The end of a cycle and the emergence of a new beginning
3
Via elephantjournal.com on Mar 23, 2012 Savasana: A Transfiguring Posture for 2012. ~ Maryz 0 Photo contributed by Maryz The end of a cycle and the emergence of a new beginning We need to acquire the power of stillness as we journey through the Year of the Water Dragon and approach the end of the Mayan calendar, which will occur on December 21, 2012, because great shifts are predicted to happen swiftly on individual and collective levels. Like the corpse posture, Savasana, which is used as a final relaxation in Yoga sessions, 2012 represents the end of a cycle and the emergence of a new beginning. When we are resting in Savasana, we first can try to mindfully meditate on the exhalation, as this practice can help us get comfortable with the process of letting go. As an analogy, this year can be symbolized as the exhalation, which follows the thread of the wind, flowing out into infinite mystery. No one can trace an origin or an end for the wind, which recycles itself in an endless flux from life to death, and from death to rebirth. In this perspective, Savasana and 2012 are small death initiations. In the Mayan prophecy, 2012 marks the return of Quetzelcoatl, the great feathered serpent God. This cosmic serpent represents death, resurrection and the vital life-force permeating all, similar to the serpentine Kundalini (coiled) energy of the yogic tradition. Send Recommend 32 people recommend this.
The end of a cycle and the emergence of a new beginning
Savasana: A Transfiguring Posture for 2012. ~ Maryz | elephant
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8:40:10 PM]
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Savasana: A Transfiguring Posture for 2012. ~ Maryz
0
Photo contributed by Maryz
The end of a cycle and the emergence of a new beginning We need to
acquire the power of stillness as we journey through the Year of
the Water Dragon and approach the end of the Mayan calendar, which
will occur on December 21, 2012, because great shifts are predicted
to happen swiftly on individual and collective levels. Like the
corpse posture, Savasana, which is used as a final relaxation in
Yoga sessions, 2012 represents the end of a cycle and the emergence
of a new beginning.
When we are resting in Savasana, we first can try to mindfully
meditate on the exhalation, as this practice can help us get
comfortable with the process of letting go. As an analogy, this
year can be symbolized as the exhalation, which follows the thread
of the wind, flowing out into infinite mystery. No one can trace an
origin or an end for the wind, which recycles itself in an endless
flux from life to death, and from death to rebirth. In this
perspective, Savasana and 2012 are small death initiations. In the
Mayan prophecy, 2012 marks the return of Quetzelcoatl, the great
feathered serpent God. This cosmic serpent represents death,
resurrection and the vital life-force permeating all, similar to
the serpentine Kundalini (coiled) energy of the yogic
tradition.
SendRecommend 32 people recommend this.
file:///C|/...and%20Settings/Administrator/Desktop/Savasana%20%20A%20Transfiguring%20Posture%20for%202012.%20~%20Maryz%20_%20elephant%20journal.htm[3/25/2012
8:40:10 PM]
Photo contributed by Maryz
Photo contributed by Maryz
The power of stillness before great shifts
Our terrestrial serpent relatives become motionless before
shedding. Their vibrant colors become dull. Their eyes turn to a
cloud-like void, and they cease to eat. This period lasts until the
snake is ready to burst out of its old skin and be born anew. In a
similar way, Savasana is a posture of absorption in which all the
different currents of energies center back into a still point
within. The corpse posture helps invigorate our entire being and
brings the precious nectar of life to its full potential.
Non-action and stillness are very different from stagnation, as we
can use the power of immobility and silence as a regenerative
channel that enables each individual to express and shine his or
her true vibrant essence. Like day and night, inaction is as
essential as action, and from this stillness comes great
inspiration. As we get more and more connected to our spiritual
essence, we link ourselves to the source of all things and start to
harmoniously attune to the galactic cycles of the universe.
“To be Quetzalcoatl or Kukulcan is to know the seven
forces(chakras) that govern our body—not only know them but also
use them and understand their intimate relationship with natural
and cosmic laws. We must
comprehend the long and short cycles and the solar laws that
sustain our lives. We must know how to die, and how to be born.” ~
The Secrets of Mayan Science/Religion, Hunbatz Men
RIP
The Christian epitaph, “Rest In Peace”, which is often inscribed on
the tombstones of the dead, is the perfect intention that we can
set for ourselves as we practice Savasana, the ultimate form of
relaxation. In Savasana, all doings stop, and we become absorbed in
stillness and complete surrender while remaining as present and
aware as possible. In this gap, the mind becomes an
all-encompassing witness that does not favor one thing over
another. As the waves of sensations arise, the yogi must resist the
urge to physically grasp, avoid or fix anything, and the mind
eventually ceases to be distracted by internal chatter.
Savasana is a process of going in and in and in… It is an
integrative journey of the self onto the self that helps us absorb
the healing benefit of our yogic practice. In this state, the
nervous system slows down and our spirit-mind- body system gets
realigned. After a flow of twists, stretches, inversions,
contractions, expansions and deep breathing, the final relaxation
in Savasana gives the organism time to imprint on a deep cellular
level the realignment that was achieved through yogic practice. As
we go deeper, we can begin to release emotional blockages and
negative patterns that unconsciously rule our lives. We can become
more attuned to the essence of what the yogis call
“sat-chit-ananda,” or “absolute-bliss-consciousness.”
Our collective neglect of relaxation
Unfortunately, this most important of posture that is Savasana gets
often skipped or shortened. In an era of insatiable thirst for
social recognition, productivity and achievement, we tend to
underestimate the power of non-doing, silence and calm. Passing
over this posture can be compared to eating without proper
mastication. Much of the food (life-force energy) would just pass
through without the body being able to draw from it all of the
nutrients that are necessary for our organism to work efficiently.
Integration is absolutely necessary. The relaxation should be a
bare minimum of 5 minutes and should ideally extend for 10 to 30
minutes to achieve deeper results.
The gifts of Savasana
In Savasana,the yogi is asked to disappear from the center of the
screen and to abandon all ego-oriented impulses. This posture
prepares us for the great voyage that we will all eventually
experience when at last we give away our last breath and depart
from this physical form that we are so identified with. It prepares
us for the
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8:40:10 PM]
Photo contributed by Maryz
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great dissolution process, when we at last merge into the source of
all things.
Savasana helps us to develop the courage to face the unfathomable
truth that resides within ourselves. This posture cultivates
patience, humility, power, inner poise, balance, clarity, repose,
spiritual awakening, unity, and physical/mental well-being within
the yogi. Savasana is an aid to digest previous experiences, but it
is also a means to learn how to live more fully into the “now”, as
well a preparatory stage to welcome the future.
“As the rivers flowing east and west merge in the sea and become
one with it, forgetting they were ever separate rivers, so do all
creatures lose their
separateness when they merge at last into pure Being.” ~ Chandogya
Upanishad
References:
Timeless Living for Daily Living
~
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