Sutra 1.38: Sleep Class

 

Samadhi Pada: Yoga of Being in the Now

1.38 Svapna nidra jnana alambanam va

• svapna = dream / state of dreaming
• nidra = deep sleep
• jnana = knowledge / awareness / insight
• alambanam = concentrating / basis
• va = or

"mini-series" of Sutras 1.32-1.39:

- Sutra 1.32 introduces the idea of single pointed focus (the theme for this miniseries)

- Sutra 1.33 provides four locks and four keys to work towards peace in relationships and internal calm.

- Sutra 1.34-1.39 provides oars to help row towards the path of peace

- Sutra 1.34 the oar of breath 

- Sutra 1.35 the oar of the senses

- Sutra 1.36 the oar of light 

- Sutra 1.37 the oar of inspiration of another 

- Sutra 1.38 the oar of sleep state 

   

Mindfulness in sleep. Osho said "You simply fall into sleep as if it is a sort of absence. It is not - it has its own presence . . . It will take a little time to move into sleep with awareness because you are not even aware when you are awake . . . (but) when for the first time you will fall asleep with awareness, you will see how gears change. You will even feel the click that the wakefulness disappears, mind is off, another realm starts. The gears of the being have changed. And between these two gears, there is a small gap of neutral gear. Because whenever the gear changes, it has to pass from the neutral passage. By and by, you will become aware not only of the change of gear, but the gap between the two, and in that gap, you will have your first glimpse of the superconsciousness."

This week's sutra is introducing the idea that there is wisdom and awareness that arises in sleep. This internal knowledge could come from dreams, deep sleep or both. Patanjali introduces the idea of meditating on this state in order to dig deeper into this knowledge and awareness. Meditation could be focused on images or insights acquired from dreams. Simply sit with the ideas that came to mind in dreams the night before. Though this may sound "easy," what if you're someone like me that rarely remembers their dreams? This is where meditation on deep sleep comes in. Yoga nidra is a practice that is sometimes referred to as "yogic sleep" and is a practice that works to maintain awareness in the restful sleep state. It has specific steps to follow and though it is very relaxing, it is definitely a constant practice to stay alert and aware in rest. 

This week, let's work with sleep. You can either meditate on your dreams or work to stay aware in deep sleep. I'm guiding you through one step in the process of yoga nidra (rotation of consciousness) in the audio recording below. Slightly different than previous weeks, you'll find a comfortable position lying down, relax and press play (to download a copy of this meditation, on your desktop click the arrow in the square on the right).

Your challenge for this week is to do one (or both) of the sleep practices - dream meditation or yoga nidra. Feel free to DM me if you are interested in full length yoga nidra recordings. I have a few of my own to offer or have some other sources and sites I can direct you to. Good luck in your week of getting quiet, relaxing and exploring the interesting world of sleep!

Sutra 1.38 Or concentrating on knowledge obtained from dreams or deep sleep.