Happy Corpse

I have just finished my morning yoga class. The mornings are harder than the afternoon, but this morning was brilliant. Every few days I feel a massive burst of adrenaline at the very end of the class. Just before we are about to lay down into Savasana. The literal translation of Savasana is the 'corpse Pose'. The pose is considered one of the most difficult, as rather than controlling the body, you must calm the mind – finding a resting meditating state between waking and dreaming. So today I lay down, like a corpse, flat on my back, with my palms facing upwards and covered in my shawl in order to retain the heat from the two and a half hour practice. I rested my head on the floor and felt my lips fall into a natural smile. The smile extended to the muscles of my cheeks, and before I knew it I was grinning from ear to ear, utterly unable to control the burst of happiness which I was feeling. Vijay began his usual low chanting. A chant reminding us to relax each part of the body. But my smile would not relax. I was completely unable to relax my face as it was contorted into an expression of Happiness. And this is what Ashtanga yoga does – it rapidly opens up the body – clearing blockages caused by stress, emotions, lifestyle or injuries and which are held in the body. Once these blockages are removed both the blood and the energy flow more freely. This morning I felt the energy circling around my body, lifting my lips, as if smiling was the most natural action in the World. As if all corpses must be smiling, and all those waiting to be born must be suspended in the mother's womb – grinning.