“Find the stillness,” my yoga instructor says at the end of class.
“Find the stillness,” she repeats quietly, as I lie down on my mat, stretch out my legs and toes, hands and fingers — palms up, eyes closed.
Savasana
she whispers the Sanskrit name for this pose as I
breathe in
breathe out
“Find the stillness?” my thinking starts up 15 minutes early. “Stillness…quiet, no thinking, breathing….”
“Shhhh,” I tell it, me, myself. “We know stillness.”
breathe in
breathe out
“Stillness is that place at the end of our walks in the woods. When we’re done moving with purpose. Done thinking with purpose.”
breathe in
breathe out
“Stillness is that place where we’ve forgotten whatever thought was unraveling and know only what is right there at that moment.”
breathe in
breathe out
“Stillness is that place where the hawk sings to us from overhead, the leaves rustle as we walk by, and the breeze carries whispers from spirits.”
breathe in
breathe out
“We know stillness.”
Namaste
• • •
Photo ©2011, Jen Payne
SEE ALSO:
Yoga Week One: It Will Come
Yoga Week Two: When Yoga is Only Part of the Big Picture
Yoga Week Three: Applying Stillness
Yoga Week Four: Still There is Joy
Yoga Week Five: Loving Kindness
Yoga Week Six: In Your Bones
Namaste,
peace today.
and to you
beautiful. be still and know who you are!
thank you, Joss. : )
In stillness we find contentment and freedom. :-)
Contentment in the moment, yes. And freedom, certainly – most importantly from our own thoughts!