Shavasana. Even the word sounds like a giant exhale! The winding down makes for the completion of a yoga practice. The body finally relaxed, the breath, normal. Truly a great posture. Why not start with one? As it does myself, it helps people get centered.

Since shavasana is a neutral posture, I find that it helps my practice and my state of mind. Although I am not prompted to do so by a yoga teacher (but I have had it approved), I like to start my yoga with thirty minutes of shavasana as a way to ease into a practice. No yoga teacher or other students are either; the room is silent. It’s just me, my mat, the wood floor, and the beautiful windows. Looking out into the dense city of downtown Saint Paul, I’m preparing for my upcoming practice.

In silence, my body sits stretched out on my mat. Life is good, I think to myself, contemplating all aspects of it. The significance of shavasana pose is that it connects people with their crown chakra. I am one with the universe, I imagine, laying there in a still pose, not relaxed enough to fall asleep. This corpse pose can do that. A lunch time yoga does not make me want to fall asleep. The time of day matters in yoga, depending on one’s dosha body type. For me, the middle of the day is a fine time for an extra-long shavasana.

Relaxed into the pose, my mind dances. I feel happy and free. As Lao Tzu says, “I do nothing, therefore I leave nothing left undone.” That is the feeling of freedom. Free of obligation, free of distraction, free of judgement, free of suffering, and free of the search for freedom. I have found it on my mat. In essence, the mat sets an energetic dome around you, blocking out what no longer serves you. For that hour (plus 30 minutes), you have a chance of yoking your mind with your body. What an opportunity – a total gift!

The mat brings you back to a time of play, a playground for your mind, body, and soul. The breath is the fuel for the body to get you there. Remember this while you practice. Remember this while you breathe!

This moment – the present moment – is so precious to me. It is also so essential for a good practice. It helps me to clear my thoughts ahead of time, making less of a need to watch the clock or think about the past or future. With my whole body grounded, I feel one with where I am. This is why I highly recommend a long shavasana, to help you get centered before a yoga practice. A long shavasana connects the beginning with the end of your practice. This is the perfect circle that makes for a sacred yoga practice.