Hi Matthew:
This may be different from what you’re looking for – I’ve used it since 1985 and have found it profoundly useful in many contexts. I have used it as the main means of recovering from severe back spasms; as a means of learning to transition from waking into a dream with full awareness, to fall asleep when having a bout of insomnia, and as a means of deepening samata.
http://www.swamij.com/online61.htm
I would suggest trying it for at least a week, daily, to see if it is suitable for you. Also, try as soon as you can to memorize the 61 points (it only takes a few minutes once you get the general contours).
You may want to experiment – one cycle of breath for each point; or just breathing naturally and going from point to point as you feel you have gone deeply, viscerally, into the muscles.
For lucid dreaming, I have found almost invariably that some time after I get to the left leg, vivid hypnagogic images begin to arise. If you can stay with them without losing awareness, you will at some point find yourself in a lucid dream.
For developing samata, going through all 61 points then returning to the heart center and staying in the Still point can be very powerful – thoughts subside completely.
infinitemind 7 years, 8 months ago.
