The sage Patanjali in his second Yoga Sutra tells us that yoga is the settling of the chaotic mind into stillness.
Modern yogis still use the term monkey mind to describe what typically goes on between our ears.
The yoga tradition further teaches that your state of mind is always reflected in the body.
The tension in our bodies is generated in the mind,
But the opposite is also true.
During Hatha Yoga,
Breathing exercises,
And meditation,
We alleviate the disharmony reflected in our bodies and calm the mind.
We'll do this now.
Lie back in the traditional way for Shavasana and make any final adjustments to your body,
And just as you would close the door to quiet the noises outside,
Let your eyes closing serve as a calming signal to turn your awareness inward,
Give yourself permission to let go and open to fully receive this practice.
Say to yourself,
I am now practicing Shavasana.
Take a deep breath,
And as you release it,
Allow a sigh to resonate through your whole body.
Again,
Breathe in,
And with each exhale,
The tension in your body unravels a little more,
And the weight of your body settles a little more.
Allow the weight of your feet and legs to fall back,
Your pelvis falling back,
And all of the organs in your belly settling back into their natural places,
The whole of your ribcage falling back,
Your shoulders,
Your arms,
And your hands falling back,
And soften the muscles in your neck to release the full weight of your head,
The whole body now falling back,
Falling back into the earth's warm embrace.
Trust this feeling,
Knowing that you are fully supported.
Notice how this feels.
Feel how it is to be in your body right now,
And expand your awareness to the universe inside.
Now let your entire focus shift to the breath,
The eternal breath.
Embrace it,
Open to fully receive it,
And sense how that life-giving energy is conveyed to every cell of your body.
Observe your body as it breathes,
Your belly gently rising and falling.
Sense the texture of the air in your nostrils,
In your sinuses,
Your throat,
And your chest,
And listen to the sound as the waves of breath wash away any remaining pockets of tension.
Notice how your body creates one sound as the breath enters the body,
And another as it leaves.
For the next few minutes,
Allow the natural cadence and sound of your breath to be the focal point of your awareness.
Just let the breath flow naturally,
Finding its own rhythm.
Mentally say the mantra,
So,
As you breathe in,
Hum,
As you breathe out.
This mantra will help you stay with your breath awareness.
So Hum means I am that.
Let this reflect your natural breath sounds,
And the creative force of the universe contained in every cell of your body.
So,
As you breathe in,
And Hum,
As you let it go.
Allow those natural pauses between the breaths,
And for the next few minutes,
Keep this going,
Mentally repeating the mantra to yourself as you breathe.
So,
As you inhale,
And exhale,
Hum,
When the mind drifts into thought.
Just come back to your breath and the mantra.
Stay with the breath and mantra.
Now release the mantra,
And expand your awareness to notice once again how it is to be in your body,
Aware of sensations in your feet,
Your legs,
Chest,
Your shoulders,
Arms,
And hands,
And finally the whole of your head and face,
And in your mind's eye.
Picture the possibility of movement.
It feels right.
Start some small movements,
Maybe the fingers and toes,
The wrists and ankles,
Adding whatever your body needs for the transition,
And if it feels right,
Reach your arms past your ears over your head,
And stretch the whole length of your body from your toes to your fingers.
Now hug your knees to your chest,
And rock gently from side to side,
Loosening any stiffness in your low back.
This position hugging your knees to your chest,
Is the counter pose to Shavasana.
Allow it to release your low back in preparation for movement.
As you finish,
Roll onto your side and pause for a few breaths,
Listening to your body.
When you're ready,
Push up and find a comfortable seat.
Now pause for a few moments to feel the power of your aliveness in every cell of your body.
Carry this same level of awareness with you into the rest of your day.
This practice of Shavasana is now complete.
Shanti
