Dreaming to wake up

For shamans and women of knowledge, dreaming is much more than the mere act of purifying the mental garbage of the day; in fact, dreaming is entering a state of consciousness where the energetic body awakens and where everything is possible since the limitations of the three-dimensional world do not exist.

According to Sergio Magaña, author of The Toltec Secret, the ancient Mexicas said: "Those who do not remember their dreams are dead in life because they cannot control their life when they are awake... According to my own experience, I assure you that we are not what we eat or what we think, but what we dream. What we eat and think constitutes an essential part of our life, but what most of us do not understand is that what we dream determines what we eat and think, and who we are. People from the past around the world knew perfectly well that we dream something first and then live it."

And just as in Mexica civilization, the importance of conscious dreaming was known in other latitudes such as India, where it was called Nyasa.

But it was not until the 20th century, when Master Swami Satyananda Saraswati adapted and updated the ancient tantric practice and developed what is now known as Yoga Nidra, a technique of meditation and deep relaxation.

Yoga Nidra, as explained by the virtual magazine Consciousness without Borders, is a powerful technique in which one learns to relax consciously: "The state of relaxation is reached when consciousness separates from the external experience (sensory organs) and from sleep, then the mind calms down and becomes very powerful. In this state, we can improve body image, concentration ability, develop memory, increase knowledge, creativity, discover our inner potential, restructure the mind, etc."

Thus, Yoga Nidra, whose meaning is psychic sleep or conscious sleep, is a state of sleep with full awareness, in which the mind remains at the border between wakefulness and sleep, and consciousness is operating on both levels but not associated with either of them.

Nidra is practiced lying on the back, in Savasana or the corpse pose, on a mat, blanket, or carpet, with the arms apart and palms facing up, the legs also apart, letting the feet open to the outside. It is important that the entire back rests on the floor. If the lumbar area does not rest, it is advisable to place some cushions under the knees while maintaining the separation of the legs.

One must try not to fall asleep, if that happens, the practice is resumed until one gains control to remain in the state between wakefulness and sleep.