At the end of a yoga asana practice comes what many find to be the best part of the practice—Savasana, or Corpse Pose. Often, Savasana is referred to as Final Resting Pose or Final Relaxation Pose, but at its essence, Savasana is about surrendering deeply to an energy that prepares us for the inevitable—our death.

The idea of facing death makes most of us, especially in the West, squirm. Facing our ultimate demise is something we would rather put off for another day. But yoga encourages us to consider our death each and every time we come to the mat. The symbolic practice teaches us to surrender our efforts. All that work we have done on the mat is ultimately not for us. When we devote ourselves to the practice with non-attachment to its results, we surrender to whatever might arise. That ultimate surrender is realized when we lay down, close our eyes, and let go.

This symbolic practice shows us now only how to live, but also, ultimately, how to die. When it our time comes, we can either bow out with grace and acceptance, or fearfully fight the inevitable. Savasana teaches us how to get comfortable with our mortality, which gives us a renewed vigor for life itself. When you know—truly know in your bones—that you are going to die one day, how will you choose to live?

Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas, states it beautifully, “We come into this world with empty hands, and we must leave with empty hands. Being conscious of death in a yogic way does not turn us into curmudgeons, but instead allows us to live every moment in freedom and joy.”

Siddhasana, or Accomplished Pose, does not look like much from the outside, but the ability to hold this pose for long periods of time is known to be a marker of meditative excellence. In a sitting position, with the left heel placed against the groin, or perineum, and the right ankle placed over the left, Siddhasana represents the ability to sit upright in a state of perfection, or siddha.

The siddha is one who has “perfected” yoga and achieved mastery over the gunas. There are three gunas: tamas (darkness, destruction, chaos), rajas (excitement, activity, confusion), and sattva (goodness, harmony). One who is sattvic has overcome the pull of tamasic or rajasic behavior, abiding in the peace of his own true nature. In this state, according to the Yoga Sutras, one can attain great mystical powers called siddhis. But these powers are to be used appropriately, as the story of Durvasa teaches.

Durvasa was one such siddha who had achieved such siddhi powers. One day he came upon the court of King Ambarish, who had been fasting for the day. When it came time to break his fast at sundown, Durvasa was nowhere to be found. King Ambarish did not want to be rude and eat before his guest, so he drank some water to help ease his hunger. When Durvasa returned and discovered the king had taken water before him, he was furious. With his siddhi powers he created a demon that he sent to kill King Ambarish.

But King Ambarish was a devotee of Vishnu, the god of preservation, and was not attached to his wealth and kingdom because he knew that it was all temporary. Because of his devotion, he was protected by the chakra of Vishnu, a spinning vortex of energy. As soon as the demon came for the king, the spinning wheel instead killed the demon and chased Durvasa away. Durvasa sought help from Bramha, the god of creation, Shiva, the god of destruction, and Vishnu himself. Only Vishnu offered advice, “Only if my devotee Ambarish is willing to forgive you make the chakra withdraw.” Of course, King Ambarish forgave Durvasa and the spinning chakra retreated.

“In the end, the mystical powers of Durvasa proved to be less powerful than the devotional path of yoga that King Ambarish had been following,” states Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas. “The true power of Siddhasana is its ability to give us the space to meditate on the power and beauty of selfless giving and unconditional love.” The same can be said for the attainment of peace within the yoga practice rather than the attainment of the perfect yoga pose. Yoga is an inner, not an outer practice.

Balasana, or Child’s Pose, is one of the most-loved yoga postures for the simple reason that it feels so good. The fact that it’s often taken after a difficult pose may even increase its appeal. Balasana is like a refuge. A breath of fresh air. A release. It’s where we can let go of all the stress and just be. Perhaps that’s why it’s called Child Pose after all. The innocence of childhood is graced with a feeling of ease.

