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Finding The ‘Nothing’

Finding The ‘Nothing’

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After I teach a Yoga Session the students then settle into the final pose of Shavasana, in English this Sanskrit word means corpse pose and that is exactly what it is meant to be.

 Shavasana allows the physical vessel to come into a state of complete relaxation so the body may rest after it has been stretched and worked, but the final pose is also necessary so the mind may come to rest as well. 

Now we all know how difficult a task it is to quiet our thoughts but somehow Yoga gifts us the ability to do just that. 

Finding the nothing in Shavasana is unique to each and every student as it is for me as well. 

What comes first in this practice of Yoga is the ability to allow our physical body to relax, as I teach I bring attention to each part of the anatomy, starting from the crown of the head down to the toes. 

The purpose of this as I quietly call out is so the student can focus on one part of the body at a time and release any tension. 

Once the tension in the vessel is set free the focus then becomes the mind. 

Using the breath as a tool to bring focus away from any thought is a technique used in a Yogi practice and it can work well for some, but not so much for others. 

As a teacher, I like to use ‘the nothing’ as an alternate method to bring comfort to the learner, so I may assist in bringing a less restrictive mind to the student, at least for a few minutes. 

Achieving the nothing is all about bringing your focus to the silence you hear with your ears, now this may seem strange and you may ask, ‘what silence is there to hear’, this is a good question and the key component to the meditation. 

When you are able to focus yourself into the silence there is no thought, you become a part of the nothing. 

Once you become a segment of nothing there will likely be some interesting occurrences that happen behind your eyes, this is what furthers you into Shavasana and the purest state of being alive. 

Give corpse pose a try at home, find a comfortable spot on the floor and find the nothing for yourself, gift yourself an opportunity to be with you and nothing else. 

Much love and devotion

Annanda