I am most often greeted by a sideways 'what?' look not unlike the look I get from dogs when I 'jog' through the park. Most of the time they are looking for the arse-kicking, but I firmly believe that they stay for the nap.
What is savasana, and why do we stay, sweaty and exhausted when we could pop up and get to the car and get out of there? Don't tell me it is because you might get a foot rub or a savasana adjustment... The following are a few reasons you might stay, and/or what's in it for you.
1. You might get an adjustment. Ok, fine, perhaps not the best reason to stay, but if you don't have another meaningful human interaction during a given day, the human contact can be just what you need.
2. You might get a foot rub. Where else in the world (please tell me) will you hold still for three minutes and someone will rub your feet?
3. If you are able to close your eyes and let go of the conscious breath, your mind could find the place of stillness, peace, and bliss. The field beyond judgement. Samadhi.
4. If you allow yourself a few minutes of relaxation after a difficult class, your blood vessels will take the opportunity to reset, funnel blood back towards your internal organs and supercharge your digestion and self-maintenance. Sort of like allowing your car's radiator to reset on a hot day.
5. You might find that feeling you did as a child... Lying on the sand after a long swim, sprawling in the grass after a brutal game of soccer, or making a snow angel after an intense day of sledding. Remember that? You've done it before, and that feeling is there for you every time you end a class.
All of the above :) I stay for all of them. Savasana is one of the hardest parts of yoga--your brain says, "Ok you're done--you fit your practice into our busy schedule...now get moving and go do the gazillion other things that need to be done." But your body, it says, "Wait. Breathe. Relax." And it's the body who wins the argument :) And it is soooooooo worth it.
ReplyDeleteI love the "supervised nap" part, btw :)