Preksha Dhyana Self Awareness by Relaxation

Author(s): Mahapragna Acharya
Publisher: Jain Vishva Bharati

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indifferent sleep. It is an exercise of the mastery of conscious will over the body by the technique of auto-suggestion. Will, however, is not the tyrant with dictatorial powers, cracking the whip, but as gentle and patient as a loving mother with an obstinate child. In other words, relaxation can never be acquired by force, constraint or violence. In time, relaxation could become a habit, not a mechanical one, but an effortless conscious way of life. On can remain relaxed under the most exasperating conditions. Whatever one may be, one is relaxed, neither tense nor frowning with worry.
Colossal Healing Power of Auto-suggestion
In ancient times, both man and animal had the instinct to guide them to whatever they needed to keep them healthy. But while the animal retained the faculty, man, with the progress of civilization gradually lost the instinct. Somebody, however, in the community did retain enough ability to consult his instincts and was usually accepted as the healer." Apart from nature-healing, diet, medicinal herb, bone-settina minor surgery etc., he also used faith-healing in which he made the patient to relax and gave suggestions.
Thus technique of suggestion (and auto-suggestion) is the most ancient psychotherapy known to mankind. Almost every culture has, in its own way, while exploring the higher state of consciousness, stumbled upon this technique. Each culture. again, has tried to explain these states in accordance with its own beliefs. We are told by researchers that all known primitive cultures had various forms of this process as part of their religious activities. Throughout history, a strong element of similarity kept running through all these forms and the most basic factor had always been relaxation and suggestion which was used to heal the sick. Evidence of such procedures used in Egypt over three thousand years ago are found to be very similar to the modern ones. In the middle ages, faith-healing through touch and prayer became the major role of priests.
1. E.g., also called witch doctor in African community.