[6] Yoga Nidra and Slogans for Mind Training - with Mayra Lorenzana - Miles

4:03PM Oct 17, 2024

Speakers:

Keywords:

mind training

lucid dreaming

Dream Yoga

bodhicitta

meditation practice

yoga nidra

mindfulness

relaxation techniques

body awareness

breath control

inner peace

spiritual growth

mindfulness practice

meditation benefits

mindfulness techniques

Hello, hello,

Oh, good. I have a good view. Finally, how is everybody? If I have Oh, Hi, Karen.

Oh, look at you, beautiful. Oh, my

goodness. Is she wise, or what you see right here? Is she good? Thank you for turning on your lights and your cameras to see you. How is everybody feeling

good?

Okay, so we're going to begin about the same way with that little poem that, hi, that it means so much to me, because I think this, in a way, is very symbolic, and it's a lot of imagery that maybe you even do not listen to anymore, because sometimes when we do the same thing over and over, we stop hearing, we stop listening. Somehow, for those of you, there's any somebody that doesn't they treat it on me as do not know Meira or in Santa miles. I've been a student of Andrew now for for some years, and I think since I met him. I think it was 16 or 17 I when I did the first dream yoga course for a tricycle. I think I have listened to something that he has taught every single week, and sometimes it was every single day. Is not the only t shirt I have follow, but the way that he taught, it was something that rang true. And in here I'm just sharing my practice in any mistakes that I make are all mine. They don't come from the teachings or the teachers that have taught me, but the way that maybe is coming through in that sense I want to share, but I apologize if I make a mistake. And we've been doing this in reciting a little poem at the beginning, and we've been reading a little bit of the slogans of atixha. There are 59 slogans for training the mind, and we are in slogan six today. And before we begin, a little warning in terms of we have been going through this so fast, and these are just little drops of a seed that I would like for us to cultivate more in the future. They're tiny, tiny observations of putting it in your mind stream. But there's so much more that can be said about all this, and there's so many hours that can be spent. So if they ring through to you, I invite you to find them. Julie leaf has has them in a PDF online. She also has courses. There

are books,

but the reason what I thought that was important is because we have so many teachings coming from so many especially in this site, you know we have lucid dreaming. And what is lucid dreaming, that awareness that comes when you're dreaming and you know that you're dreaming, and then why? And then you have Dream Yoga, which actually is a little preparation for the Bardot teachings and the process of dying and Dream Yoga is is really more not on it's not only relaxation, but getting to be familiar with the mind, with the mind processes, and what we call emptiness, the illusory nature of of of life, or the way that we experience Life. And we have other teachings that come in different ways, and all of them are different tools that we have to crack us from each side, very slowly, crack us for us to get little bit cracks of that light that shines within that maybe it's been obscured by our habits, our tendencies, things that we learn, and many of them that we're not aware of, but all of them really can lead you through the same kind of teaching. So when we get this mind training, what the mind training slogan is to awaken the mind, lucid dreaming is about being awake in the process of sleeping. Dream Yoga is to awaken the mind and other teachings, there be the long rim, there be other kind of long young meditations, tonglen meditations, yoga. Things that we do is all a process of awakening, awakening eventually to something that we call bodhicitta, which is what we've been talking in the first two to six Logan today. Ultimate bodhicitta would be that that enlightened mind, that is what comes as a consequence of our practice. And today, while preparing for this, I heard something else is that there's no other way if you do the practice and you work with your heart and you work with all these little things cracking it bodhicitta is the natural consequence

of the practice

is what naturally comes when we open and the being, being in that space, being awakened in that way, that ultimate resting that we do that is that is basically that layer after we go to those levels of consciousness, and we just just hover right there, that's what we do. So let's go back to Shell Silverstein. If you want to close your eyes, we go back to that little poem, and just remember, this is what the first grade T shirt taught my three kids when they were in elementary school. And a couple of times I came to the school I said, Oh my gosh, this is a teaching. My kids are 38 and 33 now, so it's been a long time, and I still recited. So if you're a dreamer, come in, if you're a dreamer, I'm sorry, wouldn't I, if you're a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic bean buyer, if you are a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax golden tales to spin. Come in, come in. Thank you, Alyssa, so come in, come in, maybe you close your eyes before we go into the Nidra, we will talk a little bit about yoga nidra today,

just settling your body here, welcoming, welcoming the body here right now. And we all been here many times, not maybe in this session or this meditation, but we have been seeking for a while.

And just notice that the manifestation and the body and the presence here tonight, these little parts of a lot of different people, situations, events that brought us here today, coming from so many places, so many traditions, So many teachings. And here we converge in this moment is place and time,

and maybe with a sense of smile, just being grateful to all those before us and

and knowing everything that is happening now in an infinite Way, and everything that will keep happening after us,

with our beginning and With our end.

