Thread: Dream Yoga of Patience

Basic Skills: Lesson #1

"Sensory awareness Meditaion "

Picking out the different sounds and noisy room

Is interesting how many sounds one finds. I enjoyed very much the blending of the sounds and doing my best to still hear the individual sounds but not focusing on one particular - I think I managed about 3 sounds kind of comfortably but once I went over that it felt hard to keep the others in ( one or all would disappear )�� it felt vey healing and calm when just doing it even for a matter of seconds which made me feel it was very good for me ( and hope to do it more )

My own way of applying it came out today when I started to imagine all the different things that must be going on within the close proximity of where I sat - so many different activities that one could almost call worlds or universes each could be oblivious from the next. As I opened my imagination to this idea and it was like the whole room became huge and so many connections everywhere - yet I focused on nothing in particular ... Could this be doing the exercise with the sense of mind/imagination - if that could exist?

I have also been doing the exercise with Sight - how many things can I keep in view before they start to disappear - incredibly hard sometimes, depending on how tired or how I feel.

Realy looking for some key ways to develop so that LDreaming becomes a part of my path to truth

Went to bed early but read Siversons DreamYoga lesson one over a few times. Put a post up about my work on it so far... realised I have now to bring all exercises into WL more as well which means
1.being more aware of a build up of sounds during my day
- Keeping this going for periods of time

2. being more aware of the things I can feel in and on my body like ... feet on the ground, arms and shoulder pains, hands, face or any pressures ... could be painful or just noticeable or could be pleasure
- Notice it and add it to the list one is working with

Thanks Sivason

Your welcome. You have the right mind set.

Thanks Sivason - been getting my mindset more intuned with these exercises often during my WL. I understood too what Lemon drops said about this probably being a stabiliser for LD'S - I sensed it because these exercises always take me to my stable mind in WL whenever I am practicing them ... Almost immediately I feel more inside myself and grounded in my reality than I did just befor starting them.

Quite often I mix up layers of what I can feel with layers of what I can hear/see/smell - for sometime focusing on one and then on a few then adding one and letting one go.
Is this a good way to keep going with this particular exercise?

My day practice consists of this and then present moment awareness like RRC and then some RC also with some splashes of visualisation of me Lucid and some Mild befor bed

- I do Wbtb too when my schedule alows

In Tibetan Yogas of sleep and Dream it starts out with saying

The first step of this practice is to recognize the great potential that dreams hold for the spiritual journey.

Yes I do know this ...so that's probably giving me the right mindset too - I instinctively feel it while in a LD ... The potential is incredibly vast and profound which is probably why so many people's first lot of LD's are short lived because of this Power one feels. I think I know this power tobe my getting a sort of one on one with my own mind - this is something I love to think of as knowing my own mind with no fear at all only love and straight forwardness in the present -'this is my life's goal - I think

I have quite a lot of NL dreams in 3rd person - its mentioned this as one of the ways to purify karma - do I need to be Lucid in 3rd person ... I don't remember if that has happened, maybe a bit .

I deffinatelly want to use my LD to become more aware of the nature of things -
guess I am in the right place then

Originally Posted by Patience108

Quite often I mix up layers of what I can feel with layers of what I can hear/see/smell - for sometime focusing on one and then on a few then adding one and letting one go.
Is this a good way to keep going with this particular exercise?

Any combination that keeps you exploring your mind and awareness is going to be a good thing.

Hi Sivason Just checking in after some time. Still doing awareness practices of my own but going to do each of your suggested awareness practices some focus during the next weeks agin to refresh. Gonna focus on these first then will go in to next so that I can get more familiar with them and have them at hand when I want during my LDing day work - thanks!

