Dear Friends,
Namaste!
I am having this extra marital affair
Admittedly with not a little fanfare
Ever since I care to remember
How my wife hasn’t found out I wonder
Daily we meet for much more than an hour
Even after familiarity, the relationship is not sour
Of her divine company, I can never have enough
Every day while parting, my mood hits a new trough
We meet again as gourmets getting off a fast
I savour every moment as if it were our last
We hold each other in an ever-tightening grip
More we stay together, more it gives me fillip
It’s beyond me to resist her tender assault
My wife is really great – it’s none of her fault
Even a week’s separation will surely end my life
Being a loyal husband, I feel sorry for my wife
Today in front of you, her name I wish to reveal
Who knows if it will help my guilty conscience heal
Don’t tell my wife or I will be in trouble really deep
Friends, my part time lover is also known well as “SLEEP”
Even before we start going through the eight limbs of “Ashtanga Yoga” and four major types of Yoga (viz., “Bhakti Yoga”, “Karma Yoga”, “Gyana Yoga” and“Raja Yoga”), we said we will look at the basics of good living first.
Because unless we know (and practise) the basics first, we should not attempt advanced Yogic practices.
And we saw that the basics of good living, as per the God of Yoga, Lord Krishna, are covered by appropriate (or “Yukta”):
1. Eating (“Ahar”)
2. Daily Routine (“Vihar”)
3. Recreation (“Cheshta”) and
4. Performance of Duties (“Karma”).
We dwelled on “Yukta-Ahar” in some detail in the foregoing discussions. Now the time has come to start mulling over what constitutes an “appropriate daily routine”.
Let’s start this discussion with the most relaxing, refreshing, recharging component of our daily routine – sleep!
The science of Yoga attaches tremendous importance to sleep (“Nidra” in Yogic terminology). It is a very basic instinct that Mother Nature has embedded in each and every living being along with the instinct to eat and the instinct to reproduce.Without these instincts, continuation of Life would be impossible!
Sleep is also categorized by the Yogic science as one of the five proclivities (“Vritti”) assumed by our attention (“Chitta”). Whilst the other four (we will study “Vritti” in great depth later because control (“Nirodh”) of these “Vritti” is what Yoga is all about! “Yogah Chitta Vritti Nirodhah”) cause wear and tear of our physical and mental resources, sleep is the only “Vritti” that actually replenishes those.
Sleep is also one of the five states (“Avastha”) that a human being can ever be in. The other four states being:
1. Wakefulness (“Jagruti”)
2. Dream (“Swapna”)
3. Inner Bliss (“Toorya”) and
4. Complete Bliss (“Unmani”)
We will of course understand these states in more details as we dive deep into Yoga-Shastra. For now, it is sufficient to acknowledge where ‘sleep’ fits into the bigger picture and accept the vital role it plays in shaping our lives.
Again, just like in the case of eating, sleeping is such a natural phenomenon, it is such an integral part of our life, that some of us may raise an eyebrow as to what so much ado over sleep is about?
That, exactly, is the point! Our whole trip is about phenomena such as eating, breathing, sleeping, thinking, walking and talking that are so common that they are unavoidable! They impact our lives, our well-being, our happiness! Hence they are important, warrant our attention and deliberation and deserve to be done with equilibrium, poise and grace that will make an accomplished ballet-dancer turn green with envy!
So what questions are pertinent as far as sleep is concerned?
1. How much should we sleep every day?
2. Are there times of the day (and night!) that are more conducive to sleep than others?
3. How does one sleep? Are there recommended postures (in Yoga) that lead to a better quality sleep? Is a particular surface – or a place - better than the other? Will wearing particular clothes lead to sleeping better? Will having particular thoughts help?
4. Are dreams welcome? How about snoring? Is there a way to avoid it?
5. Is duration of sleep connected with age or other factors such as activities of our toolset, viz., the Body, Mind and Intellect (BMI)?
6. How does one overcome insomnia?
7. What about “power naps”?
8. Is it a good habit to curl up in bed with a book (such a fashionable thing to do!)?
See? The list of questions is seemingly endless!
So let’s spend some time on what could potentially be reasonable, logical, good (if not the only) answers to these questions.
Till then...
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