Exhalation from page 4
Savasana
and tamasic, exhalation will work as a mitigator. If the mind is rajasic, it will work as a mitigator. That’s why it is a versatile force. It will make you sattvic; if you are already sattvic, then it will increase the sattvic nature. The mind is serene, it will remain much more serene. So for all the idealistic principles of yoga, psychologically, mentally, the exhalation can all provide a vital substitution.
Ramanand Patel and Constance Braden At her request, Ramanand Patel sent Constance Braden some notes on Savasana. She edited them, with corrections from Ramanand, after practicing the pose as the notes instructed. In writing the following article, she used these notes and reports on her own and her students’ experiences. Take great care to lie down symmetrically, palms facing up, a blanket supporting the head and neck. Place the head on the center point of the back of the skull, without lifting the chin, so that the eyes when closed will look down toward the lungs. At first, however, keep the eyes gently open. Recognize that looking only takes place, requiring no effort or activity. Only three Ramannand Patel factors are necessary for looking to take place: adequate light, an unimpaired instrument of looking, and presence of the mind. The inner ears are soft and deep, so that hearing is passive and receptive. The mind, watching the passive seeing and hearing, is falling into a more relaxed, receptive state.
The exhalation works on the consciousness as well as the mind. Initially, we work on peripheral mind, then the inner mind. I have explained the mind like an onion, or a flower with so many layers of petals. Initially, you work on the outer petals. Then you will work on the second layer, third layer, fourth layer, which will take you to the inner layer of mind, which is infinite. Now say you have a multivitamin tablet. Similarly, this will work for every aspect that you require in your body aspect and matter, mind aspect and factor. It will be a substitute. Like if you have calcium deficiency, you take a calcium substitute, a supplemental protein, supplemental vitamins, so it is an autogenic supplementation. The exhalation will give you an autogenic supplementation. I say, most often do exhalations, more often do retention, and often inhalations. I have used superlative degree, comparative degree, and positive degree. So superlative degree: use exhalation most often, exhale more and more in a pose. More often try to have postexhalative retentions and often have postexhaling inhalations. So if the inhalation is to be done, it should be done postexhalatively. Or postretentively so that by postexhalative, you will have exhaled deliberately and mindfully, you will have devised and customized, and therefore the inhalation can have more comparative effects.
Gently lower the upper eyelids to close the eyes.
Each time you practice Savasana in this way, you can see what arises, and using the ever-increasing passivity of the breath, bring that feeling to completeness. The breath is free and natural; the mind remains aware of the breath so that you remain awake and present. The bones of the toes are now softening within themselves as though melting under warm sun. The flesh and skin of the toes deeply relax within themselves; the nerves and blood vessels receive a sense of freedom from all pressure and tension. The bones, the flesh, and the skin everywhere in the body, piece by piece, now follow the toes into a state of relaxed passivity so that there is no pressure on any of the nerves. (This can be guided further slowly referring to different parts of the body.) The mind is receptively aware of the contact of the brain with the skull. On inhalation, the brain releases away from the inner surface of the skull. On exhalation, the brain releases away from its center towards the skull. The mind is a witness to this rhythm as it is established more and more completely in the “diaphragm” of the brain. The breath in the chest is for conscious breathing and is related to the thinking faculty. The belly or abdominal breath is for relaxed breathing related to the feeling faculty. One bridge between the conscious breath and the feeling breath is the faculty of imagination.
Can exhalation help with abhinivesa (fear of death)? Yes. It takes you deeper into the mind, so that you will be able to face such conditions also.
Yoga Samachar Spring / Summer 2009
8
