The Respect for SleepAs we all know, sleep is very important, not only from the physical point of view but also from considerations of mental well being. Usually, we have more important things to do – emails to reply, bills to be paid, papers to file, deadlines to meet, the dog to be taken to the vet, and so on. In addition, you are perhaps busy writing a book on how to find leisure! The result: Sleep becomes the first casualty. So long as sleep is treated as a secondary thing, it is unlikely that one becomes interested in natural spirituality. Once a person is drawn to the region outside the common rut, there is the inclination to respect sleep as an honored facet of life. This does not mean wallowing in laziness by extending the hours of sleep but that we understand its spiritual content in addition to its palpable one. Then we respect it and observe the characteristics of its quantity and quality. We move to appreciating the sublime role that sleep plays in our bio-rhythm.
How much attention do we pay in making the bed? Does the linen in contact with the body get washed frequently? With what care do we prepare the elements? Are the bed, the pillows and sheets homologous with the natural profile of the body while asleep? Is the bedroom well ventilated? Is it dark enough and noise free? After taking food, does enough time elapse before going to sleep? Do we unburden all our mental loads before falling asleep? Is one calm enough to watch sleep entering the body?
Varying Consciousness
Three types of consciousness are recognized in human beings: (1) ‘Susupthi’, the deep dreamless sleep, (2) ‘Swapna’, the dreaming state (known as the REM period) and (3) ‘Jaagrat’, the wakeful state. It is during Susupthi that the system gets the opportunity to rejuvenate the body and mind. The longer this period, the better. One can explore into the ways of extending the Susupthi hours. Rejuvenation proceeds probably even during the Swapna period but perhaps with less efficacy. However, it has been found that Swapna helps the brain to shed some of its stress. During Jaagrat both the body and mind are active and so they do not get enough rest. The tendency is more towards being stressed. Instead of being de-stressed, they become distressed!
It is good to understand the meaning of sleep in the context of the wider consciousness – its place in the spiritual realm. At nights, the rejuvenating movement is effectively fulfilled only if we remain self-aware during the day. A quiet, non-interfering attention to one’s thoughts and feelings during the wakeful hours brings about a detachment that can usher in a strange order in the mental field. That effortless detachment is the key to spiritual transformation. Inner conflicts cease. Then we sleep more restfully at nights, so the rejuvenation process is unhindered. There may be dreams but not of the disturbing kind.
The Bardo
Two interesting periods, called the Bardo, with regard to sleep are the moments just before falling asleep and those just before waking up. If we apply ourselves to those two periods in terms of awareness, we would discover the state of a silent mind.
Those, who wish to apply themselves to the issue of holistic living, care for the kind of sleep and Bardo mentioned above. More along those lines are explored in the book “In Quest of the Deeper Self’, details of which are given in the site http://spirituality.yolasite.com