For Conquering Sleep

(Yoga for People from Whacky Families, pp. 30-31)

Sit on the Heels. Palms on the tops of the thighs. Keep the spine straight and lean back 30 degrees from the vertical position. Hold the posture with long, deep breathing for 1 minute. Then relax.

Still Sitting on the Heels. Fold the arms across the chest and hold out the elbows. Rotate the torso in a circle from right to left. Continue this grinding motion for 3 minutes.

Immediately Stretch the Legs out Straight. Put the hands on the ground next to the hips. With the inhale lift the heels and body off the ground. With the exhale drop the body. Do 20 of these “body drops” with the breath.

Repeat Exercise 2 for 3 minutes.

Repeat Exercise 3 for 15 Body Drops.

Bridge Pose. Sit with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent. Raise the hips up and bend at the knees. The palms and feet are on the ground. Let the head relax back. Hold the pose for 1 minute with normal breath. Continue with Breath of Fire for 3 minutes. Inhale, exhale completely and hold the breath out as you apply Root Lock (Mulbandh). Relax.

Repeat Exercise 3 for 10 Body Drops.

Repeat Exercise 6 (Bridge Pose) for 3 minutes with Breath of Fire.

Bridge Pose. Raise the right leg 60 degrees. Point the toes forward. Do a powerful Breath of Fire for 1 ½ minutes. Then inhale deeply, exhale completely and apply Mulbandh. Repeat the exercise with the left leg raised. Relax.

Crow Pose. Squat down with the feet flat on the ground. With the palms facing down, extend the arms in front parallel to the ground. Inhale deeply as you stand up; exhale completely as you squat down. Keep the spine as straight as possible. Do 30 of these squats.

Lie on the Stomach. Put the palms on the ground under the shoulders. Slowly arch up into Cobra Pose. Hold the pose with normal breathing for 1 minute. Then kick the buttocks with one leg for 2 minutes. Each time the heel strikes the buttocks, exhale slightly. Kick with the other leg for 2 more minutes. Relax.

Rock Pose. Extend the arms straight over the head with the palms flat together. Bring the palms down halfway toward the top of the head with the elbows slightly bent. Raise the eyes up and focus at the center of the skull on the pineal gland and through the top of the head. Continue for at least 3 minutes. Relax.

Comments: If sleep is a constant problem, practice this regularly for 90 days. It can be done before bed or in the morning. If you choose to make the effort into this kriya, it will eliminate sleep disturbances and give you alertness throughout the day.

“If the glandular secretion and the blood chemistry are not right, it doesn’t matter how powerful and wonderful you are,

you are a handicapped person. ”

--Yogi Bhajan