Savasana - Corpse Pose
A few months back, I wrote that Tadasana was the grandfather of all yoga poses. So now I'll introduce the grandmother of all poses: Savasana
Just as the genes of Tadasana are inherited in all the poses, the DNA of Savasana are present in all of our asana practices as well. Physically, Savasana looks a lot like the easier, lying down version of Tadasana. The paradox of Savasana is that while it may seem to be a very easy pose from the outside, internally it is often the most difficult. It is also the most rewarding and revitalizing of the poses.
Savasana is the pose of the corpse. A student once asked me if we should actually be trying to die in corpse pose? Well, we are not trying to be dead, but rather, 'still' like a corpse. In Savasana, we commemorate the death of our ego, not the death of our body. Just like all other yoga poses, we imitate the shape of the pose's name, but do not literally become that object. For example, in cobbler pose, our bodies emulate the shape of a shoe cobbler, we don't actually quit our jobs and become cobblers. In Savasana we make a reflective surrender by imitating death. We let go of all our attachments and look beyond life.
At first blush, you might think Savasana is just like 'resting' or 'sleeping, ?which may seem easy since you've been doing that your whole life. What makes Savasana different from 'resting' is your awareness - in resting, your mind floats all over the place ?in Savasana your mind is focused. You could think of Savasana as 'mindful relaxation.'
What makes this pose difficult for most people, is that there is nothing to 'do' during the pose. Throughout our lives, we constantly train our minds to be 'thinking' all the time: trying to solve problems, figure out what to do next, or deal with our emotions. During practice, it's so easy to drop into thinking about "what happened at work" or "what am I doing after class." However, in Savasana, we aim to do the opposite. We keep our awareness with the experience of our whole mind and body while lying totally motionless. And this is where it becomes difficult, staying completely still, focusing all our senses on the pose, while experiencing the subtle, refined energy moving through us.
Physically, getting into this pose is rather easy. First, lay down on your back comfort-ably. Stretch your body out so you are equally long on both sides of your body. Extend your legs slightly apart and let each foot flop out to the side. Place your arms comfortably to the sides of your body, turn your palms upward and let your fingers curl. Now, start breathing slowly into the heaviness of your body.
Allow your arms, legs, and torso to feel as though they are melting into the earth. Release the muscles along your lower, middle, and upper back. Relax your shoulders away from your ears. Let your head be heavy and your neck soft. Rest your brain towards the back of your head. Let your eyes rest deep in your eye sockets.
As you exhale, deeply relax your chest, rib cage and your belly. Let all your internal organs be soft. As your physical body calms down, your mind and emotions will naturally quiet as well. Mentally follow your breath and observe tranquility, serenity, harmony and stillness. Allow yourself to just 'Be.'
Be aware of your whole body - and the stillness in the body - and remain in this experience. You may feel sensations in your body and might want to adjust your body or scratch yourself. Try not to respond to these sensations - relax toward the impulse and remain completely still. If a thought comes into your mind that makes your concentration slip, just note the thought, and gently return to the experience of stillness.
Basically, that's all there is to it. Now, try to incorporate Savasana's serenity in the body during your yoga practice - it should be present in every pose. Then try incorporating Savasana in other situations in your life. Even right now, just close your eyes and experience this calm stillness for a few minutes.
Amir