I travel by train quite a lot lately. I enjoy this trips, that last around 3 hours, between Lugano and Zurich and back. I got so used to “live” in the train during that time that the first thing I do when I sit down, is taking out all my tools: laptop, mobile phone, chargers, headphones, I mostly also have a coffe, handkerchiefs, cosmetics like lipstick and hand cream, bottled water, pencil, notebook and so on. Last time I took the train I observed myself doing that and I had to laugh a little bit.
I live in Switzerland, people here are discrete and they try to “keep everything tight and neat”. I laughed at my self, because even if I consider it organized, my spreading out in the train is quite chaotic and messy. Then I realised that this helps me, to air out my things, same as to air out my bones, my muscles and my thoughts in Savasana at the end of practice.
When my students lay in Savasana, the adjustment I mostly do is taking their arms away from their upper body and letting their feet flap out sideways. I observe time after time how this very simple movements are not that easy. I am patient and try gently to remind them. Yet, the “spreading out” isn’t something anyone does spontaneously.
Maybe we are not used to it, maybe in our society – like in the train, that is, indeed, a beautiful miniature of our way of living – the fact of taking space, spreading out, just opening up, is not something we are used to. And still, there is nothing to fear, we can really make space, and spread out. We have the space, we just need to take it!
Next time in Savasana, or in the train, take the space you need, spread out, open up. It’s all yours!
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