Reading from Tuesday, December 23, 2014 yoga class
From an essay by Katherine Riegel in the book "Going Om"
Sometimes during Savasana I begin to remember the rules I want to live by. For moments I might remember and actually feel that I am living in the present and that worrying about upcoming dental appointments or when my car will break down is not, actually, required. During Savasana I might feel, very briefly, that my life is worthwhile even when I'm not doing anything.
At the gym, the instructor sometimes gives students the option of leaving before Savasana. I watch them go, thinking, theses are the same people who easily forgo dessert. I LIVE for dessert. The poses are the meat and potatoes and vegetables; the instructor's voice flavoring the meal with reminders to breathe, how well we're doing, how each of us is perfect. I need the quite and stillness of Savasana to let that positive outlook seep in; to taste the sweetness.
It is awkward and a little silly closing one's eyes while awake and pretending to be dead. I often feel my muscles vibrating like rubber bands in this quite period. It is the space I need in which to imagine what I might do with my life; the breathing in and the space inside my chest; and the breathing out and the space above and around me. The listening and not listening for the chime to indicate the end of class; time to open my eyes...go home. Perhaps the chime will never come and this space inside and around us will expand to encompass the whole world; every time there is possibility; that's what I come for.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone.
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