Level 1) Sit in a some what quiet setting, but not a place free of sound. At first just get comfortable and quickly with no special effort determine if any sounds are already being consciously perceived. Sit and just notice which noises you where aware of before paying attention. Now, with your eyes closed, casually explore each noise starting with the most obvious ones. You may first have been aware of the sounds of children playing, and traffic from a near by street. Listen to any of the obvious ones for a moment. Try to visualize in a casual and light manner, what each sound is. Now, your only goal in level 1 is to move around your environment not physically, but with your sense of hearing. You should acknowledge the sounds that were already obvious, then move your awareness of sound around. Try to pick up on the sounds you had not been fully aware of. They will be sounds that are not extremely quiet, and will be easy enough to find. You are simply trying to become aware of the fact that while the sounds were there the whole time, you did not consciously perceive them until you focused.
In an average attempt at this meditation I can often identify about 8 sounds my brain was choosing to ignore. Make a list in your head that tells you which noises you had clearly been aware of and any new sounds that you begin to perceive while meditating. You will find that at most times the world is full of sound we are choosing not to hear.
Level 2) Repeat the level 1 meditation, but this time you will attempt to maintain aware focus on as many sounds as you can. Take the most obvious noises and pay attention to them. Think to yourself about what you are hearing, then while continuing to listen add the next most obvious noise. You may experience something strange here. This level is actually much harder! At about the time you are aware and focusing on 4 or 5 noises, and when you are scanning for more noises, your brain will attempt to ignore the first most obvious noises. Do not get frustrated; just watch the process with interest. Do not stress or become intense. This level may be practiced for years. You are learning to force your brain to acknowledge multiple sensory inputs. Try to get to where you can stay relaxed and keep a full awareness of 8 sounds at one time.
Level 3) To complete this version get to a point where you can perform daily actions while maintaining the same level of awareness as level 2. Here is an easy example. While a person is walking, they will almost always blank out the sound of their own feet hitting the ground. In level 3 do something like go for a walk. While your eyes are open and your feet are moving start to go through the process involved in #2 above. You will be surprised on how foreign trying to hear your own foot steps is if you do not allow your focus to be taken off other things. It is not enough to be able to walk and hear your foot falls. You need to be able to walk casually, hear all the standard noises, and maintain awareness of the sounds of your own feet. If you get good at that add in one more item. Listen to all the normal noises, while being aware of the sound of your feet and the sound of the air moving past your ears, or some other subtle noise your body would normally ignore.

I am starting this exercise too over the next days and am intending on spending some time each day with these

Version 2: Feel an Intense World. I should be able to go over this one quickly as the concepts are the same as above. However this version will deal with the sense of touch.
Level 1) Sit in a quiet setting as above. Now notice the physical sensations that come to you as obvious and that you already were aware of before starting. The normal touch related sensations we are aware of are itching, pain, hunger, cold and those impulses that warn us that we should change our environment. List in your mind all of the most obvious sensations, such as back pain, dry mouth, itchy nose. Now close your eyes, and start noticing the subtle sensations you had not been fully aware of. Notice obvious things at first, like the pressure of your bottom sitting on a surface, then move to subtle things such as being aware that your left sock has slipped down, or that one shoe is tighter than the other. List in your head at least 12 things you were feeling and had not been fully aware of.
Level 2) Repeat level 1, but try to maintain full awareness of as many of these touch related sensations as you can at one time.
Level 3) Repeat level 2, but this time with your eyes open and other distractions to make it more challenging.
Level 4) Lay in bed before sleep and start this meditation. If you fall asleep before you are done that is fine. Start by trying to feel your left foot, then your right foot, and in order, your knees, you hips, your shoulders, elbows hands. Do not move them about in order to feel them. You should be able to feel the bedding or gravity or dry skin at each place. You never really focus on being aware of what each small part of the body is feeling.
Level 5) Repeat level 4 however, you should now work on being able to move through every portion of your body, and perceive the sensations from every small joint and part all the way down to you little toes. Work your way through your entire body starting with the toes. Get to where you can become fully aware of any physical sensory impulse from even the most minor contact with part of your body.

