A lot of yoga teachers and publications don’t really talk about death. This kind of blows my mind, given that we “play dead” in savasana or corpse pose, at the end of every class.
But, nope. Pastels all around. Happy, shiny people. Nothing dirty or messy or complicated. Nothing gritty or sorrowful, or dark or shadowy. Spiritual Bypassing 101. Everything is RAINBOWS ALL THE TIME.
And ok, I see where they are trying to go; power of positive thinking, your thoughts create your reality yada, yada. Though I might quibble with their philosophy, I know first hand how life-changing working with the mind can be.
But…Eternal screaming rainbows are not real. What I’m saying is: we owe it to ourselves and to one another to talk about death. Big, bold faced death.
Because death is real and as sacred and holy as life. Because suffering and sorrow are necessary counterparts to contentment and joy. And because I’m willing to bet that some kind of suffering brought most of us to yoga in the first place- whether it was pain in our knees, or aches in our hearts.
And suffering can be transformative. The daily losses we all know so well- the broken heart, the fractured tibia, the lost job, the death of a loved one- these too, are essential to our being. We are called to embrace these more melancholy moments of our lives, knowing they will very often become our source of our greatest strengths.
Death as we know it, can feel like a nightmare and a salvation. This state is so selfless in the literal sense, so uncontrolled and so very inevitable. Yet we all try very hard to ignore the glaring truth that is death.
When the inevitable happens to our loved ones, to our neighbors, friends, and colleagues, we comfort by saying -what has to happen must happen. So very true and yet do we take it seriously? Do we give ourselves solace with the same words when we face the truth in our own lives? Honestly, we don’t, we break down, we blame God, situations, fate and what have you for the tragedy which has struck our lives. But why?
The answer is simple-because we are not prepared to face the truth. As a consequence we go further and further into our person state of punishment..our bodies, our minds, and even our souls. Some of us overcome this silent, painful grief and get on with our life, but some do not. Those who deal with death in a positive manner are the one who face the reality head on, while others seek refuge in hiding and running away. But how far can you really run from yourself?
Anyone who practices yoga can tell you that it empowers from within, and inner strength, make them more focused, gives them an innate sense of joy at all times, and make them introspective. Yoga helps you and guides you to that position where you can discern the truth from the variables of life. You gain the strength to be calm in almost all situations, live in the present and do not allow your overwhelming emotions crowd your mind. Your mind does not allow anything else to distract you and you gain control over your breath, thoughts and subsequently life as we see it. This power of control will help you tide over any situation-adverse or favorable- from births to deaths.
My grandmother passed away on Jan 2, 2019. I had a moment of shock when I heard the news. And then breathing took over, calmed my mind, body and emotions. She was 92, she was married for 73 years, had 2 daughters, 6 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She lived an amazing life. Her health and mind had been failing her for the last several year and she was ready to leave us. Her time had come…and she left us. She will be missed by all each and everyday.
Yoga help me handle my thoughts and emotions to the news. Yoga helped my body cope with the stress of our unique family dynamic. Yoga helped my thoughts stay clear ( not rainbows). Yoga enabled me to handle the stress, and chaos that come with families and funerals.
Yoga can help.
Namaste’
Jessica