The Art of Relaxation
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/Meditation2005-2/
Namaskar
Hi!
It is useful to relax, although that is not the be all and end all of
meditation. The art of relaxation is explained below. There is also
a leaflet being sent which has the same content, which you can print out
and use when you are lying down, and thereby follow the steps in the
relaxation process. For this see the part on the Dead Pose. The next
posting will contain a link to an MP3 music and voice file for you to
download. This will go through the relaxation technique in a lot more
detail. You can listen to it and follow the procedure at the same time.
But first, just follow the steps at the end of this posting (or see
attached leaflet), just to get used to some basics.
A sense of relaxation alleviates the mind - clears the mind - so that
deeper thoughts can develop. In order to properly utilise the mind, we
must be clear about its resources. That clarity will, in due course,
come from meditation. We must understand the mind by what it does, so
that we can follow the best method to develop a particular layer of the
mind, especially the deeper layers of the mind. Meditation is an exact
science which prescribes a systematic procedure for each human resource,
therefore we must clearly know the function of each resource and apply
the necessary technique. The relaxation technique is just a first
simple step which helps to look inward a little.
With relaxation we are just getting in tune in a basic way. With
meditation we are talking about the layers of the mind as a resource to
be used, developed and expanded in a deeper way.
More in the forthcoming classes.
Regards
Dharmadeva
---
First the Art of Relaxation (by Avadhutika Ananda Mitra Acarya)
Watch a baby asleep on a bed. It gives up its weight entirely to the
bed, without any muscular tension 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.
Babies and so-called primitive 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.
During even a few minutes of deep relaxation, there is a rapid fall in
blood pressure and pulse rate; and the strain on the heart is reduced.
The overtaxed nerve centres are revitalised and muscle tension drops
even below the basal muscular tension level. Since during deep
relaxation only a very small amount of vital energy is being consumed,
the remaining energy which is being constantly produced by the cells of
the body can be conserved and accumulated for future use.
Yoga practitioners do not need to go on vacation to relax. They can
remain seated in a room open to the traffic of a busy metropolis and
can transform themselves to the point that they hear no sounds, being
relaxed and quickly self-possessed on a chair, just as if they were in
a green Swiss valley. Translated into medical language, this capacity
of voluntary sensory--motor inhibition is achieved through a gradual and
conscious inversion of biological current: no longer a flux from the
interior to the exterior, but a flux from the exterior to the interior
To give an example, again taken from electricity, yoga practitioners can
voluntarily put themselves in the position of a telephone or radio
operator who wants rest, and so switches off all the live contacts of
his or her sets; impulses still reach the sets, but are no longer
perceived as active, and therefore, do not disturb the operator, but
are certainly there and may be recorded. Lying thus in a state of
perfect and conscious peace, yoga practitioners can, through
respiration, connect themselves with vital energy or pranic energy. Now
they are like batteries put into contact with a source of electrical
energy, whereas the average person is like a battery working
continuously, unable to recharge itself.
POISE IN ACTION
When this deep relaxation is carried over to the state of activity, the
muscular reflexes respond more rapidly to stimuli and every task can be
performed more efficiently, more effortlessly.
A cat crouches before a mouse-hole, gracefully motionless. It exhibits
tremendous strength and vitality in repose. The machinery of action is
not strained in waiting, but all is ready ... and when it darts forward,
action bursts like a flash of lighting from its stillness.
Every genius consciously or unconsciously relaxes during the process of
creation, and for this reason is so efficient in his or her art.
Contrast this poised grace to the movements of today's hurried business
people, who with their exaggerated, wasteful movements, fidget and
fume, and wear themselves out before the hour for action has arrived.
Through the regular practice of deep relaxation, yoga practitioners
develop the ability to keep their minds and bodies in perfect
equilibrium in all situations. Learning how to relax and maintain "grace
and pressure" in this age of rapid change - when high blood pressure
and heart disease are the number one killers in technological societies
- is one of the most valuable abilities of human life.
DEAD POSE
Shavasana or "Dead Pose" can be done anytime, even at times when most
other yogic postures (asanas) cannot be done, such as during sickness,
menstruation, or pregnancy. In this pose, the body remains completely
motionless and becomes recharged with vital energy or pranic energy, and
the mind's attention is gradually withdrawn from the body and
surroundings to be absorbed in a state of deep inner tranquillity. The
body and mind together attain a perfect blissful repose.
To receive the complete benefit from the practice of yogic postures
(asanas), the Dead Pose should be performed for about ten seconds to
one minute between two postures. The proper rest in Dead Pose
completely calms the body and prevents the overstraining of muscles and
the over-stimulation of the glandular, circulatory and respiratory
systems. One should rest at least until the breathing and heartbeat have
become calm. Asanas and massage should always be followed by the deep
relaxation pose for at least three minutes. Those with high blood
pressure should do at least five or ten minutes of deep relaxation
daily; for as we have seen this is one of the best treatments of
hypertension.
To perform the Dead Pose lie down on your back, covering yourself with a
sheet if you feel a chill. Stretch the arms and legs gently apart and
aim the palms up; the fingers will naturally curl in. Close the eyes. Do
not move any muscle of your body, even your eyeballs. Remain as
motionless as if you were dead. Immerse your mind in the flow of your
breathing, in a state of refreshing peace.
Relax your feet and your toes ... your calves, knees and thighs ... feel
that both your legs are completely relaxed - there is no tension or
pressure anywhere. Now relax all your internal organs - your digestive
system, your lungs, your heart ... relax your back and spine ... Now
feel your fingers: relax your fingers and hands, your wrists, your
lower arms and elbows, your upper arms and shoulders, and your neck ...
Now you should feel that your entire body from the neck down is
completely relaxed; there is no tension anywhere.
Feel that flow of relaxation now moving up into your face, relaxing your
cheeks, your mouth and lips, your ears, your nose, and your eyes - feel
all the tension around your eyes completely dissolving - your forehead
and head are completely relaxed ... Feel your brain inside your skull
.. your brain is also completely relaxed. Now your whole body from the
tips of your toes to the top of your head, is completely relaxed. You
feel as light as a feather, and very comfortable.
Now be aware of your breathing. Breathe slowly and deeply, from the
diaphragm. As you inhale, imagine that you are inhaling cosmic energy
into every cell of your body; your mind and body are becoming
completely recharged Feel the energy from the cosmos flowing through
you, washing away all the tensions and negativity, cleansing you inside
and out ... Feel yourself full to overflowing with this purifying
energy, radiating from every pore of your body ... filling your whole
being with joy and love ...
Remain in this position for as long as you like. Afterwards you will
feel completely refreshed in body, mind and spirit.