I fully welcome the experience.

Scorpion pose? Yes, technically it’s hard—but still no, no way. Firefly? Well duh, but nope. Lord of the Dance? Hard…but not savasana hard.

Of course these poses are physically demanding, and I know we’ve all fallen (and laughed, hopefully) once or twice while trying to remain in them—but they have nothing on corpse pose.

Hold up. Are you saying that a pose that could only be described in English as a dead person, you know, just lying flat on your back, fully relaxed—is harder than something as intimidating and relentless as Lord of the Dance?

Well yes. Because in savasana, you are anything but dead. In fact, I would argue, that while lying in savasana I’ve never felt more alive.  The pose is uncompromising. Physically, savasana requires a stillness that is unparalleled during the rest of your average hectic day.  The mind searches for thoughtful thoughtlessness.  And spiritually, “wow!”  In savasana you are connected with every pose you just practiced, every breath you just took, every muscle you just unforgivingly worked.  Everything has culminated into one single, healing restorative pose.

In savasana, I have the opportunity to thank my body, spirit and mind for all of the contortions I just put it through. Some days it seems as if my body is more prepared to enter into certain poses over others, no matter how familiar I am with them. I lead my practice just as much as my practice leads me, which can result in some unfamiliar circumstances.

The days that I can lie comfortably in savasana are the practices that are most enriching. The days that I lie in savasana and still feel a little wild are the practices that I learn the most from. I fully welcome both experiences.

Five minutes after meeting Haleigh you’ll know…she loves yoga, she is from Baltimore, elephants are her favorite animal, and she loves sneezing.  Haleigh currently lives in Utah with her amazingly funny husband and two beautifully spastic dogs. Haleigh lives some days as if it were her last, and others as if it were her first, but regardless she is always laughing.