A curious thing happened to me the other day, and it got me to thinking.  There I was at the end of a yoga class, relaxing and ‘letting it all go’ in Savasana, when I had a great idea.  What was this great idea?  It doesn’t matter.  The fact is that I seem to have some of my best ideas when I am in Savasana, just in that time when I don’t want to attach to any thoughts at all.  I am attempting to simply witness.  Ironic isn’t it.

I suppose it makes sense though that one might have great ideas in Savasana.  Even further, I think we can take it as a compliment to ourselves because it means that the mind and body are strong, relaxed, and unencumbered; all qualities that make for ripe soil for the sprouting of great ideas.  So what is one to do?  Attach to the idea as it comes through the mind, or simply watch it go by?  I can offer only my own experience, which is that difficult as it may be to let it go, trust that it will come back because it usually does.

Savasana has always been a bit of a battlefield for me.   Admittedly, with time the quality of my corpse pose has deepened, and depending on the day, I really do come as close to full relaxation and detachment as possible.  I remember when I first began yoga, I could hardly believe how difficult it was for me to lie still and not scratch my foot, or rub my eyes, or shift my body continuously, or think about all the things I had coming up that day and so on.   With sustained practice however, the body and mind begin to register that Savasana is the time for rest, and eventually they yield to it.

I do believe that Savasana is where all the efforts of a yoga practice begin to set in the body, and without a proper one we are in some way shortchanging ourselves.

I remember reading an analogy somewhere long ago, which I still think of fairly often.  It said that the mind is like a wild horse, that if you try too hard to subdue and tame will keep on rearing and fighting.   Rather, if you allow it space to exercise its nature, eventually it will cease and be still.  I thought that was pretty damn wise.

So the next time you are lying in Savasana and hear someone clearing their throat or sigh a little too audibly, it’s probably just me letting my wild horse have its way a little.  Hopefully before long it will calm down and simply enjoy the peace and quiet that is right there waiting for it.

-Nico

About Strala Yoga Training

Strala combines the movement and healing wisdom of tai chi with the form vocabularies of yoga, tai chi, qigong, and Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine, to help people release stress, move easily through challenge, and live radiantly inspiring lives.

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