Savasana and Adhikara

Yoga Earth Rain Pose

to practice savasana, follow the steps below

"Yoga earth rain pose." It sounds like a poem, doesn't it? Someone, somewhere, in the last few days, typed those words into their search engine window and was directed to this sight. I don't know if they found what they came for. But I am honored by their visit, and in the record of their inquiry I feel like I've received a sweet gift.

Yoga Earth Rain Pose would have to be savasana, I think. I see myself lying on the forest floor in a downpour, soaking up the the energy of the sky above and the earth below, amplified by the charge of the water. Becoming turgid. Cleansed. Free.

My classes lately have been guided by the theme of adhikara. My teacher, John Friend, defines adhikara as "studentship," and also, as the possession a particular knowing that functions as a test or initiation for moving forward on the path. A prerequisite. For example, when a student understands how to set her shoulders on her back, she can begin to practice handstand.

As the practice of yoga is itself the reward of the practice of yoga, it makes perfect sense that the focus and commitment we bring to our practice, and the achievements along the way, would also share a name. Our adhikara is what fuels our efforts on the path - it's our deep desire to be free. And our adhikara for taking the next step toward freedom is the sum total of the lessons learned via those efforts. This is also beautiful, like a poem. Truth hidden within the beauty of truth.

As I grow older, and mature in my yoga practice and life practice, my relationship with rest deepens. My appreciation of true nourishment grows, and with it my appreciation for the practice of savasana, or corpse pose. It's easy to fall asleep during shavasana, or be driven crazy by it, anxiously forcing the body to be still while the mind races in circles. But the deeper the other poses go, the deeper savasana becomes, and depth in shavasana is the experience of consciousness as restoration and decay. In shavasana, and other restorative yoga poses, we let our awareness rest on the deep pulsation of being that leaves no particle of the universe untouched - the eternal rhythmic heartbeat of sakti herself.

The adhikara for this deep rest is every pose that precedes it, and its sweetness will depend on the attention you have given to the flavors of those poses. Whether we have been living consciously or unconsciously, we will at some point become tired, and need to take rest. But if we have truly and devoutly tasted the poses of our lives, with our eyes and ears and heart open to absorb their nuance and meaning, so we will deeply and vastly savor our repose.

Jan 11, 2009

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Savasana in Practice

Physically the easiest pose to perform, savasana is said to be the most difficult to master, as its advanced practice involves total present-ness of mind coupled with complete relaxation in the body. Since our common habit is to be alert or relaxed, this may be the most vexing of all the pairs of opposites that yoga asks us to reconcile!

Fortunately for all of us, even the most novice practice of savasana provides deep nourishment and rejuvenation to the body, mind, and spirit. Lay back, relax, and enjoy.

1.

Find a place where you can be undisturbed for several minutes. A quiet, peaceful spot can be helpful, but is absolutely not necessary. Working with the noises and distractions of your environment can in fact be a very useful exercise. Try to receive whatever conditions are offered in the spirit of gratitude.

2.

Lay out your yoga mat, or spread a blanket or clean towel on the floor. Savasana is done while laying down on your back with your arms softly at your sides, palms faced upwards. Position yourself comfortably. If your shoulders and upper back are very rounded or bulky, you may need a pillow under your head to be comfortable, but try doing without one first. If your neck hurts or you feel a sense of anxiousness arising, prop your head on a thinly folded blanket or other such firm support. Ideally, your nose and chin should be relatively level.

Similarly, some of us feel discomfort in the low or middle back when prone. A competent yoga teacher can show you how to relieve this, but when alone, the easiest and most effective solution is to bend your knees, with your feet flat on the floor as if standing. Widen your feet a bit so that your knees can rest into each other, allowing your belly muscles to soften and release.

3.

Once you are completely comfortable, close your eyes. Begin to observe the movement of your breath, following its sensations from the tip of the nose to the areas of the body that rise and fall as you inhale and exhale. This practice alone is very soothing, and you may find that by this practice of mindfulness alone, the breath slows and deepens.

You may also feel the muscles and skin soften and become heavy, releasing into the sweet support of the earth beneath you. If so, go with it. If not, use your imagination, visualize release. Intentionally soften and make heavy one part of your body at a time, moving with your mind's eye from the soles of your feet to the crown of your head. Let the skin lay heavily an the muscles, muscles on the bones, and so on down into the earth.

Relish this feeling of being held. The earth is our first and final mother, and she will never leave you.

read the savasana blog post (above)

more exercises for softening