Every moment a pure manifestation of grace.

Take an inhale through the nose

and exhale to your mouth.

Inhale through the nose and let it go. One more inhale and let it go.

So. Going back to the slogans we are in number six, the first one was the preliminaries. Are more important at the most important in the preliminaries, we had the truth of suffering, the law of karma. This the solutions that are possible and the path that is possible. And then we began with the ultimate bodhisattva. And it's interesting that it begins with the ultimate it begins with a bigger opening, and then after today, then it becomes a little bit of more, the specifics and the things that are the the first ones. We have heard it with Andrew underneath this forum so many times. Remember the second time is all dharmas are considered. All dharmas as dreams. Then, then we have the nature of the unborn awareness, and then you have to self liberate even the antidote, meaning that sometimes even the tools that we have, we can attach to them and forget about the lack of solidity and lack of lasting effects of every manifestation, that everything comes and goes, and there's nothing that is is lasting. And then we had, last time, the nature of Alaya, and Alaya being almost like that eight consciousness, when we just filter through the ear, the the taste, the sight, the all the five senses plus the mind, and then you rest. And you rest in that in that space that we were talking. Sometimes we don't see it, or we don't feel it because we go so fast. And we had the example of you coming very, very tired home, and you're so completely exhausted, and you sit on your couch and you just

and that space between you begin moving. How long I can be here. Why are you so tired. Why are you not so tired? There is a little hint of the nature of mine,

spacious,

open, pure potentiality where we are, in that in between, where nothing happens and there is no beginning and no end. And we go through those moments very frequently, but we don't slow enough to sense and and to feel it. That's why sometimes in between breath, we have a stop. And even in some of the yogic books, one of the examples that they give for that demonstration of that space is a sneeze. So if you think about it, you sneeze,

everything stops.

There's nothing there's nothing else. And in that nothing else, actually, there's everything, because there, from there, everything is just floating, and everything emerges and everything is potentiality. So I invite you to those moments. So in terms of the sex, then we have that after meditation, post meditation, just consider the weirdest child of illusion. And what that means is just taking the same concept, so you don't have a practice when we are here together and then nothing after that. It's not like you have to work more after that, but maybe that after we go into this meditation where everything kind of falls into place and so on. That makes a little bit of sense. Let me think about that. And you are pretty pumped. If you relax and you stop your system for a little bit, you get maybe a little bit of energy. But when you get out of here, post meditation, and somebody really triggers you that is also the same illusion. And that is the moment that Andrew calls that's the moment or to have to do the contraception, that is the moment where we, if we stop and put that,

that gap in that

exact moment, we have the potentiality of choosing a different path, and it's really, really fast. If some of you were yesterday with the preparing in the meditation, he says at the beginning, it could be maybe a 30th of a millisecond, and that millisecond begins to stretch. In a stretch, and that's what we do with the practice. Why do I tie the slogans with yoga nidra? Because in yoga nidra, we call into that little level of awareness that in between our brain comes down in terms of the waves. We're working with a parasite, parasympathetic system, the nervous system can regenerate a little bit. We feel a little bit more at ease. Sometimes we just get creative ideas coming. And if we hover in that in between, in that liminal state and moment of creation and moment of healing and wanting, of resetting and pushing the buttons to the right place. So in that moment, we we sense that same kind of patterns can come up and we can also make choices. So the slogans is, invite us through meditation and our actions, day and night, and in meditation, to train the mind to know how to react or to react for the better of us. And in yoga, Nidra, we relax the body enough to get familiar with our system a little bit more and see those patterns that are helping or not helping. It just almost like our mind becomes pliable, we notice a little bit more of that resurgence. So the invitation is not to fall asleep, but to allow that level in between. So we use the relaxation process to get us into less defense, not flight response, no fight response, but not to completely fall asleep so we can just become familiar with other processes of our mind. Any questions before I continue a little bit.

So just our techniques that are used. I'm sorry, did I see a hand there?

I'm not sure if I did, unless I

okay

if you raise your hand if you didn't that that's good. So we use the technique to be able to become familiar a little bit more with those processes of the mind. So let's before we lay down, back and to a process of complete relaxation, close the eyes again, take an inhale through the nose

and let it go through The nose. This time,

take any help to the nose, and then go through the nose, one more

and let go.

We're going to bring some movement. If you want to open your eyes to the head, make little circles. Do not go back. Just imagine that you have like a shock on your nose, and you're drawing circles. If you have neck problems or some just go very slow even. Just imagine that you're doing and after the next one, come back the other way.

Why do we do this before the Nidra? Because actually the body is keeping now side to side, left to right first five times,

soft, bringing

the attention to the area around your throat. If you have the image of that red lotus, you can imagine it there. And let's begin right to left five times,

bringing your hands in front of you and making circles with your wrist and.

