What is the hardest Yoga Pose?
So here is a question for you.
What is the hardest yoga pose? Which is the yoga pose which most practitioners struggle with?
Handstand? Crow? Pigeon? Camel? Quite possibly – they are pretty evil, aren’t they?
Would it surprise you to learn though that its none of the above? And in fact, it’s one we practice in every class and in each and every tradition of yoga.
Have you guessed what it is yet? Its Savasana, corpse pose– the relaxation pose at the end of class!
So Why is this Yoga pose so hard?
Well, we need to stay present and to do that we need to stay awake – easier said than done sometimes after a busy day at work or with the kids. We need to surrender and let go – something that we as adults can find very difficult with our active ego and busy lives. We also need to stop the chitter chatter of the mind- the making of lists, the creation of stories, the running away with our thoughts. We are programmed by society to always be on the go and how busy we are is a mark of our success. Lying in Savasana can also make us feel vulnerable or exposed – again something we don’t like to be.
How many of us can honestly say that we remain awake and present each time we lie down at the end of class?
It can truly be overwhelming just how hard that can be. But take it bit by bit, stage by stage. Each time you come into Savasana set yourself a sankalpa or intention to focus on – staying present, not falling asleep, or not letting yourself get distracted by thoughts. Use a blanket or shawl to cover you so you feel less exposed. And most importantly don’t beat yourself up about it. Yoga is a practice in which we are all beginners!
Michelle Higgins
Ashtanga and Vinyasa Flow Teacher Southampton and Hampshire
info@michellehigginsyoga.co.uk
07803 586161
