THE MOST DIFFICULT YOGA POSE

07 Dec THE MOST DIFFICULT YOGA POSE

Posted at 13:36h in Articles by


Savasana. Some of us view our final resting pose as the much-needed reward at the end of a challenging practice, while others cringe at the thought of sitting still for five minutes. As westerners, we are taught from a very early age that time is valuable, idleness is evil, there is no time for relaxing, there are things to be done, go, go, go! Many even feel a sense of guilt in taking personal time to rejuvenate—even for a few minutes!

Listed below are common complaints along with some suggestions for finding comfort in this asana.

Five Reasons People Skip Savasana vs. Why We Should Stay:

  1. I have somewhere to go.

    Would five more minutes really matter that much when weighed with the benefits of meditation?
    (See #2)

  2. I don’t feel like I get anything from it.

    Meditation decreases the rate of respiration, increases blood flow, lowers the heart rate, increases exercise tolerance in heart patients, leads to a deeper level of relaxation, lowers high blood pressure, reduces anxiety by lowering blood lactate levels, decreases muscle tension and headaches, reduces pain, builds self-confidence, increases serotonin production (improving mood and behavior while reducing depression, obesity, insomnia), reduces Pre-menstrual Syndrome, aids in post-operative healing, boosts the immune system, increases activity of cells that kill bacteria and cancer cells, reduces activity of viruses and emotional distress.

    Need I say more?

  3. I’m bored.

    If your instructor isn’t providing inspiration or you just can’t seem to get into the right mindset, concentrate on your breathing. Try counting the length of your inhales and exhales, trying to increase the number as you go. Then come back to the starting number the same way.Learn a mantra and repeat it over and over in your mind—they are thought to have healing properties!

    Set an intention for your day (or your life), or send positive energy to someone you care about.

    Focus on an object or color.

  4. I like to get into the locker room before everyone else.

    Now that’s not very yogic—we can share the space! Besides, you might actually carry on a conversation with someone and build a new friendship!

  5. I’m uncomfortable with meditation and relaxation in general.

    If you are a “Type A” personality, someone who feels they should be incessantly completing a task, you probably need reminder of what it feels like to just BE in the present moment. Why do we shy away from what we need most? For example, I hear people say, “I don’t like to do those balancing poses because I don’t have any balance,” or “I can’t do a push up because I don’t have enough arm strength.” THE COMPLAINTS ARE THE CURE! If you practice balancing poses you will have better balance and if you practice push ups you will build arm strength. If you practice calming the ripples and waves of your mind for even five minutes a day, you may experience some great benefits. Just listen to your breath, feel every sensation in your body and remember how good it is to feel vibrant and alive. Life is great! Sometimes we need to listen to the quiet and experience the stillness to remind ourselves.

    6. “Benefits of Meditation.” Health and Yoga. 2006. Web. 2 Nov 2009.

Kelli Russell
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  • Nataliya Cooper
    Posted at 14:27h, 07 January Reply

    I have monkey mind when I practice Savasana. While I am trying to calm down and get rig of popping questions in my mind I hear the bell rings to wake up. What mantra can you recommend to learn for beginners?
    Thank you, Nataly

    • Kelli
      Posted at 14:19h, 14 January Reply

      Hi Nataly,
      I like Om Mani Padme Hum. One of my students reminded me of it (thanks Micky!) It’s easy to master and remember. Here is the definition from the Rakefet Dictionary: (In Sanskrit) “Om! the jewel in the lotus, hum!” One of the most sacred Buddhist mantras or verbal formulas; used very frequently in Tibet and in surrounding countries of the Far East. Not only is every syllable said to have a secret power of producing a definite result, but the whole invocation has a number of meanings. This mystic sentence above all refers to the indissoluble union between man and the universe, and thus conveys “I am in thee and thou art in me.” Each of us has within himself the jewel in the lotus or the divine self within. When understood in a kosmic sense, it signifies the divine kosmic self within, inspiring all beings within the range of that kosmic divinity.

      You can also simply repeat “Om” in your mind, or “Om, Shanti, Shanti, Shanti”. The peacebeads.com website gives this information: Like many mantras, this one begins with “Om”. Om has no meaning, and its origins are lost in the mists of time. Om is considered to be the primeval sound, the sound of the universe, the sound from which all other sounds are formed. You could regard it as being the equivalent of white light, in which all of the colors of the rainbow can be found. One Sanskrit-English dictionary says the following:

      “A word of solemn affirmation and respectful assent , sometimes translated by ‘yes , verily , so be it’ (and in this sense compared with Amen ; it is placed at the commencement of most Hindu works , and as a sacred exclamation may be uttered at the beginning and end of a reading of the Vedas or previously to any prayer ; it is also regarded as a particle of auspicious salutation [Hail!] ; Om appears first in the Upanishads as a mystic monosyllable , and is there set forth as the object of profound religious meditation , the highest spiritual efficacy being attributed not only to the whole word but also to the three sounds A, U, M, of which it consists. ”

      Shanti simply means “peace”. It’s a beautiful meaning and also a very beautiful sound. The shanti is repeated three times, as are many chants in Buddhism. You could interpret this as meaning peace in body, speech, and mind (i.e. in the entirety of one’s being), or as a wish for peace individually, collectively, and universally.

      I hope this helps!
      Kelli

  • forex robot
    Posted at 06:08h, 21 January Reply

    nice post. thanks.

  • Kelli
    Posted at 14:48h, 29 March Reply

    Glad you enjoyed it! Sometimes calming the mind is the most difficult aspect of yoga!

  • Sordwoca
    Posted at 16:24h, 05 February Reply

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