Savasana is the most ignored posture, but it is also the most important. I find that all too often I attend a class where we work our mind, body, and spirit very hard only to take a two-minute savasana, if that. I like the advice I got from Syl that for every 20 minutes of asana practice we should take a 5-minute savasana. That means if I am in an hour class that I should take a 15-minute savasana at the end of the class. This pose is a place for the body (and mind and spirit) to re-align itself and to absorb all the work that has just been done. I truly believe that we practice yoga in order to meditate and slow down. As a teacher, I also understand that there is an un-spoken pressure from students...many people are uncomfortable lying still for soooo long. We feel that people will get anxious and not come back because they were lying down for too long. I also think that many people simply overlook the benefits of savasana. They'd rather spend their "workout" time doing situps or backbends. My vote is for longer savasanas.Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Most Ignored Posture
Savasana is the most ignored posture, but it is also the most important. I find that all too often I attend a class where we work our mind, body, and spirit very hard only to take a two-minute savasana, if that. I like the advice I got from Syl that for every 20 minutes of asana practice we should take a 5-minute savasana. That means if I am in an hour class that I should take a 15-minute savasana at the end of the class. This pose is a place for the body (and mind and spirit) to re-align itself and to absorb all the work that has just been done. I truly believe that we practice yoga in order to meditate and slow down. As a teacher, I also understand that there is an un-spoken pressure from students...many people are uncomfortable lying still for soooo long. We feel that people will get anxious and not come back because they were lying down for too long. I also think that many people simply overlook the benefits of savasana. They'd rather spend their "workout" time doing situps or backbends. My vote is for longer savasanas.
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YES! I don't really do yoga religiously, BUT in my meditation practice this position is very powerful. In simply listening to your breathing, feeling your heartbeat throughout the body, and feeling yourself rest against the earth is one of the most effective means to shift my consciousness to a higher level of being. Sometimes it feels as if i am floating above or sinking into the Earth. I have been told that this state is like the deep rejuvenating state we gain during sleep, when our soul slightly disconnects from our body allowing our body to heal and re-energize. Taking a break and doing this for 10-15 minutes when you are feeling exhausted can be quite beneficial. I'm also told it is the first step in astral-travel or "out of body experience."
Love,
Scott
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