Deep Body Relaxation - shava to shiva!

[Guest guest]

Harshiji - PraNAms

 

Just some words of caution based on my understanding.

 

Shava Asana is always done at the end of yoga

exercises as a relaxation technique.

 

However, I would like to add a word of caution for

going from shava to Shiva - that is lying down and do

regular meditation and why padmaasan is universally

recommended for meditation. - Shava or corpse is

considered as inauspicious while Shiva means

auspiciousness itself - besides that there is a

fundamental reason.

 

When one is in meditation, the normal breathing

process will slow down and mind becomes quiet and

calm. These conditions are conducive for the mind to

go to sleep easily. Hence for most of mediators,

sleep becomes a biggest hurdle, of course after mind

has gained the ability to pull out of its attachments.

That is one of the reasons why meditation is

recommended, not in the night when the mind is all

tired, but in the early mornings when the mind is

fresh and vibrant- it is called brahma muhurtham.

 

To insure that the person who is meditating does not

fall down - padmaasanam (sitting in lotus pose) is

recommended so that he is stable and firm on the

ground.

 

The second reason comes from yoga shaastra - the

vertebral column and the neck are advised to be in

straight line (without going into the details of

kundalini aspects) - that way one can stay in

meditation for length of time - awake-vigilant and

meditative- that is the state of mind in meditation.

 

As Harshaji endorses one can easily go to sleep in the

shava Asana - in fact one should go to sleep in that

pose thinking of the Lord - You can have yoga nidra.

But for Vedantic inquiry, the mind has to be sharp.

Our own experience is we can read stories or throwaway

magazines lying down - but for any serious study, we

have to sit down and study. Knowledge can take place

only when the mind is sharp. Then, what to talk about

the subtlest knowledge about one's own self. So the

recommendation is to do meditation in the sitting pose

- if you can. If you cannot, then alternate poses are

recommended.

 

Now question is should one not do meditation in lying

pose! Of course you can do! It is like a drunkard who

went to ask a priest - sir, can I drink while praying

to God - Priest of course said No. you should not

drink while praying. The drunkard thought about and

changed his question - sir, can I pray while drinking.

'Yes of course' said the priest. Can one meditate

while lying down - of course you can meditate any time

and anywhere.

Should one lie down to meditate - no that is not

advisable -

Krishna himself recommends sitting down and meditating

in the 6th Chapter.

 

Of course for relaxation - what Harshaji says is

correct.

 

But For a meditator, relaxation is not the goal, but

it is only a by-product. Vedantic meditation requires

a calm, quiet and vigilant mind. It is a subtle

inquiry within of the very essence of life itself. If

relaxation becomes a goal, the meditative mind will

only long for that and settles in that groove and is

not ready to take of higher flight.

 

--- Harsha wrote:

 

> For those interested in the topic, I have written a

> short article on

> Deep Body Relaxation (in Shava Asana) based on my

> experience.

>

>

>

> Namaste and love to all

> Harsha

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thank you Sada-Ji for your excellent and thoughtful comments. I have

added these to the blog with some minor editing.

 

 

 

Namaste and love to all

Harsha

 

 

 

kuntimaddi sadananda wrote:

> Harshiji - PraNAms

>

> Just some words of caution based on my understanding.

>

> Shava Asana is always done at the end of yoga

> exercises as a relaxation technique.

>

 

Apologies for delay in posting. flagged it as spam for some reason and I

only just noticed it! Dennis