Shavasana - Corpse pose.
My students' favourite pose.
All my students love this pose.
They always can't wait to lie down, to go into this pose;
So that they can sleep.
Sleeping time, they call it.
Sometimes, in the mid of other poses, they'll ask when will they get to lie down.
Or, to quote some,
"Haven't lie down yet, ah ?!!"
I wonder if they know that this pose is practising to die -
Preparing for death.
After all, it is the corpse pose,
And death is 'sleeping', isn't it ?
Before everyone gets panicky and give up yoga completely,
May I also add that shavasana is also a kind of meditation -
Sleeping/lying down meditation.
I remember when I was 10, my grandpa died.
It was said that he passed away peacefully in his sleep.
And I can understand why.
Cos' he settled everything.
My grandpa was a very good, honourable and respectable man;
And I love him very much.
A yoga session can be liken to our life :
Sometimes hard and tiring, maybe even demanding (Sun salutation);
Sometimes difficult and painful (holding of poses).
Sometimes calm and peaceful (balancing poses);
Sometimes relaxing and easy (restorative poses).
The final part, is of course, to die.
The only thing/question is,
Can we die peacefully and happily (like my grandpa) ?
Some of my students, the moment they lie down, they fall asleep.
And even snore.
These are the really smart ones.
Cos' they let go easily.
There are others who can't even keep their eyes closed.
They have to open their eyes and think think think.
Even with their eyes closed, you can see that they're still absorbed in their thinking.
These are the ones who have a lot of stress and worries.
Who can't let go,
Who have a lot of unfinished business.
And, they'll also have a hard time when it's time to go.
Of course the ideal is to totally let go.
Of the body, the mind (the knower), the senses, the world, past and future.
But how many of us can do that ?
A lot of my students say they feel very relaxed in shavasana.
I wonder if they'll feel the same when it's time to die.
And if only they'll like dying as much as they like being in the 'corpse pose'.
"Death with detachment is the death of all worries and sufferings."
- Venerable Ajahn Mun
Your body is like a withered leaf.
Your life has come to an end now.
To the presence of death you are setting out.
Be wise and develop your devotion and spiritual way of life.
Make an island unto yourself.
Strive without delay;
Become wise.
Having removed (all) impurities and being free from moral defilements,
You'll no longer be subject to rebirth and decay."
- The Buddha
Now you can rest."
"Death is nature's way of telling us to slow down;
And STOP."
Happily and peacefully;
Knowing all the love, joy and
Happiness you've brought to people's hearts,
And the help and service you've rendered them."
