Savasana is quite a profound lesson, once you are able to stop resisting.

The first time I witnessed Savasana was at a gym.  I was waiting for a group fitness class to start as the yoga class was finishing up in the group fitness room.  The class was laying on the ground – I didn’t understand – why were people at a gym – having a nap time?  Over the next few years, I found myself drawn into the yoga practice and I found that my mind was still resisting the end of the practice lie down called Savasana.  Savasana translates to corpse pose – to be honest the translation does not make it more enticing…

The purpose of the relaxation at the end of a yoga practice baffled me.  Some teachers said it was to let go and let the practice sink in…  Some said it was a practice of conscious relaxation.  Some said it is an opportunity to tune into your body’s prana (energy) flow. It may be all of those or none of those depending on the moment.  I was resistant to all of it.

Resistance and the art of practice:  Yoga has life lessons to teach.

I have learned more about my personality from the pose Savasana.

I am hard headed.
I prefer structure.
I resist paying attention to my body and checking in.
I can be weak in my concentration.
When I look at myself I see my weaknesses first.
I resist forgiving myself.
What you see at first are the flaws, we are our own worst enemy.

You would think that the Savasana pose is simple. Lie down and rest. In our present day, we do not often put ourselves in the position of rest or reflection. We are entertained and distracted, overworked and overplayed. So what happens when you stop all the nonsense and let yourself tune in to the reality of the moment. The reality of the yoga practice is that it is empowering to the body. Strengthen the muscles, create more balance, exercise the ligaments and joints through stretching, and center your attention and concentration. It is not possible to balance in tree pose and make a decision about dinner at the same time. You must focus, You must feel your body, You will see yourself evolve, mold and adapt. As we grow in awareness and learn to pay attention to the details of the moment – the final resting pose also evolves.

Grounding is the ability to come into the present moment. The yoga practice is grounding, because it forces your attention into the here and now. The mind is freed from worries of the future or regrets of the past and becomes rooted in self awareness. The yoga practice begins with movement to draw your awareness into your body and your present moment. Your breath syncs with the movement and the practice becomes a mediation that ends with a final relaxation.

Let your body land.

Let your breath arrive in your body.

Let your mind rest in your body.

Notice.

~ Jillian Pransky, author of Deep Listening