Yoga describes the sleep state as not only an opportunity for stillness in the body, but a necessary part of the soul’s journey back to Oneness. During sleep we return to our original state that was interrupted by us being born into a physical body, and we can potentially access the power of our heart and of greater insight. Samadhi is similar to sleep but with a difference. In sleep, the content-less consciousness is present but not alert. It is hidden, like the tree is in a seed. In samadhi, the seed is broken, and consciousness becomes alert. Sleep can become samadhi if we become conscious and aware of our sleep. By joining sleep with awareness, we can utilize our night for higher workings. The question is how to stay awake in sleep, when it is difficult to be alert even during the day! The sleep consciousness can be effectively dealt with only after the waking mind has made some progress. So, try breathing with awareness, walking with awareness during your waking moments, so that this awareness can be extended to the sleep state. And then practice falling asleep with alertness. One way to do this is to assume a mudra (hand gesture) such as chin mudra, and practice maintaining the mudra throughout the sleep. The dream waves will throw you in different directions, but keep the awareness to come back to the mudra, and the mudra will help you return to awareness. With continued practice, you will soon glimpse a state of alert sleep, and then your sleep would have turned into your most powerful practice. As your practice solidifies, you will be awake enough in your sleep to know that you are dreaming, and then when you translate this knowledge back to your waking state, you will know that life is a dream posing real!

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