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There
are two alternatives, one position is called Jnana-Mudra. Keep your right hand
on the right knee and left hand on the left knee, keeping the palms turned up.
Let the tip of the index finger touch the tip of the thumb with a slight pressure
between them. Keep the other fingers straight.
The alternate
position is called Brahma-Mudra. Keep both the hands on your lap, one above the
other, by keeping the palms up turned. Let the left palm remain under the right
one.
In lying down posture, lie down on your back on a blanket
with your legs slightly apart keeping a distance of about 25-30 cms. between your
heels. Keep your hands along side your body with a distance of about 15 cms. between
the palms and the trunk. Allow your palms to remain open and tuned up.
During the exercise of relaxation you have to practice Mula Bandh
that is contraction of the muscles of your rectum and relaxing them.
Kayotsarga has two implications: Complete relaxation of the body and
self-awareness. Complete steadiness of the body is of course essential throughout
the exercise.
Be alert to practice kayotsarga in lying down
posture. First of all see that there is ample space for lying down. Before starting
the actual exercise, stand up and make a resolve for practice of Kayotsarga.
First step
With folded hands repeat. "I practice
Kayotsarga to relieve myself of physical, mental and emotional tension". Fix the
duration of the exercise for 45 minutes. On completion of this duration, I shall
pronounce "Om Shanti" three times.
Second Step
Stand
straight with the spine and neck in straight line but without stiffness. Keep
your feet parallel to each other with a distance of about 10 cms. between them.
Let your arms hang down loosely from shoulder-joints close to your body with the
palms open, facing inwards and fingers straight and pointing down. Taking a deep
breath stretch your hand above your head and standing on your toes, create tension
by stretching your body fully upward and experience the condition of tension.
Exhale, bring your hands down and relax, and experience the condition of relaxation.
Experience the condition of tension and relaxation alternately three times by
repeating the exercise.
Third Step
Now lie
down on your back and repeat the exercise which you did in the standing position
and experience the condition of tension and relaxation alternately three times
by repeating the exercise. Simultaneously practice Mula Bandh.
Now
spread out your legs slightly apart keeping the distance of about 25-30 cms. between
your heels. Keep your hands alongside your body with a distance of about 15 cms.
between the palm and trunk. Allow your palms to remain open and turned up. Keep
your eyes softly closed. Now keep your body completely motionless. This is very
essential. Slow down the breath, keeping the body completely steady and motionless.
Now try to experience that each part of your body including your
limbs are becoming as heavy as lead. ... One minute
Now experience that
each part of your body is becoming as light as cotton.
.......Two minutes
Starting with the big toe of your right foot concentrate your
mind on it. Allow your mind to spread throughout the big toe. Suggest to the muscles
and nerves to relax 'Relax....Relax....Relax....." Experience that they are relaxing.
Experience that they have become relaxed. In the same way attain relaxation of
the other part of the right leg--- the other toes, sole, heel, ankle, upper part
of the foot, calf muscles, knee, thigh, upto the hip-joint. In the same way relax
the left limb upto the hip-joint. Experience that the whole of the lower portion
of the body has become completely relaxed.
Now achieve the
relaxation of the middle portion of the body from the waist upto the neck. Concentrate
your mind on each part one by one, starting with the lower abdomen, relax the
front, the back, the right side, the left side, the outside and the inside of
your lower abdomen. Now through your navel, enter the abdominal cavity and relax
the large intestine, the small intestine, the kidneys, the spleen, the liver,
the pancreas, the stomach and the diaphragm. Use auto-suggestion and achieve relaxation.
Then concentrate your mind on the chest and relax the entire ribcage beginning
with the lowest rib, relax each and every rib in turn. Relax the right ribs and
the left ribs. Now enter the chest and relax the right lung, the left lung and
the heart by autosuggestion(Those who have got any heart trouble should pause
here for a few minutes and by autosuggestion, slow down the heart to remove stress.)
Then concentrate your mind on both the hands and arms one by one, starting from
the thumb, the fingers, the palms, the wrist, the lower arm, the elbow, the upper
arm and the shoulder. Now achieve the relaxation of the neck muscles in the front
and in the back. Experience that the whole of middle portion of your body has
become completely relaxed.
Now achieve the relaxation of
the upper portion of the body from throat upto the head. Now we come to a little
more difficult part of the exercise. So far you were relaxing large muscles which
respond quickly to your suggestion. But now we have to relax a large number of
small and tiny muscles which are difficult to relax. First unclench your teeth
and unlock your jaws and let your tongue go limp. Keep your lips softly closed.
Now relax all the facial muscles beginning with the chin, the lips, the inner
portion of the mouth including the teeth, the gums, the palate and the tongue,
vocal cords; then the cheeks, the nose, the ears and the temples, both the eyes,
the forehead and the scalp. Through autosuggestion achieve relaxation. Experience
that the whole of your upper portion of the body has become completely relaxed.
Again allow your mind to travel from the head upto the feet and
from the feet upto the head, this time rather quickly and see that there is no
tension anywhere in the body. Experience lightness in every part of the body.
The whole body from the feet upto the head has become completely relaxed.
Remain completely aware of each and every part of the body.
Now
experience that your body is surrounded by a flow of bright white light. Allow
your body to flow in the white stream. Allow your body to let go. Experience that
your, body is floating like a straw. Experience complete detachment to the body.
Experience peace in each and every point of your consciousness.
Fourth Step
Allow your muscles and nerves to come
back to the normal state of working by allowing your mind and vital energy to
go over each part of the body from head to the feet and using slow and deep breathing.
Actually experience each part of the body is becoming active. Conclude the exercise
by three long breaths. Om Shanti
Come back slowly to the posture of sitting.
Repeat the aphorism of taking refuge ...3 times
Repeat 'Vande Sachcham'
...3 times. |