Which asana is your biggest challenge?
Maybe it's a Warrior sequence? Maybe it's lunges? Maybe your hips groan when you try pigeon? Maybe you struggle with plank or balances?
As a teacher it is, of course, important to work on the more physical asanas; I like to try and walk the talk! And it's a good feeling as you find your body becomes more toned, flexible and you finally master a pose you found impossible initially.
All good.
But do you find yourself getting slightly fidgety when you lie still in Savasana or Legs up the Wall?
When you move into Child's Pose do you see it as simply a transition pose and you're itching to move on to the next asana?
When you try to sit quietly and focus on your breath do you find your brain screaming, "Why are you wasting time? Don't you realise how much you've still got to do today?"
Letting go of all that constant chatter in our heads isn't easy.
And if you're in the middle of some crisis; or feeling anger, resentment, fear, sadness, pain or any other negative emotion it's all too easy to allow those emotions to swallow us up.
What our bodies and minds actually need is space. Time to allow muscles which are clenched with tension to soften.
Time to allow minds which are racing at a hundred miles an hour (yet still not achieving as much as we think we should!) to just press the "pause" button, and slow down.
Time to breathe - to just simply "be."
Have you ever found yourself feeling you just need time to think?
Maybe what you need most is time to just STOP thinking! To just "switch off" from the craziness and just "be."
And that's what Savasana (or some of the other restorative poses) have the power to do.
And don't be mistaken for thinking a good night's sleep will do you as much good. Sleep won't help you "let go", and often sleep patterns when we're facing challenges are anything BUT restful.
Savasana is a conscious releasing and letting go. We remain in a state of gentle awareness: of our thoughts and of our physical state, whilst calmly and consciously allowing those thoughts and muscles to "let go".
The truth is, Savasana or any poses which require stillness take practice: consistent practice.
But the rewards can be immense.
