Savasana. Corpse Pose. Dead Body Pose. Savasana is a position of total relaxation where you ground your body into the earth. In stillness, you move toward the end of life while returning to its beginning. I am lying on my back in savasana, waiting for yoga class to begin. An unexpected sound makes me twist my head to confirm with my eyes what my ears are hearing. A sound. The Sound.
No, I wasn’t imagining it. Snoring. Yes, someone in yoga class is sleeping and snoring. Who falls asleep in a yoga class? It’s early in the morning. But not that early. This is the 9:30 AM class. It’s Monday.
The Snorer is a guy. He’s on his back in savasana, and his chest rises and falls as he sleeps. Did he party through the weekend? Was he at a club all night and then decided to throw on sweats and use hot yoga as a detox?
I look around, and no one seems to notice that this guy is sleeping. Is everyone deaf? Or are they all stoned from their medical marijuana prescriptions? Goddamnit, am I the only serious person in here? Yoga is a serious endeavor. Right? Right? You’re supposed to strain, focus, and OM your way to enlightenment. No?
Before I heard The Sound, I was contemplating the meaning of life. What is my purpose? Why am I here? Existential stuff. Now I have an answer. Lighten the fuck up. It’s only yoga.