I don't think I have ever needed Savasana (Corpse Pose) more than I have this fall. (Okay, there was the time I moved halfway across the country, got married, and opened my first yoga studio all within a few weeks...) This fall has stretched me mentally and spiritually and I feel it in my body! That weird fatigue I wrote about a few posts ago has stayed and I am learning more about its source. I need to take better care of myself and let my body rest. What better time to investigate Savasana!
So, Savasana translates as "Corpse Pose" because, as Iyengar writes, you are to be as still as a corpse in both body and mind while staying alert -- that is how you learn to relax. I got the body part down, but the mind keeps me from being too dead! (Which is why, he adds, it is one of the most difficult poses to master. I always chuckle when a student requests we do Savasana for an entire class. I can't help but think "you wouldn't last!" :-) )
So, maybe Mr. Iyengar has a few suggestions that might help...hmmm...a black cloth over the eyes folded four times. I am sure there is a reason, but I can't for the life of me figure out why!
"...even the pupils of the eyes should be kept completely passive." This suggestion is an important one for me. I tend to harden the eyes and focus outward. When we hold tension in the eyes, we are seeking out for resources, we aren't in a state of reception. Savasana for me has been a lesson in learning to receive. To be so quiet and passive, I can allow messages to come in rather than go out to seek them.
Let the lower jaw hang loose: Also a great suggestion.
Mr. Iyengar also recommends Savasana to soothe the nerves which are challenged in modern civilization. One sign of "jangled nerves" is jagged breathing. I can feel that jagged breathing in my Savasana and have started doing the pose with my knees propped to free my breath more and the prop seems to be helping.
Okay, enough! Speaking of Savasana...