I have just been doing the first exersizes agin for a bit and stop - I am sitting on a chair the sunshine is willing in throught the blinds as I rest a while feeling relaxed. I am quickly aware of the sound of a Lorry passing through close by and at the same time the sound of an airplane over head ..lI combine these sounds naturaly and instinctively now after reading through and focusing on them ...with the sound of my breath and the soft tingling sensation in my foot as it rests on the couch as I write I feel the tension in my body as I am in a funny angle trying to write - I am reminded of the simple beauty of these exersizes ; my focus is stretched yet relaxed ... I am expanding through this or I might call it making friends with more of myself

Update

Continuing being mindful of sounds and layering sounds during my waking life - also feeling different things as I walk as I talk as I listen as I do etc etc. Layering sense experience - I find this almost imediatelly rewarding many times - a grounding feeling and presence of self here comes about ~ with a refreshing ' no big deal' attached to it - it's pleasant even when it's not if you know what I mean.
I Will continue this

The first Lucids I had since starting this agin came a few days after on my Sunday - 3 or 4 short Lucids close to waking up time but with incredible clarity/vividness and something extra that I later connected to these exercises. In all 4 Lucids I spontaneously choose to have music playing in the back ground! I never intended to ( didnt do incubation for it )but at the beginning of each lucid I requested the dream to play me something ' cool' ' interesting' or along those lines- and so it was it was mostly funky guitar rifts and random songs I didn't recognise from WL but I really enjoyed them!

Giving myself time to ponder about this now makes me feel it's pretty good ...I can count this as part of my Dream Yoga in the sense that I ' manifested' something! I wanted music - so I made music! That's progress I think

During some lucid dreams this morning I remember to change the colour of object and have some fun with that~

I see a couch chair I turn from its original brown to blue. I see an object on the side like a plate or something and turn it yellow. I look at a DC's face and turn it blue and another's green.

I am pretty sure I remember these from one of the next steps yoga meditations I read through before -

Dream Yoga update,

Been pretty distracted of recent - when I get like that it's almost ' painfull' to focus on something in particular. When I recognise this I try to find a lucid dream focus to direct me - this time I am here agin with Sivasons guidance.

I have been spending some time each day with the next lesson of vision.
Dream Yoga Basic Skills: Lesson 2

I must admit I found the non focusing very easy at first but then very challenging - I am sticking with this one for a bit now. I have watched a moovie - but not remembering all the way through yet ...but I will soon - and enjoyed it immensely ~ it's a relaxing calming feeling to have this relaxed attentive non focusing attention. I realy like the feeling but it's still challenging.

Like it says in the last bit it's very challenging not to focus in on something ...whatever it is...it's like an addiction for me to focus I notice...after doing this for a few minuits everything goes into a little bit doubled over vision and this feeling comes over me that I " must focus" or else or else or else " what" I ask myself gently - it's interesting to watch my self sweating it out with my zombie face on the outside...I am deffinatelly continuing this each day for a bit now.

I hope this will help me gain steadyness in my Lucid dreams as I often have the feeling I will come back to my waking body much to early...just for the feeling of coming back...maybe this focusing job can help me with that - to keep on in my magical dream world for longer adventures.

Here the Basic 2 lesson to remind me

Thanks Sivason

Defused vision
Level 1: Simply do not look at any object ahead of you.
You should try to be aware of what is in the edge of both sides of your visual field. You will likely try to look at something directly in front of you, or your eyes will attempt to move towards one side and focus on something over there. Your goal is to hold two objects or moving scenes in your awareness without allowing your eyes to move towards the side. You also want the eyes to be in a relaxed state and not shift to an object in front of you.

