Spring Renewal: Rest and Rejuvenate Mind Body Spirit

Spring Renewal: Rest and Rejuvenate Mind Body Spirit

I have taken inspiration at what typically happens at the end of a yoga class to reflect upon and write about new beginnings. This inspiration comes from a yoga asana; otherwise known as yoga posture, called Savasana. It is a yoga asana often used to conclude a yoga class. It is a relaxing resting posture intended to rejuvenate body, mind and spirit

At the conclusion of every yoga class, there is a period of rest, where we lay comfortably down on our mats. It is a period of complete stillness and integration of the shifts that occurred in the body just earlier in the class from exercising the bodies with asanas ( postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises).
This welcomed part of the class, Savasana (pronounced Shavasana derived from the language Sanskrit) literally meaning “corpse pose”, brings to the practitioner an awareness of the stillness and peace of the posture in body, mind and spirit. Initially, when we hear and think of the word “corpse” or final rest, we immediately feel some apprehension to finality that accompanies that word and what it means to most of us.

Once immersed in this deep, relaxed state, out from the distance, we hear the voice of the yoga teacher, softly calling us out of Savasana. By this point, many of us are now relishing every last second of this delicious rest and taking our sweetest time to come back. The class is over! “No, no… “, exclaiming silently in our minds. Now we are thinking Savasana was too short or how we could just remain here a little while longer. What do we want? Sometimes we want things to never come to an end, or to close a chapter for good. We are eager to see a light at the end of the tunnel or a continuous flow of everlasting joy. We can have both! Seems like a paradox. Doesn’t it?

Now let’s get back to Savasana. Once we are called out of this rest period by being guided by the instructor’s voice to wiggle our fingers and toes, moving our head from side to side and other gentle movements so not to suddenly disrupt this energy, we are then asked to turn over to our side into a foetal-type position. It is a sign of rebirth; a sign of starting anew. As we slowly get up, then we move into a seated meditation and final closing of the class and journey onward off the mat, out of the classroom and back into our world until the next class, the next day, the next chapter with a renewed sense of optimism and peace.

Life is a cycle. Now, we are welcoming the spring. This is Mother Earth’s seasonal time of being born anew being reflected by warmer and longer sunnier days, blooming flowers and budding trees. Signs of life are everywhere. Birds are singing and so are we. Mother Nature is waking up from a three month Savasana. Very well rested and ready with a renewed sense of optimism and peace.

We can certainly learn a lot from a yoga class besides how to stretch, balance and perform a myriad of yoga posture as well breathing techniques, meditation and rest. We can learn to take wisdom from this 5000 year old plus tradition off our mats and integrate this philosophy of beginning anew into our everyday lives same way as Mother Earth teaches us (on a side note every yoga posture has a virtue and symbolizes something in nature). Take from this what you will. It can be bidding adeu to a long stressful day and being thankful it is all over or sadly having to let something go; always grateful from lessons learned. However you want to look at this paradox, letting something go or not wanting to let go at all, it is a cycle life, rest, and rebirth and integration, and once we are aware and accept this and embrace the cycle as we often do with the spring, then we live life with a little more equanimity with a renewed sense of optimism and peace.

Take a moment to enjoy a short rest and experience renewal for yourself. Find a comfortable and quiet place to lay down. Place a small pillow under your neck and cover yourself with a blanket. An eye pillow is optional. Scan your body from head to toe. Systematically releasing and letting go each part. Next just observe your breath. Watch the rise and fall of the natural inhalation of your breath and when you feel ready, begin counting back from 27 to 1. For example, inhale 27, exhale 27, inhale 26, exhale 26, inhale 25, and exhale 25 until you reach 1. If at any point, you lose count or your mind drifts away, that is okay, but you need to start over until the count is complete. Once it is complete, remain for a while and when you are ready, wiggle your fingers and toes, move your head gently from side to side, raise your right are overhead and slowly turn to your left hand side (right side if you are pregnant) and stay a little while. Again, when you are ready, using the help of your hands and preferably with your eyes closes, come up to a comfortable seated position. Take a deep breath in and out three times, cover your eyes with your hands and slowly remove your hands from your eyes and slowly open your eyes. With this short 15 minute experience like this, you will have a rejuvenated mind, body and spirit.