Savasana time is sacred to almost every yogi after a long vigorous practice. In all my future classes, savasana will be practiced with head facing towards the front of the class and legs towards the back.
Let me back track a little bit, I remember my very first yoga class as a student here in US. After a long hard hot yoga class, when teacher lead into savasana , I immediately turned away from the teacher to rest my head facing toward her but everybody else rested with their feet facing toward the teacher. After few classes, this became a new norm to me and I changed my body position in savasana too. Fast forward few year, when I taught my yoga class as a teacher, any new Indian student who came to my class would turn around during savasana and they ALSO eventually change the way they practice after few classes.
Fast forward to last month when I went to India, my very first practice with another teacher, my feet were facing her and the rest of the class was doing the opposite. I had to catch myself and even felt a little embarrassed for not being thoughtful.
See, in Indian culture Teacher is held at a high regard and always treated with respect. It is considered disrespectful to rest with your feet facing them but I consider myself a modern and evolving Yogi. So I was eager and happy to adopt to new ways. I realized my new way of practicing savasana felt natural as a habit of years of practice. As a beginner student and a teacher, it bothered me a little but I was trying to fit in and not call for attention . I even felt that I am not a Teacher yet, so it was ok not to give my students extra instructions for savasana.
But It had bothered me enough for over the last 10 years that I asked my students to change their resting positions in class last week. I thought I will cause ripples and confusing, but students in my classes agreed and appreciated this insight. Now I am making a change. In all my classes, savasana will be practiced by resting with your feet facing away from front of the room.
Hope to see you in class this week!