Shavasan
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Benefits
Ramesh I Kapadia, December 14, 2020: The Times of India
Shavasana is regarded as the king of asanas. Physical and mental relaxation achieved by Shavasana is unparallelled. The Shavasana technique relies on the premise that for optimum relaxation of muscles of the body, prior stretching of muscles is necessary. The stretching must be just enough to create a pleasant sensation. The awareness of an individual doing this exercise must be focussed on the process of stretching and relaxation.
In Shavasana, progressive deep relaxation is achieved by stretching and relaxation exercises of the body while staying aware. Shavasana practice begins with bringing one’s awareness onto one’s body. Normally, our mind has a tendency to wander. Bringing awareness to the body and keeping it there is the vital step. And if the mind wanders, without undue force gently bring it back to the body.
In this relaxed posture, forgetting the body, the practitioner focusses his awareness on the natural process of breathing. Without making any effort to change breathing, he becomes a witness to every single breath that goes in through the nose during inhalation and every single breath that comes out during exhalation. This way, he becomes one with his breath.
He remains in this blissful state for two or three minutes. Then he takes in a deep breath and exhales slowly. He gently opens his eyes, moves his hands and feet, turns on his side and assumes a sitting position. The whole exercise would take less than five minutes but it refreshes the practitioner for a long time.
Our physical body, mind and intellect are outer layers enveloping the inner Self. Our identification with the impermanent outer components of our being causes all our sorrows. Shavasana helps us to reach our innermost Supreme Self and gain enduring peace and happiness.
“We are both actors and spectators in the great drama of existence,” says physicist Niels Bohr. The soul is ‘two in one’, the actor, ‘i’ and the spectator, ‘I’.
The actor ‘i’ goes through one’s roles in life. The spectator ‘I’ is the Atman, the sheer witness, ‘sakshi cheta kevalo nirgunascha’. Normally, we lump actor and spectator together. Education does not prepare us to differentiate between the two. The essence of spiritualism is the separation of the actor ‘i’ and spectator ‘I’ and the resultant freedom from emotional involvement in the roles of the former. That is the gist of Vedanta.
Practising Shavasana is training to identify oneself with the spectator and keep aloof from the actor. At night, review the performance of actor ‘i’ during the day, pull it up for shortcomings and praise it for good performance, keeping nothing for your true spectator Self and be unburdened to sleep peacefully.
Shavasana helps you progress spiritually and empowers you not only to meet daily challenges with detachment but also to live a rewarding and fulfilling life.
All challenges we face today started with a consciousness that had forgotten our essential connection to the larger whole. At this crucial time in the evolution of humanity, we are beginning to learn how to reconnect with ourselves, with each other and with Earth. Shavasana and meditation are tools to cultivate a sense of oneness and facilitate the birth of a new age, a new individual.
The writer, a cardiologist, is director, Universal Healing Programme
