Halfway through 2012, and it's time to move my little blog into the new year. This time, it's about Savasana, you know that pose at the end of a yoga class that is a yoga pose, just like Warrior or Firefly or Crane or Extended Twisted whatever. It is a pose to be worked on, to be fully-experienced, a pose that will most likely be more challenging for some while being adored by others.
I find myself grow so angry at those individuals--especially at gyms--that leave a yoga class before Savasana. When questioned, most will say that it's boring, that they would rather spend their time working out. Why are they so scared of laying quietly for a few minutes? And yes, I say scared. Savasana is a time to allow your body to absorb the past hour, to allow the senses to fall silent, and to quieten the mind. I believe it is the latter that practitioners find difficult.
How much more active is your brain when you try to stop it? We have all been there-- the grocery lists or the urgent need to scratch the inside of your left big toe. But it's not an order to cease that will halt all of those extraneous thoughts. This will only lead to more thoughts, more lectures, and maybe even more condemnations on the inability to shut the mind up. However, it's a letting go, an acceptance that your mind is active and the willingness to not let it draw your attention that will finally allow meditation and peace to just happen.
Try this next time. Give your body permission to relax while you focus on the yoga of the mind. Give your mind permission to run wild...in the background. Go ahead, let the thoughts come and watch them go, without grabbing at them. Now, let your control go. This is what most Americans will find most difficult--releasing control--but only then will you find the flow and a refreshing sense of peace.
