Have you
ever been in Savasana(Corpse Pose)?
If so, you know that blissful state of total relaxation that occurs at
the end of our asana practice.
It’s the time we allow our bodies to settle into our mats and enjoy the
pure pleasure of peace.
At the
end of Savasana, the teacher instructs us to deepen our breath and to begin to
wiggle fingers and toes, hug our knees into our chest and roll to the right
side. Then what?? Do we ever truly pause in that
moment?
Too often
that important pause is hurried and sometimes even forgotten. After all, it’s only a pause and we
have more important things to do, right?
Wrong! We know that Yoga is
more than just going from one pose to the next. It’s about breathing and moving through the poses. It’s about noticing the moments between
effort and ease. And that’s
exactly what the pause is all about.
To me,
that pause is the essence of yoga.
It’s the perfect time to feel the stillness and peacefulness you’ve
cultivated in your practice. Your
body is heavy and supported by the earth beneath you, your breath has slowed
down and your mind chatter has quieted.
Ah, the pleasure of that moment, if only we take the moment to recognize
it.
Next
time, as you roll to your right side, play with the idea of staying in the
fetal position for 8-10 full breath cycles before you push yourself up to a
seated position. Feel the pure joy
of your practice at that very moment.
As a long
time student, I cherish that moment and stay there as long as I need, even if
the entire class already moved on to their OM’s. As a teacher, I emphasize the importance of that moment with
my students. There is nothing like
watching thirty people rolled into a fetal position, body heavy, breath soft,
completely still. The peaceful
expression on their faces once they come to a seated position is
priceless. It’s the true meaning
of “letting go”. It’s a time of transition, from your practice to the “real
world”. My hope is that this pause
allows each of us the opportunity to draw upon our sense of well-being so that
we can carry it into our daily lives.
What if
you don’t practice yoga or didn’t have time to roll out your mat today? There is still room for the
practice of pausing. Right now,
close your eyes and take five deep inhales and exhales. Feel the pause between the breaths. When you’re ready, slowly blink your
eyes open and notice how you feel.
We all
live such a fast paced life and rarely take the time to stop, even if it is for
only 30 seconds.
But the truth is that no matter how busy our schedules, we can all find
30 seconds if we really want to.
It could be when we wake up, standing in line at the grocery store or
when we’re picking up our kids from soccer practice. We all deserve this time to re-connect back to what is really important, our health and well-being.
Namaste
Trisha DeCesare | Certified Yoga Teacher, RYT-500 | Valley Village, CA
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