Focus of the Month - Shavasana

Emptiness -by Donna Sherman

Emptiness, where all is possible
Silence, where all sound is born
Stillness, the birth of all movement
Empty me out of myself

Darkness, the keeper of light
Mystery, the place of unfolding
Surrender, embracing bold faith
Empty me out of myself

Fear, thinking I am lost
Fear, thinking in I am separate
Empty me out of myself

Love, returning me to my heart
Love, returning you to yours
Love, all I have left to hold

May I be still
Melt into this divine embrace
May any tears
Empty me out of myself.

Shavasana is known as the "corpse" posture. The body is flat on the ground and immobile. As George Fuerstein states in The Deeper Dimensions of Yoga (Shambala 2003): "This goes to show that relaxation, which is the purpose of shava-asana, is not mere inertia. Relaxation contains a preponderance of sattva, the principle of lucidity and easefulness, which demarcates if from sleep, which is defined by the overwhelming presence of tamas, the principle of inertia.

Shavasana practice promotes optimal well-being and heightened wakefulness in many ways.

Here is a quote from Swami Muktabodhanananda Saraswati of the Bihar School of Yoga:

"In fact, Shavasana is beneficial no matter what the condition is, even in perfect health because it brings up the latent impressions buried within the subconscious mind. The mind, which operates during waking consciousness relaxes and subsides. It is therefore necessary to practice shavasana for developing dharana (concentration) and dhyana (meditation). Even though it is a static pose it revitalizes the entire system."

More often than not we can (and do) surrender into shavasana with relative trust and peace, However, it is not uncommon for people to experience tears welling up , some sadness or even some anxiety as the body, heart and mind let go of the active phase of a yoga class. If this occurs, my suggestions would be to not resist and to not necessarily try to understand or analyze the moment. Simply do your best to gently accept that the moment is happening and trust that it is happening to, in some way, aid you in your healing.

May your shavasana practice bring you healing and ever deepening peace of mind!

I invite you to attend my yoga classes on either on Mondays at 4:15 or Tuesdays at 6:30.

I Hope you see you soon.

Donna June 2011

If you feel inclined to explore Mindfulness Meditation practice and deepen your ability to allow the world to tickle your heart, please join us here at The Living Seed for an Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation. We will meet on four consecutive Thursdays.
Next Session TBA from 6-7:15 pm.
Pre-registration necessary, call 255-8212

More Essays by Donna Sherman

Aparigraha
Mindfulness
Satya - Truthfulness
Humility
Sankalpa - Intention
Mantra