That being said I was last night lying in my bed practicing some of the techniques that were described in the book Positive Psychology Buddism and Yoga. Particularly practising the Asanas (postures of yoga) one called Savarasana. Which can be called the deal weight posture or Death or Corpse pose...
In the first couple of paragrapghs of this chapter it refers to as:
One of the Yoag postures called Savarana is completly different from the others and has its own particular effects. I describe it as the dead weight pose but that is not quite the literal translation.
This is not a movement but a state of being. Wearing loose lie flat on your back on a comfortable surface (eg., a rug mattress, even a grassy lawn), arms at your sides, legs slightly apart. Your eyes may be open or closed(I prefer keeping them open). There should be an awareness that your head, body, arms and legs are all in contact with and supported by that surface. Imagine that the surface you are alying on is gently rising up, like a mystical flying carpet, that gravity is pulling you flat against it.You are in short are to become a dead weight, without any muscle tension in your head and limbs.
I was practising this Asana as it appears the easiest for me to actually complete for any length of time. But in looking at this postuire and the conatation that we are there as dead without being dead. That our physical body is switched off and our "mind" is heightened and the awareness of the mind is givin greater resources is a posture that I really enjoy. As stated it is the eqasiest to for me to undertake to compare myself physical self to be actually lifeless in regard to movement but to have a awareness of the mind.
This experience mnay well promote thought of a range of things that include "what is the mind?" that is asked in the Yoga book. But I was intensly aware that this slowed and aware feeling was actually quite pleasurable. It was pleasurable actually lying "dead" but aware of the mind and working hard to narrow my focus onto something small that is there to percieve.
For me this evening that perception focused on the skerrick of light that was passing througfh my closed eyes and how it formed shapes and gluemy pictures through the small amounts of light that come into my room while I was "meditating". In my mind eye it appeared as a small focus of light. This was actually helpful in focussing my attention.
But whiloe undertaking this posture I wandered to the often Taboo topic of DEATH. For me I found some releaf in allowing myself to explore my thoughts on the subject.
I myself would say that I am not afraid of death. I am also not seeking to hasten my experience to this either.
But personally I have felt the sting of death by experiencing both parents passing away.
But for me the purpose of the experience was to allow myself to narrow the focus of my mind to allow the experience of mediation. It worked a treat actually. I was able to focus attention on my breathing and to purposefully and deliberately slow my breath to have that as the focus of my attention.
It was nioce as this allowed myelf to experience a greater sense of wellbeing and hence a greater sense of purpose in this life of mine but also an opportunity to experience LIFE without constant rumination and self doubt.
I must at this point admit I am no Yogi or expert in Meditation but on this experinece last night I had a bit of success and it was "Good TIMES".
So I would like to think that I can extrapulate from this experience that if I can create moments where I can quiet the mind and focus on my breath I can create greater moments of calm and pleasure within my day to day life.
It must be stated that it being the season of giving and festivities over the Xmas period has to me at least been a time where I can appreciate the more enjoyable experiences of this LIFE of ours. and as such maybe I will create more opportunities for me to practice meditation and YOGA....
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