Ok, it isn’t really like me to reach out for help!- but I’ve been in a real “lull” lately with my lucid dream / dream yoga practice and it just occurred to me that maybe connecting with others and shamelessly asking for some motivational encouragement might help! I’ve gone through ups and downs previously with my dream recall, dream clarity, level of lucidity etc but this is starting to feel like one of the bigger slumps. I know things will continue to go up and down so this isn’t some end-all, but I’m starting to wonder when the next uphill will come I think part of the issue is tiredness, some boredome with the practice, and a lack of motivation. The lack of dream recall that I’m having right now can be self-reinforcing. If I remember dreams, I have something to journal, which gets me more engaged, and then things start to take off once again. I have plenty of resources at my fingertips to give me fresh inspiration for new techniques/approaches to play with, but for some reason I feel disengaged. I always join the lucidity induction group meetings and I did yesterday, which perked me up a bit.
If the Nocturnal Meditations are giving you the cold shoulder, I find it very helpful to double down on the meditations and engagement with the Waking Dream (Daily Life).
Do something new
Travel, go for a hike, do a retreat, or go camping.
Study something new
Practice a foreign langauge, etc.
Read a new spiritual book.
And if all else fails:
Divorce yourself from Outcomes
These Nocturnal Meditations are like herding cats.
Oftentimes the solution is counter intuitive, and involves going with the flow, or being untethered to previously held perspectives.
Prayer is a very powerful ally, and praying or meditating with a group I think is even more powerful.
Wholeheartedly ask for help from the Eternal and Indestructible, every night before bed. (Doing this throughout the day doesnt hurt either.)
Slumps are part of the process. Taking a ‘scalpel’ to your old dream journals and dissecting them, may help lead to some second derivative or 3rd derivative perspectives. (Even if you have done this before)
Another solution might arise by incubating this before sleep, and asking the dream for a solution to the problem.
You can also do this with meditation, before you get into deep meditation, ask for guidance on this issue, then detach completely from it. Sometimes brilliant flashes of insight come to me once I have completely or partially freed my mind via meditation.
Wishing you all the best
Smile and take a little break. Sometimes we are just too tight and the practice seems too elusive. AH always says, whether you know it or not it’s working💤
Thank you @NightHawk999 and @Mayra . I’m going through a major life transition right now and I have wondered if my psychic energies are being largely consummed with digesting the past couple years and preparing for the transition. I am being gentle with myself about it and not beating myself up. I mostly miss the rewarding feeling of a rich dream life. It feels like a big part of my life is gone. I have the time on my hands to practically be doing a dream yoga retreat right now but my attention seems elsewhere. I do plan to get out of town for some short trips in the next couple weeks, and I am doing a week-long retreat at a Buddhist center in mid July. I have been reading a wonderful novel and I know I need to exercise- it would make me feel better, but I’m so tired! lol. Maybe this is part of “the big crash” after finishing school and my whole being is decompressing.
Be gentle with yourself, that’s a lot. Allow yourself just to rest. Peace!
Thank you @_Barry ! Good laughs are good for the heart.
Amen Sister!
Very wise advice.
And I would also add while taking a break @Parhelion , do something that really makes your Heart sing. Bonus points if it is something new (like goat yoga, or tai chi in the moon light). But sometimes the well worn trails that you know will make your heart open are the best (country line dancing, hiking, hanging with horses etc etc).
One of my favorite past times is to go to the library, and let my intuition guide me to find either new books or magazines that I know will make my heart light up.
Another is doing a day trip to a forest or beach or mountain, doing a small or moderate hike for exercise, then finding a spot to hang a hammock, rest, meditate, and if I am lucky, nap. [Just make sure you dont forget the tail back to your car!]
Naps are a great way to practice liminal dreaming, and those skills will carry over into LD and DY. Especially if you are doing the Dali or Edison methodology.
One of the members from our dream Sangha said some very wise words once. She said during times of peace and tranquility in her life, she noticed that the dream life became less active, mundane, or dried up completely. But during more chaotic times, it seemed to light a spark, and produce some really big and powerful dreams. Not saying you chase after chaos, quite the opposite. Enjoy this relaxing transition period, and use the extra time to indulge in passions that make your heart open and come alive (and ones you may have neglected due to the hard work of this last year).
This new moon coming up [plan something special and spiritual for it], as well as the 2 other moons this month ( & ) should be very favorable times for your dream life.
In the mean time, relax and go with the flow. One of my favorite recreational activity is letting my intuition guide a free day, and just letting signs and synchronicities dictate what actions I take. Sometimes following this internal compass, without distraction, can lead to some really rewarding experiences.
They call them 3 Jewels for a reason.
I think a more fitting title would be the 3 Limitless Diamond mines
thank you so much for sharing this here, for activating all this love around… this beautiful energy is the kind of feeling that I have since the first day I introduced myself here at NCC…
so much love, community, appreciation, so much good advise… so much CARE…
may all this love keep filling you deeply and boost you up whenever you need it!
Amen Sister
Magic Induction Techniques for Lucid Dreaming
Prayer is huge.
The other is charity.
I think when you volunteer to read to children, or give a homeless person a bottle of (holy) water, or any act of charity with love and an open heart, to help benefit others, can drastically help accelerate your practice.
Amen Sister.
A spa day, or a few days, might do wonders.
Check Groupon, you may find some summer deals of 50% or more for a 1 month gym membership or yoga studio unlimited monthly pass, or many other creature comforts.
Sometimes the best way to love others is through self love. A luxurious massage, or dip in the jacuzzi, or whatever helps bring spaciousness to your heart and mind, can sometimes help recharge your battery so you can go out and help improve the world.
I’m going to use your words on this…
grand slam! hihihi
@Parhelion look what I found at 53:10 of this video, beloved:
It’s Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s answer to the question:
“Do you have any inspirational words or insights to offer us for those times when we’re getting frustrated with our practice?”
"This book is not a book you read during your vacation on the beach "
around 14min mark
“todays the time I am going to change my complete relationship to my sleep and dream”
I would :). Any time, anywhere :). But I understand the idea behind the statement.