Hi!
*Waves* Okay, so this would be my first attempt at an online workbook, so I might try to derive some aspects of other workbooks and apply it here so this workbook looks more constructive, and appealing to my eye. As you (maynot)know, I like it to be fun to look at as well as write. I do think I'm going to print out the lessons though as I think that will help me focus on the task until I memorize them. Tape the lessons to focus on for the week to my fridge or whatnot...

So I've been mostly focusing on Dream Yoga Basic Skills: Lesson #1: Sensory Awareness Meditation, although version #1 is Listening to a Noisy World. Although, it's a listening exercise, I've been leaning on the visual aspects. So rather than get lost in my thoughts or head, I try to bring my awareness to everything in my visual field. I try to soften my focus, utilize my peripheral vision, and try to widen my field of awareness. It feels like I just take a deeper breath with my eyes. I've noticed a distinct difference in my focus(& facial tension) whereas it seems like I will focus my field of vision on a specific area, and may find myself squinting, but when I relax my focus to take in a broader field, I relax a bit. I've also noticed more, like I couldn't see a traffic light ahead, but noticed the reflection on the side of another car. In certain contexts(fairs, busy events,etc.), I tend to get overwhelmed by all the visual noise or clutter, and it feels like I can take more in without being overstimulated and able to relax more, without my awareness suffering due to blocking out information. Such as before I would prioritize visual stimuli, and tune out other noise, now I just relax, try to be softly aware of several things at once but not clinging, grasping or hyper-focusing at one subject. I hope this is correct methodology....(?)

In reflection as to how it's affected my dreamstate, I've noticed more vivid dreams, (the colors seem to pop, scenery, etc. seem more alive) and come back with more visuals upon awaking.

Also, when I was putting the youngest one to nap, I was rocking her in the chair, so thought it would be a good time to practice. I kinda bounced around from focusing on one subject and trying to focus on many. It was a long night prior, after a small amount of time, I was struggling to stay awake, so I decided to fall asleep(it's like I release, I feel a wave of sleepiness and ride it to unconsciousness if that makes sense).

It seems like only a few minutes had passed and I woke up, the little one was still asleep, but I noticed that it was pitch black except for the narrow field of vision I was focused on, which had a similar appearance to a flashlight/torch. I shifted my focus on my surroundings, trying to figure out the cause for the strange visual anomalies. Wherever I focused my awareness, was illuminated, and what was not was dark(very much like a flashlight in the middle of darkness, except technically, it was the afternoon and sunny). I ended up concluding that I was awake(not LDing) but perhaps my body was asleep, given that it was noon, and the sensations were similar to an OBE but I wasn't out. So I just focused here, then there, far and close, noting what I saw and didn't see. I increased my aperture of focus, then hyper-focus in, I could see the pores on the skin of my little one's face, the soft curve of her cheek, then I tried to meditate, and focus internally, watch my thoughts, etc. not sure what to do(many uh now what do I do moments?)....then I decided that the little one would most probably be up late at night again given her owl-esk nature so I decided to slip off into unconsciousness to see if that would help me with the long night ahead. I watched myself slip into a deeper state of unconsciousness, then I black out. I wake up a couple minutes later....now I'm wondering if I did it wrong or should have approached it differently? Not sure what to do in that state(whatever it was)?