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Our Journey into yoga begins by exploring and experiencing shavasana and what this closing pose has to offer to both the body and the mind.
When was the last time you completely let yourself rest and relax? When both the mind and body were able to "shut off" and there was nothing to do but breathe? Our journey into yoga begins by discussing and exploring a pose that ends every yoga class: shavasana. This pose asks very little of us; to lie still; to relax our minds and breathe - it does however ask one very important thing of us, and that is to stay present. Keeping the mind present and relaxed in the moment is often very challenging to us - we are programmed to 'think' and to 'do' and shutting off the bus(y)ness of life is much easier said than done. This user friendly introduction into shavasana will hopefully have you returning to this wonderfully peaceful pose time and again.
Hi and Welcome to your Journey into Yoga! I’m Avery Rich and am so happy to have you along for the ride
It’s a random Tuesday and Jill is feeling inspired to make the leap and head to her very first yoga class. Armed with a “still in the plastic” yoga mat she is well researched and knows the route to her chosen studio. She arrives, as uncomfortable as ever- but she is committed to the cause. She makes it through the class- she’s feeling surprisingly good and then she hears the instructor say it’s time for Shavasana. Unsure of what that cue means, she readies herself for her next pose, and then…something eerily strange begins to happen. Like dominos, she sees one person after the other begin to lie down on their mat. It gets even more strange!! Some are even taking the time to cover themselves with blankets - eye covers, she even sees socks being put on. What’s going on???”
Shavasana
Even the word says “aaahhh” For those of you who have ever attended a yoga class, this word will be familiar to you; for those of you who haven’t, shavasana is the final pose of every yoga class - the end if you will. Translated from its sanskrit name, shavasana means “corpse pose.” Fear not, we don’t actually “die” at the end of a yoga session (sigh of relief track inserted); so what does this pose mean? what does it ask of us?
*Be Still
*Relax
*Find Calm
*Try not to move or fidget
Now unlike a corpse, we breathe!
So why have I chosen to start my first episode with the last pose in a yoga class?? [put emphasis when reading First and Last]
Simply put, because it is THAT important. It may also be the most challenging yoga posture you will ever do.
other voice - But how can that be????? How can lying still be the most challenging pose??? I think you have your facts wrong!!!!
Well, think about it….what is the pose asking of us…
On a physical level, the pose asks us
-to stay still for a few to several minutes
-to relax and be calm
But on an emotional level, the pose asks us to
-still (the mind)
-relax the mind (stay present)….
Hmmmmm… that second part seems a bit more challenging….Keep my mind present and calm??? How??? Well, if you can relate to this, you are not alone.
True story - when I began practicing yoga many years ago, at the end of every class when my instructor would cue the start of shavasana, I had the huge urge to leave….here was my thought process:
“It’s over right?”
Certainly all the good stuff was done and I didn’t need to remain in class just to “lie there.”
I had things to do! Groceries to buy, errands to run. I didn’t have time to just “lie there.”
If I wasn’t doing anything, in my mind I was done.
I feel that I am not alone in this thinking - We are programmed to feel we always need to be doing something. Doing nothing is not permissible or acceptable. We need to be planning, plotting, initiating - we need to DO things! It took me a long time to realize that:
DOING NOTHING IS A HUGE PART OF A YOGA PRACTICE
Settling into nothingness; being still with your breath; not thinking - what a gift Shavasana is.
Whether it happens for 1 minute or an entire hour, it’s a part of the practice to embrace and look forward to. It’s like a stamp at the end of the practice where we are given permission to “Do Nothing”.
Is doing nothing wrong?? It’s a recharge - or maybe even a reset. It’s an opportunity to rest and rejuvenate the mind, body and the breath.
Even to this day, I sometimes have challenges not using my time in a shavasana to plan the rest of my day or week - it’s easier to redirect the mind into “something”. Shavasana is a constant learning experience for me, one which i now fully enjoy and accept all the challenges of.
Find a comfortable place to lie down where you won’t be interrupted.
Gently allow your eyes to close so that you are not distracted.
Take a moment or two to Notice if you are holding tension in any part or parts of your body - sometimes this is happening and we don’t even know it
Are you:
- tensing the muscles of your face (relax)
-clenching your jaw (slightly separate the teeth so that the jaw can relax)
-gripping into the throat, let it go
-let your arms and shoulders rest heavily into the floor
-soften your belly space
-relax your pelvis and hips fully and completely
-let each of your legs rest into the earth
-relax your ankles, feet and toes
RELAX RELAX RELAX
Now, relax your mind…notice thoughts that may be there - could be thoughts of the past or the future, let them all go and direct your mind to your breath…’INHALE I AM INHALING, EXHALE I AM EXHALING…repeat this phrase mentally as you take each breath…as you Inhale, I am inhaling, as you exhale, I am exhaling.
RELAX RELAX RELAX
For the last 2 minutes, guide back to being awake. “Until next time”
