What is written in the primary sources? We will begin with the most known text on a daily routine subject — Ashtanga-Hridaya samhitа. This treatise — one of the most authoritative texts in an Ayurveda written in the 6th century AD by Shrimad Vabhvata. The text is included into Brihat-triy, the three of initial medical primary sources and begins words: "So Atrey told and other wise men".
So: "The healthy person has to get up in time Brahma-muhurta to protect the life". What does it mean? Brakhma-muhurta — the special period in a daily cycle, the time of about 1,5 hours before the dawn and about 48 minutes after. Yes, you will think, it is good for them in India, they are closer to the equator, and sunrise in the winter doesn't differ from in the summer as in Eurasia. Really, let's consider a question from the point of view of common sense.
Why wise men recommended to get up before sunrise? First, the sun bears in itself very active energy that stimulates our sympathetic nervous system and induces to intellectual and physical activity. Of course, at this time it will be heavy to calm mind and to make it unidirectional. And what the modern science speaks? The scientists studying circadian rhythms of the person noticed that during the period from 23 to the 7 morning is observed the minimum number of warm reductions, respectively, and breath frequency the lowest. We draw a conclusion, remembering interrelation of activity of mind and breath that mind is quietest at this time.
Maybe will be better to meditate at night? Will help to understand it both primary sources on yoga and modern science. In Shiva-samhita we read: "When Prana goes through "sun", Pingala, (Day) yogin has to eat food. When Prana goes through "moon", Ida (night), yogin has to go to the bed". Scientists confirm it from the physiological party. In the first half of night the organism allocates the maximum quantity of a growth (somatotropic) hormone which stimulates processes of cellular reproduction and growth. Do you remember? When in the childhood us put to bed, often said that we grow in a dream. In fact, so it also is, at this time there is a regeneration and clarification of tissues of body.
In what reasons of need of early wake up for the practicing? The matter is that at this time the most part of people still sleeps, so influence of their energy decreases. Thereby, allowing you to practice in conditions smaller "energy noise". I think very few people from reading this article live in a distance from the cities, villages and settlements. So this factor is extremely important.
So, let's try unite all these moments — important to synchronize rise with activity of the sun and thus to wake up earlier, than the average person. As a result we will receive that it is better to wake up no later than dawn, and in the winter (when dawn can be and in the 10 a.m. mornings) approximately for an hour - two to general activity population in the summer. In the winter the need for a dream increases because day is shorter than in the summer. Therefore is optimum to wake up in the summer about 4 a.m., in the winter in 5-6 a.m.
Let's understand now when it is necessary to go to bed and how many hours are required on a dream. Here primary sources are silent about concrete time, but instruct on that yogin has to itself, depending on the state to define, how much time he need for a dream. A median way about which Buddha spoke we find in all ancient treatises. We will address to Ashtanga-hridaya samhita: "Those who indulge in too much of exercise daily, who keep themselves awake till late nights, regularly, who walk long distances regularly, who indulge in excessive sexual activities, too much of laughing, speaking, and such other strenuous activities, will perish, just as a lion perishes after vanquishing an elephant".
And also we read in Bhagavad-gita: "O Arjuna, the person will never become the yogi if he eats too much or too little, sleeps too much or sleeps insufficiently".
How many hours of a dream at adequate practice and day activity will be enough? The modern science recommends to sleep 7-8 hours. Scientists divide a dream into 4 phases, basic of which it is a phase of a slow dream and a phase of a REM sleep or a phase of fast movements of eyes. Thus it is desirable that awakening happened on the last. The full cycle takes about 1,5 hours. Normal restoration requires 3 first full cycles, i.e. 4,5 hours of a good full-fledged dream without breaks. It is the minimum daily requirement.
As a result we receive that modern practicing it is necessary for a dream from 4,5 (we don't take extreme borders, we remember Arjune's manuals) till 6 hours. At most 7,5 hours. I remind that thus you have to feel like the holidaymaker and full of strength. Uselessly to limit itself in six, for example, hours of a dream if thus you are completely broken and rather similar to a sleepy fly, than to the yogi.
What to do if on a dream not less than 7-8 hours now are required, thus and it is necessary to practice in the morning, and to sleep it isn't possible to lay down before the 10 p.m.?
First of all pay attention to your activity during the day. The more we spend energy, the more time is required on restoration. The Bihar School of yoga writes about importance of balance of Ida and Pingala during the day, that is is conditional balance of Rest and Activity. If you run like a squirrel in a cage 12 hours per day, be not surprised that at the remained 12 hours you will be zonk out. Everywhere know when to stop — both in work and in rest.
The second moment — do in the morning a pranayama. It isn't obligatory to practice difficult energy technique. Everything is good in its season. Sometimes the simplest practices — the most effective. A task — as much as possible to thin energy vibrations, to rise up it to the highest centers. The energy is thinner, the less it is spent. And the energy consumption is less, the less time is necessary for restoration. Here such vicious circle — you want to wake up earlier for practice, to practice!
The third moment — stick a day regimen within a week. Yogis have no days off! You don't bring yourself to a state, when you feel sick both from early wake up and from practice. Present a pendulum if you rock it in one party, then it with the same amplitude will shake in another. Result zero, but time will be spent in vain.
The fourth moment — refuse any energy drinks: coffee, black and green tea, chocolate and cocoa, redbulls. That they, of course, give energy. A question here, from where they take it? The answer simple — from stocks. Yours. On credit. On the law of energy conservation will zonk you out all the same, only later. It will be required to time for a dream much more. And what for? For the sake of short-term effect?
Fifth moment. Try to define empirically time of a fast phase of a dream — for this purpose within a week determine different time on an alarm clock with frequency 20 minutes and in practice define when easier to wake up.
In end I want to pay attention to the most important point in this article — on how we will spend that time and energy which at us will appear at implementation of all recommendations. Fine manuals are given in Ashtanga-Hridayа samhita "All (human) activity is intended for wellbeing of all living beings; this wellbeing is based on a Dharma therefore everyone always has to follow by the way of virtue... Compassion to all living beings, donation, control over a body, speech and thoughts; care of others as about themselves, - the principles of virtue".
Good practice! Om!
The author of article is the yoga teacher Kseniay Nechay