yoga

52

december 2018 / january 2019

yogajournal.com.sg

LEARN TO LISTEN IN FULL RELAXATION POSE

Place 2 blocks side by side near the foot of your mat with a rolled-up blanket

on top. If you wish, you may add a bolster for extra leg support and a blanket,

for softness, under your heels. Sit facing the blocks, and slowly lower to the

floor, mindfully resting your knees atop the roll with your feet hip-width apart.

For additional head support, place a blanket or folded towel under your head

and a rolled-up towel beneath your neck. Rest your arms at your sides—or on

your belly with elbows on the floor. Once you’re comfortable, take several long

breaths, progressively releasing all of your body weight into the ground. Relax

here. For the last minute of the pose, bring your hands to your belly and feel

your palms receive your breath. Imagine your breath loosening and softening

any lingering hardness in your body.

To exit, slowly draw your knees toward your belly, and roll onto one side,

making a pillow under your head with one of your arms. Relax on your side for 1

minute, then mindfully press up to a comfortable seated position.

The benefits In Full Relaxation Pose, we can practice listening to the breath

and noticing the way it tenderly meets everything it comes into contact with.

Imagine the way your dearest friend would listen to you if you needed kind

support and attention. Most of us do not listen to ourselves with this level

of care. This is important to consider in a restorative practice because once

you begin to relax, it’s not unusual for things to start bubbling up—feelings

or sensations that tension has tried to protect you from. Once you begin to

unfurl those knots, it’s important to compassionately listen to, and observe,

what’s being released. A listening practice begins with making the choice

to relax with whatever comes up in your body, mind, and heart. It means

choosing to receive—in a nonjudgmental way—whatever your tension has

been shielding you from. It means opening up, over and over, to anything

you may discover, without feeling the need to critique, fix, or change.

Teacher and modelJillian Pranskyis the author ofDeep Listening: A Healing Practice to Calm Your Body, Clear Your Mind, and Open Your Heart

(Rodale). She is an international presenter and Certified Yoga Therapist, and she has taught mindfulness, yoga, and meditation for more than 20 years.

Learn more at jillianpransky.com.

Journal prompts

Can you recall a time when you

unexpectedly received a compassinate

response from someone when you really

needed it?

Can you remember a situation where

you shifted from feeling shut down

and closed hearted to tender?

How can you promote listening to

yourself in this kind and loving

way today?