Trungpa, Rinpoche, and then the other way,

making it fast

and open,

bringing your shoulders towards your ears and let them there. Be tight. Take an inhale. Tight, tight, tight. Hold, hold, even more. Hold, even more. A little more. 123, let go. Let's do one more like that. Inhale. Up tight, tight, tight, even tighter, tighter, tighter, tighter. 123,

let it go.

And then lift the right foot, if you can, and make circles

with your

eye on your ankle area, just circles of your foot, and then the other way,

and then through the left.

Actually, we're moving the body, even if it's with your image, imagination, moving the prana that we're going to settle in very, very, very soon. And we held the arms up. We interlace our finger, flip your hands and exhale out,

maybe lean to the right

and up, lean to the left

and up, bring The hand behind and just lean back a little bit, and then find your pose. If you have a recliner, do that. If you are going to lay down, place a pillow very not your your head should not be really high, but just a little bit of support. If you like a blanket on your body, please do so sometimes, for this practice, I like to put the blanket on my tummy as a manner of just kind of grounding the energy a little bit more, just make sure that you are as comfortable as possible. Just take a few minutes to do that. Just relax back you.

Yeah, everybody can listen and thank you for letting me know.

So even this moment now laying back or sitting like I am going to sit for the meditation, the yoga nidra, just notice your body. Just remember that we relax the body, because it's through the body that We can

experience, realize, enjoy, feel peace and love

this is our spaceship for this moment in time, and whatever version of the body is present today,

aches health or non health, the assisted,

and through here, you can find your freedom because you're already free. So noticing the back of the body, feeling the weight of your bones, your muscles, your skeleton, just feeling the body

towards the ground. You feel grounded, heavy, steady,

being embraced by the Earth,

feeling the back of your head.

The top of your head, the muscles of your face,

your shoulders, your arms all the way from the shoulders to the tips of the fingers,

the area around your throat,

the area around your heart,

the area above four finger widths below Your belly button and towards the back,

your sacrum,

the sides of the body, your thighs, your knees, lower legs,

ankles and feet,

just like a big wave

of energy just bathing you from the inside,

washing you, healing you

All the way to the bottom of your feet. And sense the

body now for tactile sensations. Maybe you feel the weight of your clothing,

softness solid sensations in the body. You notice the air around you,

maybe an itch

and all pain.

Maybe you feel the stress of a fear that we have sometimes

it feels solid in the body and

just spend a few seconds just noticing any sensations, showing your hands, your feet, your Body and

and now listening to sounds and

maybe is the computer or telephone that

you can hear The system.

Maybe is air conditioning or a fan or

I notice whether there is noises coming from the kitchen, from the street, from a TV in another room. You

maybe you can notice animals and their movements or their songs.

You don't have to name it or follow just notice the sounds you.

Now noticing the witness of your body, maybe your mouth, maybe your nostrils, maybe tears in your eyes, maybe imagine in the amount of fluids in your body, and that we're mostly water.

And now we need to make you feel a little lighter,

a little more fluid, and

I now notice them where there is any sense of smell.

Sometimes we can smell the last thing that was cooked at home,

the fragrances of the leaves that are Now falling.

Maybe we can smell our bodies, handles, incense,

and noticing Your taste, maybe a sweet, a sour, not taste. And

and maybe noticing already that even if we do not go any further tonight, we already have stopped and became aware

of so much more

of the spontaneous things that are happening around us all the time

with each one of those little steps were awakening,

awakening to be fully human and

coming to the center of the center of your Heart.

Do a beautiful diamond like point of light,

and checking in to see how you feel,

and setting an intention for the practice

once You have your intention repeated to yourself

three times.

If you have a special prayer, a special guide or angel, a special way that you feel

connected,

maybe by that too. I.

We're going to continue working with the energy of the body, this time with breath. So we're going to inhale, and I redirect your inhales if you do not do it the way, if you get confused, really does not matter. Just continue being aware and relaxing at the same time. So we inhale from the bottom of the feet to the crown of the head. So inhale from the bottom of the feet

to the crown of the head, and from the crown of the head to the bottom of the feet. Exhale,

inhale from the bottom of the feet to the crown of the head, and exhale from the crown of the head to the bottom of your spine.

Inhale from the bottom of your spine to the crown and up, exhale from the crown to the bottom of the spine. One more time, bottom of the spine. Inhale up,

now, exhale to the area behind the below your belly button, front of the spine. Inhale from that area up,

exhale below your belly button. Inhale from the belly button up, exhale to the heart.

Inhale from the heart to the crown,

exhale from the crown to the heart. Inhale from the crown, from the heart to the crown,

exhale from the crown to the throat, row to crown. Exhale crown to throat. Inhale from the crown up from the throat. Exhale from the crown to the center of your head to that third eye. Inhale from the third eye to the crown. Exhale down to the third eye. Now, inhale from the third eye to the crown

and completely let go.

