Savasana, a practice of surrender
Less spectacular than Side Crow, Headstand, or Scorpion, Savasana is much more than your favorite relaxation pose at the end of your yoga session. You're not just taking a nap to recover from your sweaty workout.
Like with all other yoga poses, you want to experience Savasana fully conscious. You are awake, focussed, and yet completely relaxed.
Easier said than done. Some argue that Savasana - also known as the Corpse pose or Dead Man's pose - is the most challenging yoga posture in the asana curriculum.
Imagine, you've been giving yourself entirely to today's practice. You're all stretched out and pumped up. Prana is rushing enthusiastically through your earthly vehicle, and now you deserve a good rest.
"Are you kidding? I have to stay focussed?!"
Doesn't it feel good to let go, doze off, and have your teacher's gentle voice bring you back from that far away Land of Dreams?
On some days, I've seen people getting up and leaving class when we prepare for final relaxation. I suppose they consider the course is over, and now we're just going to do nothing, losing valuable time.
Nothing is further from the truth! We're just getting ready to dig deep into the real juicy stuff.
All those Sun Salutations, Warriors, Dolphins, inversions, forward and backward bends, spinal twists, arm balances, and other pretzel-like imitations, are just a prelude for this inner space journey.
Savasana is an essential part of your yoga session.
This so-called 'final' relaxation is a precious practice of surrender. Trusting, accepting, and letting go are valuable skills in these unsettling times. Skills that we can put to work in every situation of our daily life. Skills that help us experience each moment with sharpened awareness.
Systematically, we learn to release all tension in our physical bodies. Firstly, by tensing and releasing every part of our human form. Secondly, by scanning our immobile body, we consciously let go of the remaining tension with the will of our minds. Thirdly, we continue this process of surrender by attentively following our breath's movement, sinking deeper with every exhale towards a state of complete relaxation.
At this stage of the practice, our breathing pattern is natural. We're letting go of any conscious breath control. Like an insignificant bystander, we observe this seemingly perpetual movement flowing through our bodies like an ocean's wave. We notice a tipping point at its crest while at its trough, we trustingly dive into the Great Conductor's fermata, waiting patiently for inspiration to re-emerge.
Finally, we bundle all our attention and focus it on the space between the eyebrows, called the Third Eye or the Ajna Chakra. Here we become aware of the pulsation of Prana, the life force. We mentally repeat the mantra 'OM' on its rhythm, which brings us in a profoundly harmonious and peaceful state.
Most people might want to avoid this subject, but Corpse Pose (what's in a name right?) also prepares us for that day, which we will all experience. That particular day when we will leave this body behind. Nothing scary or freaky, but one of the most natural phenomena in life.
Consider this: when you take that first deep breath right after Savasana, a new life begins!
