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The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep

Practices for Awakening

Author Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Edited by Mark Dahlby

Paperback

$19.95 US

Shambhala

6.01"W x 8.93"H x 0.72"D | 13 oz | 24 per carton

On sale Aug 30, 2022 | 272 Pages | 9781611809510

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Deepen your awareness through the Tibetan practice of sleep and dream yoga—both presented here in this “thought-provoking, inspiring, and lucid” guide (Stephen LaBerge, PhD, author of Lucid Dreaming)

It is said that the practice of dream yoga deepens our awareness during all our experience: the dreams of the night; the dream-like experience of the day; and the bardo experiences after death. Indeed, the practice of dream yoga is a powerful tool of awakening, used for hundreds of years by the great masters of the Tibetan traditions.

Unlike in the Western psychological approach to dreams, the ultimate goal of Tibetan dream yoga is the recognition of the nature of mind or enlightenment itself. "If we cannot carry our practice into sleep," Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche states, "if we lose ourselves every night, what chance do we have to be aware when death comes? Look to your experience in dreams to know how you will fare in death. Look to your experience of sleep to discover whether or not you are truly awake."

“This book gives detailed instruction for dream yoga, including foundational practices done during the day. In the Tibetan tradition, the ability to dream lucidly is not an end in itself—rather it provides an additional context in which one can engage in advanced and effective practices to achieve liberation. Dream yoga is followed by sleep yoga, also known as the yoga of clear light. It is a more advanced practice similar to the most secret Tibetan practices. The goal is to remain awake during deep sleep when the gross conceptual mind and the operation of the senses cease. Most Westerners do not even consider this depth of awareness a possibility, yet it is well-known in Tibetan Buddhist and Bön spiritual traditions. The result of these practices is greater happiness and freedom in both our waking and dreaming states. The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep imparts powerful methods for progressing along the path to liberation. A detailed guide to using our night-lives for awakening: thought-provoking, inspiring, and lucid.”—Stephen LaBerge, PhD, author of Lucid Dreaming

“This explication of the dream and sleep practices becomes a window on the entire teachings of Tibetan Tantra and Dzogchen. I enjoyed this book immensely. . . . Powerfully and beautifully presented.”—Martin Lowenthal, co-author of Opening the Heart of Compassion

“The most illuminating book on this topic to appear to date.”—J. Marvin Spiegelman, PhD

“This is an appealing book not only for Buddhist dream yoga practitioners but for anyone interested in the whole area of lucid dreaming or dream work. The Tibetan syllables and the places they are to be visualized within the body are clearly illustrated; the practical instructions are well-placed within a theoretical framework; and the entire work has the flavour of direct oral teaching from an expert.”—The Tibet Journal

“Extremely clear and detailed.”—Shambhala Sun

“Powerful methods for progressing along the path for liberation.”—The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies

“Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche has secured his place as the preeminent voice in the world of dream yoga. I refer to his expertise more than any other author and have read this classic book—now wonderfully updated—countless times. He continues to inspire me with the clarity of his insight, the depth of his wisdom, and the warmth of his heart. If you only read one book on the nocturnal meditations, this is it.”—Andrew Holecek, author of Dreams of Light: The Profound Daytime Practice of Lucid Dreaming

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, a lama in the Bön tradition of Tibet, presently resides in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is the founder and director of Ligmincha Institute, an organization dedicated to the study and practice of the teachings of the Bön tradition. He was born in Amritsar, India, after his parents fled the Chinese invasion of Tibet and received training from both Buddhist and Bön teachers, attaining the degree of Geshe, the highest academic degree of traditional Tibetan culture. He has been in the United States since 1991 and has taught widely in Europe and America.