Tara Bray sets out to uncover the origin and meaning of savasana–corpse pose–and meditates on her life as a young Southern girl who lost her mother too early.

Savasana. Which translates into “corpse pose.” Dead still. This is the final posture. Practice your yoga, then lie flat on the floor and die to what you’ve done, feet falling open, hands turned palms up. B.K.S. Iyengar, the founder of the Iyengar system of yoga, says to place a black cloth folded four times over across the eyes. I say the body should grow long and still. The body should become weightless. The bones should sink to the ground as the torn heart opens so the sky dwellers may look down and see this world as it is, bloody and rhythmic. The breath should move without effort. The skin should open its tiny, hidden mouths and let the air stream through in small, silent gasps. Southern women were made for savasana.

via Shambhala Sun – Savasana.