Level 2: Place an object like a coin, pen, crystal, about half an arms length (you can hold it) directly in front of your eyes. You are now supposed to look directly at the object for a moment in normal vision. Then relax the eyes. You must learn how to over ride the fine muscles that cause the eyes to focus, as well as the gross muscles that control binocular vision. Diffuse vision does not use binocular focussing. Look at the object, but do not allow your eyes to come into focus on any object. You should look like the vacant faced stoner or an android. The entire portion of your face involved with eyes should relax. You want to be fully aware of the object, but fight the impulse to let your eyes focus on anything using binocular focus. You should attempt to stay unfocused for over 2 minutes.

Level 3: Simply combine the first two lessons. With out employing binocular focus, be aware of the object right in front of you, and an object on either side. [B]Try to understand what mental impulse is trying to make this hard to do. Something in your mental state will fight you and try to force your eyes into focusing on an object or spot. I can not "teach" this part of it. You need to identify what in your mental state keeps forcing you to "look at something" rather than "just seeing something." You may spend years working this out. In the end learn to supress that part of your mind. Learn to not have to comply with the demand, that you do things the way you have always done them[/B] before. Mental discipline is the needed thing; develop it.

Level 4: The true goal! Use the type of vision you developed in lesson three and attempt to watch a colorful or action packed movie. I would suggest that your eyes rest off to one side of yhe TV by a few inches. Your goal is to sit and see the show, enjoy the show, and understand what you are seeing, for 10 minutes, without succumbing to the impulse to look at the screen (or anything) using binocular focus.

Mental discipline is needed here so develop it - ok Siavson I want to ok I can see this training here showing me how much I want to focus on random stuff when I have been with ' defused vision ' for a minute or two and this is my distracted mind right? Ok what do I need to do to bring this wild horse of a mind to peace in context of this task ...like how much/often do you think I should do this and would it be helpful to chant a wee mantra about lucid dreaming while doing it to keep me on the topic? Thanks

I notice this morning when attending to this exercise that my eyes want to focus on an object in front at the same time as thoughts enter my head...when I begin thinking of something/anything in particular my eyes stop on loose thier relaxedness and so loosing the objects at the sides - that means becoming binocular I assume

So I guess it's the thoughts I need to let go/ignore inorder to become better at this?

Originally Posted by Patience108

I notice this morning when attending to this exercise that my eyes want to focus on an object in front at the same time as thoughts enter my head...when I begin thinking of something/anything in particular my eyes stop on loose thier relaxedness and so loosing the objects at the sides - that means becoming binocular I assume

So I guess it's the thoughts I need to let go/ignore inorder to become better at this?

You are on to something here! Keep exploring that line of thought. Good job.

Thanks ~ been bringing the zombie stare into my daily life too today when I remember ( quite a lot today ) was thinking about why we want to "look at" and not " see " life/things/each other as you mentioned in lesson...when we 'look at' its like we block everything out and go into a kind of 'stalking' mode and my body feels more tense and ...small I think. When I remember to come out of stalker/binocular and include my peripheral vision scene or objects I feel ' bigger,wider' and thoughts feel they can flow by better although it's not good for ' thinking' about a topic ...I get the feeling if I got used to it I might find a way to ' feel' things through better ~ I like the idea of this

Early this morning before work around 7 -7.30 had a memorable semi lucid where I am very clear minded ; knowing I am dreaming and testing out different modes of flying. Although I know I am dreaming it didn't feel the intensity of my usual Lucid's so I am not counting as a lucid mainly coz I can't remember the point at which I clearly had the immaculate realisation that ' I am aware in my dream'. I must have had a high awareness though.

The way I am testing out different ways and speeds of flying was quite intricate and almost scientific...flying a bit then imagining the wind blowing hard against my arms and face and realising this makes me seem as if I am flying faster and further and then seeing the enviroment around me changing so that I " am " actually going faster. Doing this more than a couple of times - experimenting with feeling effects on my body to create movement and speed etc as I fly in my dream. It was very much fun and my level of concentration as well as awareness may be due to these exercises recently. Rock on dream yoga power may I be a pivotal instrument to mankind and whoever else needs me ( for good of course!)