a deeply relaxing experience right away. Once you know the format by memory, the deep relaxation will follow.

The practice is best done lying down on your back. You can place your hands by your sides palms up or else palms down upon your hips/lower belly. Its best to use either no pillow or at most one low

pillow beneath your head as your neck should remain fairly flat. Basically, try to be as comfortable as possible so you wont have to move for the duration of the practice.

The progression through the points is quite different from 61 Points, both in the specific points used as well as what you do with each point. First off, you dont count or imagine anything at each point. You simply come briefly to rest and then move on to the next point. Secondly, the pace is considerably faster with roughly one second spent at each point. Dont time the movement with the breath. If you like, you can hear a silent, slow mantra such as om, with each repetition lasting roughly 8 seconds, which is to say 8 points.

It seems odd that a faster pace can lead to deeper relaxation. The reason is because a steady, slow rhythm is set up which can be very relaxing indeed. But this can only happen once the progression of the points is well memorized and comes automatically. So again, expect to spend some time just learning the progression before you can experience the deeper levels of relaxation.

Here is the progression of the points:

Right thumb Right index finger Right middle finger Right ring finger Right little finger Right palm Back of right hand Outside right wrist Inside right wrist Inside right lower arm Outside right lower arm Outside right elbow Inside right elbow Inside right upper arm Outside right upper arm Outside right shoulder Right armpit Right side mid chest Right side abdomen Right side iliac crest Right side between iliac crest and hipbone Right hipbone Crease at right side of groin Front of right thigh Back of right thigh Back of right knee Front of right knee Front of right lower leg (shin) Back of right lower leg (calf) Outside right ankle Inside right ankle Top of right ankle Right heel Bottom center of right foot Top center of right foot Right large toe Right second toe Right third toe Right fourth toe Right little toe [Repeat same progression for left side] [Now you proceed down the front of the body]

Base of the front of the neck Simultaneously two points to each side Center of upper chest Simultaneously two points to each side Center of mid chest Simultaneously two points to each side Center of lower chest Simultaneously two points to each side Center of upper abdomen Simultaneously two points to each side Center of mid abdomen Simultaneously two points to each side Navel Simultaneously two points to each side Center of lower abdomen Simultaneously two points to each side Upper pubis Simultaneously two points to each side Lower pubis Simultaneously two points to each side Perineum Simultaneously two points to each side Anus Simultaneously two points to each side Tailbone Simultaneously two points to each side Mid sacrum Simultaneously two points to each side Top sacrum Simultaneously two points to each side Lower back Simultaneously two points to each side Lower mid back Simultaneously two points to each side Upper mid back Simultaneously two points to each side Lower upper back Simultaneously two points to each side Mid upper back Simultaneously two points to each side Upper upper back Simultaneously two points to each side Lower back of neck Simultaneously two points to each side Middle back of neck Simultaneously two points to each side Upper back of neck Simultaneously two points to each side Lower back of head Simultaneously two points to each side Middle back of head Simultaneously two points to each side Upper back of head Simultaneously two points to each side Top of head Down to center of head Down to center of neck Down to center of lower neck Down to center of mid chest Down to center of upper abdomen

Down to center of belly Down to center of lower belly Back to center of belly

At this point, rest your attention for a few moments at the center of your belly. Then imagine a plane that passes through the center of your belly dividing your upper body from your lower body. On the next exhalation, feel the plane pass down through your lower body to the soles of your feet, completely relaxing everything on the way through. On the inhalation, the plane returns to your belly and then, on the exhalation, passes up through your upper body to the top of your head, relaxing everything on the way through.

Now the plane turns on its side so that, still passing through your belly, it divides the right side of your body from the left side. On the next exhalation, feel the plane pass through the left side of your body, completely relaxing everything on the way through. On the inhalation, the plane returns to your belly and then, on the exhalation, passes through the right side of your body, relaxing everything on the way through.

Now the plane turns flat so that, still passing through your belly, it divides the top half of your body from the bottom half. On the next exhalation, feel the plane pass through the back half of your body, completely relaxing everything on the way through. On the inhalation, the plane returns to your belly and then, on the exhalation, passes through the front half of your body, relaxing everything on the way through.

At this point, you should be either fast asleep or else deeply relaxed. If you are still awake, just enjoy the sensations of deep relaxation, allowing yourself to go deeper and deeper, as deeply as you can.

From. Peter Crawford, Meditaiton Mojo

http://www.meditationmojo.com/meditation-articles/advanced-meditation/lucid-sleeping-yoga-nidra ///+++