Noticing the sensations of the body here for An inner to

now bringing the attention to the third eye,

to the throat and.

To the right shoulder,

to the right elbow,

relaxing and letting go and

the wrist in the right arm,

The tip of your right thumb,

your index finger and middle finger,

ring finger, motor finger.

There's absolutely nothing to do but placing the attention softly,

almost like A feather, touching above all the right wrist,

elbow

shoulder,

your throat,

your left shoulder, left elbow, wrist,

left thumb, index finger, middle

ring finger and a little finger in the left hand. Maybe feeling a little bit of vibration changes in temperature

oscillations, maybe the mind gets distracted, and every time that we place our attention in the part of the Body, you come back,

left wrist, elbow, left shoulder your throat, Your heart area,

the right side of your chest and

your heart area, The left side of your chest,

your heart area,

your solar plexus,

the area below Your belly button,

your right hip,

right knee,

ankle,

the right big toe, second third, fourth, fifth.

Right ankle, knee, hip,

the area below your Belly Button, open

and let go

left hip And left knee, ankle,

left big toe and second, third, fourth,

little one,

your body's vibrating. Your body's pure energy, life energy, open left ankle, knee.

Get the bottom of the spine.

Below your belly button, your heart area,

your throat and

center, the center of your head,

and the crown and

now Imagine the area this body occupies.

Wide and open and

it's like there's no barriers here. We are all meditating in

the same place,

no Distance, no time.

That's the power of blessings and

Any thoughts that come up, any images, Colors, sensations, I

snow. Deserve this. Play you.

Maybe they're a hint to The luminous nature of mine and

for us not to be slaves of our mind and making our mind service so we have to notice what remind us And

and to notice, We have to relax and

and now for a few minutes, whatever thoughts,

memories, sensations, come to the screen of your mind, Just noticing that they don't have at the beginning or end,

they are the luminous manifestation of Mind And

Notice, what was the last thought or image that you had? I

What about the thought or image before that? I

thoughts or images were like little dreamless and

the teaching says that if we reify them and they are solid, we are asleep.

But if we see it as they are, that's just manifestations and the luminosity of mind we are awake and

noticing the muscles of your face

relaxing your forehead, the inner and outer corners of your eye, the back of your eyes,

bringing a smile to your face, releasing the shoulders even more,

maybe feeling the length, the length of your arms

and your legs,

and beginning to have a sense, with your eyes closed, of

the room where you are,

maybe the people around you

with the doors, a bed, the chair, the kitchen. See how your life is reenacted here. Notice it what is behind you, above you, your feet to your ground, your sides,

noticing how the perception of your body begins to contract and you feel the edges of your skin and your body, your bones, your muscles, your nerves, the blood running through your body and feeding your body and cleansing your body,

your organs, your heart,

we're going to inhale to four, all to Six, and exhale through a through your nose, five times, inhale, 234, hold, 23456, exhale, 23456,

Seven, eight, inhale, 234,

hold, 456, exhale, 5678, do three more on your own, you

now we've removed your intention from The beginning of the practice, maybe repeat that to yourself three more times.

If you have this space, roll towards your right side there for two or three breaths before you sit and we meet in the front of your in front of the camera And

and then we meet in the front and

if you like, you can turn your cameras so.

That was a little longer than usual today, just a tiny bit. I hope it didn't it was not too long for you guys. Good. So in a way, there is no way to do this wrong, because it's really us connecting to

this vessel,

but we bring awareness with each breath and a replacement of awareness to the different parts of The body.

So

did I put you to sleep? Kieran, did I relax you?

Yes, good, very good.

Well, beautiful people, thank you for the opportunity to be here in front of you, and thank you for this platform to trust me to share my practice with you. I guess one of the things that in the last workshop that we took, we took from with Andrew, he began say we are already free. We just have to relax and open. And I said, goodness, why is so difficult? Why is it so difficult? But I invite you to be that mantra today, when we go to sleep, I am going to pretend that we all are saying it together. We are already free.

We are already free,

and this vessel, with all the little cranks and not as young as it was, it's been a beautiful vehicle, and I am very happy that we had had the opportunity to meet in this medium, because this is actually magic. We just get used to magic, and we don't notice that we can connect this way. So we inhale. Their arms up one more time, if you like, the hands come together and towards the heart, if you like, to place your thumbs very lightly in your forehead, body and your mouth, speech in your heart. Heart, mind, the seed of all the wisdom

in our true selves.

Thank you for your presence here tonight, sweet dreams, may your awaken hearts grow and flourish

a very warm. More. Namaste, thank you, thank you, thank you. Bye, Myra, thank you so much.

Bye, bye, thank you, everybody. Bye.