Preparing for night

The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep, p.136-137

Preparing for Night

1) Clean your body and mind

Spend a few minutes to connect body and mind

  1. Take a bath
  2. Burn a candle and incense
  3. Sit in front of a shrine or even in your bed and connect with enlightened beings or your master

Relax the body and gentle the mind

  • Pay attention to the feeling of your body
  • Cultivate the experiences of joy, happiness, and gratitude
  • Generate positive thoughts and feelings

Imagine being surrounded by enlightened protective beings, particularly by dakinis
Imagine enlightened beings protect you as a mother does her child, radiate love and compassion toward you

  • Sense love
  • Generate feelings of compassion

2) Say prayers and repeat these questions out loud or internally

"May I have a clear dream?"
"May I have a lucid dream?"
"May I understand myself through dream?"

3) Work with breathing as you go to sleep

  1. Try to breathe equally in both nostrils
  2. Gentle the breath and allow it to be smooth and quiet
  3. Does this breath nine times, in meditation posture or while lying down

4) Imagine a red, luminour A on the throat chakra, and focus on it, feel it and fall asleep

  • Feel the A rather than focus on it, merge with it rather than separate from it.
  • If it is too difficult to do so, just feel your entire body, and connect to presence and to compassion.

p. 137 "Upon waking,if you find you feel better and more rested, feel good about your success. Feel the blessings of the masters and the enlightened beings, the pleasure of your own joyful efforts, and the happiness of following the spiritual path. That happiness will encourage the next night's practice and aid in sustaining and developing the practice continuously."