I arrive at my teaching job 30 minutes early but totally exhausted and in a great deal of pain. In this moment, life seems hard. The stress of teaching- the stress of teaching while in pain. It feels like too much. I usually don’t have any spare time before class, as I run from one thing to the next. But, chance has it that I am early. I can grade papers, go over my notes, check my mail. What to do with this 20 minute gift? I think about what BKS Iyengar says about modern lifestyles needing sedatives. I decide to take a sedative in the form of rest. I put my legs up on a chair and lie quietly, releasing my weight into gravity, stilling my mind. I drop right in. Worries melt away. Thoughts melt away. I am being held safely by the floor beneath me, by the earth, by gravity. My body breathes, but I am not doing the breathing. I am not doing anything. I am soft and permeable. There is a class in the next room, music, noise, but it seems very far away- I have an awareness of it, but it is only part of the field. Ten minutes later I emerge. I am ready to teach. My pain greatly diminished, this is nothing short of miraculous. I approach my teaching with energy and an elevated mood. Interesting- I surrender to Savasana and as a result I completely surrender to teaching. I am completely absorbed in it. My classes are some of the best that I can remember. I am happy and free. Savasana!
Surrender.
Wishing you balance and rest,
Nancy
