The following was a homework assignment while in Yoga teacher training. As I work on learning to post to my Blog there will be a mix of new and reused writing for a month or so. Enjoy and please leave comments.
essay: week 3 om work
Curtis G. Aikens Sr
What does Savasana mean to me and how I will guide my students through it and out of it?
When I first started the practice of yoga or should I say practicing yoga, I had no idea
what Savasana was about. I had just gone through this intensive mental and physical
work, I started practicing hot yoga. Then the final part of the class, at the end of all that work, I along with all those in class with me, told to lay totally flat on my back and try to think about nothing. I can remember like it yesterday, I had to put my hand over my mouth to trap my laughter. I want to say how GREAT I was feeling, not play DEAD!
Lying flat; that in and of itself was a difficult process for me at the time I was 80 to 100 pounds heavier than I am now. So, just the idea of lying flat on the floor thinking about all the people around me, made me feel somewhat uncomfortable. As I continue to practice and was able to hear and feel with the teacher was saying about that lying flat on my back at the end of my work, I started to realize there is a process.
A time in which I can reflect on the work that my mind as well as my body had completed. Work which will continue to help me connect mind and body. Yoga.
I cannot say that I look forward to Savasana, however I can now say I enjoy the time at the end to reflect and relax into the work completed and to come.
I look forward to practicing my yoga I look forward to the movement, the breathing, the concentration that I have to do while practicing yoga. No matter if their physical strain not pains or emotional strains and pains inside or outside the yoga class. It takes me a while through intention, through the sun salutations and by sun salutation most days I’m on my mat mentally and physically. My two thoughts always are to be here and not judge, sometime I’ll add to that. If family or a friend in in need I may dedicate that day’s yoga to them. I get into the flow and I work through what the teacher is guiding as best I can physically it helps me so much mentally. Now I have come to realize that Savasana or corpse pose and the meaning of it also it signifies the death or the end of my practice on the mat for that day or that particular time. I reflect on that practice I reflect on what my body and my mind had gone through and I love it when I try to clear my mind and just meditate while enjoying this awesome process. I’m getting better with each practice I’ve come to love Savasana it’s truly relaxing and truly allows me to absorb the practice from that day.
I hope to be able to share with my student this journey from not knowing or understanding Savasana to now truly relishing my time in Savasana what it allows me to remember what this time allows me to hold onto and what stillness allows me to do once I roll into fetal position and then come up to in my practice or should I say to begin my practice off the mat that’s one way I hope to guide my students through Savanasa by sharing with students what I gain from silence, stillness, listening to while learning to quiet my inner voice. I plan to teach Savasana at ever class.
Namaste
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