TGIM: Shavasana

Welcome back to Thank God It’s Monday!
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​tl;dr How intentional are you about your rest? If you remain distracted during the time you allocate for relaxing, you will not reap the benefits of refilling your cup. Be present in all that you do, including your recovery.
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In yoga, Shavasana is a restorative pose where you lie flat on your back with your palms facing the ceiling, working to release tension from your forehead down to your toes. It is also known as corpse pose. We typically stay in this pose for at least five minutes at the end of practice, trying not to let the mind wander too far.
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Last week, during Shavasana, our instructor rhetorically asked, “How deep can you get in this pose?” I never heard a teacher ask for depth in corpse pose. Unlike a warrior or triangle, you cannot beckon your hamstrings to let go or for your knees to give a deeper bend. Greater depth required the mind to give in, not the muscles.

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Shavasana is typically practiced after an hour of intense physical activity (depending on the flow). After working up a sweat, it allows the body to release any residual tension and appreciate the movement and experience just endured. Then the real challenge comes when you’re lying in corpse pose, attempting to focus on breath and not let your mind drift to your to-do list.
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This doesn’t stray far from the intense bouts of work in our lives, after which we can require scheduled time to recover and play “catch-up.” Consider the weekend with nothing on the calendar that you look forward to after a big project at work is over. Or even a lovely night after work when you plan to catch up on some laundry and meal prep when you’ve been on the road for a couple of weeks.
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The best rest days are the ones when you can be fully disconnected from your emails and relax guilt-free. You know you’ve worked hard, and now it’s time to unplug.
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On the other hand, you have those days when you know there is work looming over your head, or you could invest some time in your side hustle that you keep saying you will, but don’t. How does it feel after you take the afternoon off and doom scroll on your phone? Not great.
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The reason the same afternoon on the couch doesn’t feel as restorative in these two situations is that one was intentional and the other is avoidant. Even relaxing days can benefit from intention, because our minds aren’t drifting in one million directions. When we avoid the work (and try to relax), of course, our minds will go to the tasks we are not doing. Similarly, in Shavasana, we can deepen our practice by directing our focus and being deliberate.
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As we head into Thanksgiving weekend, let us be intentional with our practices. Let us work hard and tie up the loose ends so we can feel accomplished and not avoidant. And when the weekend arrives, let us enjoy the time with family and delicious food with the same intention that we put into our work.
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Ask yourself, how deeply can you practice your gratitude and be present this weekend? It is just as valuable as working hard. And if you find yourself overwhelmed with the holiday, try out Shavasana. Lie on the floor with palms to the sky, set a timer for 5 minutes, and focus on your breath. It won’t resolve the family’s heated political diatribes, but it can help you keep your sanity.
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If you found some value in this, please share it with a friend you think would enjoy it! And let me know if you’d like to be added to get TGIM.
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​This week, my podcast recommendation is new from Shane Parrish’s The Knowledge Project, “Charlie Munger: The Psychology of Human Misjudgement.”
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With that, happy Thanksgiving! I am so grateful for each and every one of you who has been a part of this journey. Thank you.
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Until next time,
Shannon