So! What's So Hard About Playing Dead?
SAVASANA
(The Corpse Pose or Dead-body pose)
by
Janiss Garzav
It sounds so deceptively simple � you just lay there on your back with your eyes shut and relax. But it is said that Savasana is the most difficult asana to master. It's true. You could develop your flexibility until you are able to twist yourself into positions that would make Gumby envious, and still never grasp the deeper aspect of Savasana. In a way, that's as it should be because perfect Savasana and Perfect Enlightenment are actually one and the same.
During your Yoga practice, a focussed mind is the least you should have; that way you can concentrate on the proper form and breathing for your asanas. But ideally, you should have a still mind, and that is a foreign concept to most of us in the western world. We worship thought and if our minds are busy we tend to think we're being productive. When we have a problem, we must think it through. During a business meeting, you are asked for your thoughts on the matter at hand. Throughout the day, your mind is constantly working: "What do you think of the movie?" "Do you think I should add more potatoes to this stew?" "I think it's time to go." Mind has convinced us that we can't live without its help � in fact, it has us believing that we are mind. The truth is that intuition will get us a lot farther than thought ever could. It comes as a surprise and a shock to most of us to realize that thought and intuition are two different things, that the mind actually hampers intuition, and that intuition always has the right answer and mind rarely does.
Savasana is an opportunity for you to get in touch with that part of yourself that is "no mind," the place where intuition lives. It is easy for anyone who is really paying attention while they are in Savasana to understand how difficult it is to still the mind. Type A personalities are lying there just waiting for it to be over so they can get up and get back to the three dozen things they have on their "to do list." Others may have lost consciousness completely and are beginning to doze a bit, dreamy images floating through their minds. Those who are listening to the teacher and really trying to follow the instructions know that even at their most relaxed condition, fragments of thought continue to interfere with the quiet. Most people can let go of the body, but the mind continues to cling on.
Savasana is actually comprised of several different stages. You start off with the physical. It is interesting to note that many different asanas have their origin in Savasana, which only emphasizes that it is one of Yoga's foundations. One Yoga style, in fact � Yoga Nidra � is based around Savasana.
Like any other asana, Savasana has several different variations. Most people lie on their backs, legs spread comfortably apart, their arms stretched out a couple of feet from their bodies with their palms up. Those with back problems put a blanket or bolster under their knees. The shoulder blades are pulled down so that the shoulders are not hunched to the ears. How much do you spread your legs apart? Your arms? It doesn't matter, really. What's important is that the body is in a comfortable position, one that will eventually help you to forget it's there. Next you completely relax the body. You can do that by mentally scanning, from the toes up, for muscle tension and ordering each muscle to relax. Some areas, like the shoulders, neck, jaw and face may need extra attention. There are many different ways to relax the body in Savasana; the important thing is to just do it. Then, you have to let go of your body so that it will become so relaxed that you will not be aware of it anymore.
The next step in Savasana is to focus on the breath. This is not the time for any of those fancy-breathing techniques you may have used during the other parts of your Yoga practice. Your purpose here is to merely observe the breath � don't make it do anything. Don't comment on it, and don't think about it. Just let it be, and passively watch it. Your breathing should come as naturally as your heartbeat. Notice the subtle movements and sounds that happen as you allow your respiratory system to do its job. Feel yourself in tune with the rhythms of your body. Then let that go too.
Now it's just you and the mind. The key to a truly refreshing Savasana is the ability to completely detach yourself from your thoughts. So, watch them the same way you watched your breathing � passively, without comment and without direction. Don't try to stop them, don't force. If you are very diligent and detached with your observation, you will notice that the thoughts slow down, and maybe even stop. If you have really let go, and there is no tightness in your chest, your throat or your head, you will experience just a whisper that hints at true bliss. It's a great feeling. Some instructors may invite you to visualize a pleasant scene to quiet the mind, and that is fine, but it's basically masking your thoughts instead of detaching from them. Do what you like � Yoga is a very personal thing � but if you are able to develop the skill of detachment when it comes to your mind, you have given yourself a wonderful gift. You have increased your capacity for inner peace and knowing.
When you come out of Savasana, do it slowly, so you can keep a touch of that blissful feeling inside of you. Don't be anxious to get up and get on with your day � it'll wait a few more moments. Bring yourself back into the room where you are practising. Let the most subtle movements bring you to everyday consciousness � wiggle your toes, brush your thumbs along your fingertips. Awaken your body bit by bit. When you roll over on your side, take your time and take a few deep breaths. When you come to a sitting position, be grateful for what you have just experienced. Even if your Savasana was fraught with tension and an unending parade of thoughts, you learned something, and there will be a next time. No one, save a fully awakened Yogi, can perform Savasana to its absolute fullest. But, if you devote yourself as fully to this special asana as you do to the rest of your practice, your rewards will surpass anything your mind could dream up.