Savasana
Savasana, also known as corpse pose, is a pose in yoga usually held at the end of the practice. You lie down on your mat for 5-20 minutes and just breathe and relax into your body. It is a time for your body to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, rest and absorb all the benefits from your practice.
When I first started my yoga journey, I hated savasana. It felt like a total waste of time. Back then, yoga was just another way to burn calories. As soon as I was done moving my body, I rolled up my mat and moved onto my next daily task. I had two toddlers to take care of. I certainly couldn’t make time for things like savasana!
I stopped my usual cardio focused exercise routines and opted for a yoga practice instead. Sure cardio had its own benefits. But the rush of feel good endorphins and adrenaline, was nothing compared to the sense of connection I had with my spirit when in a rhythmic yoga state. What I started to love about yoga was the deep sense of connection I had with my own body. My mind became still and all external happenings faded away. With my mind still and my body in rhythm it’s like all the organs in my body were in perfect harmony for those 30 minutes. It just became me and my mat, moving and flowing. My love for yoga just grew and grew and As my yoga practice began to deepen, I actually started to look forward to savasana.
I would roll my spine down to the floor and close my eyes, palms facing up and body relaxed. There was a calmness and stillness in savasana unlike any other time of meditation. I would fall into these vivid lucid meditations. I would travel to alternate realities and get snippets of memories and experiences. The best part about it was that it was effortless on my part. My attention would then be shaken away by the calls of my kids, “Mom! Mommy! Mom!” My eyes would flutter open as I took my last deep exhale before having to referee any sibling rivalries or pour a cup of juice. How long had I left my body? 5 minutes? 20 minutes? All I knew was that I couldn’t wait to get back to that timeless space. Any other meditation at any other time of the day was not as deep and profound as it was in savasana. Why was this?
I was lying in savasana one day, pondering the idea of the male and female energy when a thought came. I realized that the reason I love yoga so much is because it’s the perfect balance of the male and female energy.
The flowy/moving part of yoga is called Yang (masculine). This is the outward external expression of our bodies. It is the part of building strength and stamina in the body. It is movement synced with breath. It is about direction, determination, setting and achieving goals, and the logical mind. It is the energy of wakefulness and aspiration. To be in touch with yang energy is to be in touch with our capacity for complete mental focus and the dynamic aspect of our being that wants to achieve goals.
Savasana is the Yin (female) part of yoga. It is the stillness, the introspection. The inward gaze. Yin energy is related to the Water element. It is receptive, fluid, flexible, malleable, and accepting. Yin is expansive and all-encompassing.
The reason why other times of meditation weren’t the same was because I hadn’t cultivated the balance and harmony of male and female aspects beforehand. The yang part of yoga builds the foundation for my mind and body to be grounded and stable. This gives my female the reassurance that she is safe to travel and journey to the depths of her own soul. My self observation was so much deeper because the outward expression from my male cultivated the space for my mind and body to relax and to really sink down and stop all the mindless thinking.
This idea was probably obvious for other yogi’s but for me, the gong of understanding didn’t really hit me until that moment my mind was clear and primed for the deep introspection of self. The answer was so simple I hadn’t seen it. I was staring me right in the face. We can’t have these “aha” moments when our brain is busy trying to figure everything out. They only come when the mind is still and the heart is open and ready to receive the messages.
This epiphany of savasana is the perfect example of how harmony is reached when each energy is participating in their role. Only then can the two connect, unite, and come to a place of mutual understanding. Dysfunction happens without the other counterpart. By being there for eachother, they end up being there for themselves. It takes trust. And it takes action.