In fact, many say that children are closer to divinity because they have not yet forgotten where they come from. The myth of Balasana touches on this very idea. Krishna, who is Vishnu incarnate (Vishnu being the god of preservation, one of three main Hindu gods), during childhood displayed the behavior of a child who did not know his own divinity, a playful forgetfulness known as lila. Not to be confused with maya, or the illusion that tells us our mortal experiences are real, lila is experienced when one is fully grounded in his or her own divinity, but can then forget it in a way that brings about lightness.

According to Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas, “This is one of the paradoxes of yoga philosophy: First we need to remember our divine nature, and when we are established in it we need to forget it again in order to stay engaged in the world.” In other words, we must be in the world, but not of the world. Child’s Pose represents this balance.

We can use children as our teachers. Witness the full attention a child gives to each moment. They are not burdened by their past or worried about the future. They live in the moment, just as yoga teaches us adults to do. Taking the time to find our own childlike—yet godlike—nature is a worthwhile endeavor. “Balasana invites us to cultivate this childlike quality,” says Kaivalya. Keep this in mind next time you come into Child’s Pose.

Vasisthasana, or Side Plank Pose, is named after the great Indian sage Vasistha. The story begins with King Ram, who was an incarnation of Vishnu, one of three main Hindu gods responsible for the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe. Vishnu is the maintainer.

King Ram appeared on earth to restore dharma, or righteousness. But after his travels throughout the world, where he witnessed many devastating events, he fell into a deep state of depression. Vasistha saw this state of mind as a great opportunity, however. According to Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas, “One must first see cracks in the ceiling before one can start to see the light shining through it.” King Ram was actually on the verge of a spiritual breakthrough, he just didn’t know it.

King Ram was skeptical. His lack of vision clouded his perception, but Vasistha showed him that it was this clouded vision that would help him to find clarity. Thus began a dialogue between King Ram and Vasistha that became the Yoga Vasistha, one of the main yoga philosophy and mythology texts.

The Yoga Vasistha teaches about jivanmukta, the state of the soul who is liberated while living. Jiva is the individual soul, expressed through the different aspects of human life; and mukti means liberation. “The magic occurs, explained Vasistha, when the individual soul merges with absolute freedom, so we can be, as the saying goes, in this world, but not of this world,” states Kaivalya.

Ram became one of the most well revered kings in Indian history. He even appears as the main character in India’s epic, the Ramayana. Vasistha’s teachings are thought to be responsible for Ram’s great achievements and success in life.

The symbolism of Vasisthasana is evident in the pose itself. A careful balance on one hand, the pose requires focus on what’s important. Clouded vision often arises at first, but clear focus is required to truly maintain the posture. With the body facing one direction, only part of the whole truth is seen. One must turn to complete the pose on the other side to view another perspective. This aspect of the pose reflects the challenge King Ram faced when he met Vasistha.

Hanuman’s story begins much before this famous tale. He was actually born Anjaneya, son of Anjana, a mortal woman, and Vaju, the god of wind, so he was half human, half god. He was a troublesome youngster, however, and one day was fatally struck down by the sun god, Surya because of his mischievousness. Vayu’s fury at Surya’s actions caused him to take in a deep breath, threatening all of humanity. To appease Vayu, the gods compromised, and Anjaneya was returned as Hanuman, but was unable to fully remember his own divinity.

Hanuman was removed from his mother and put into the care of Sugriva, the monkey king. Hanuman took the shape of a monkey to better get along with his family. One day he met King Ram, who immediately took to liking him. It was shortly thereafter that Ravana plotted to take over Ram’s kingdom and kidnap Sita. When he did, Ram could not rescue Sita because he had to defend his kingdom, so he sent his trusted friend Hanuman to save her.

It was then that Hanuman took the great leap to Sri Lanka. He was unsure how he would make the great journey, but his faith kept him going despite not knowing what he was truly capable of. “Many of us shrink before impossible tasks, or even tasks that are just a bit hard, because we are just like Hanuman. We easily forget that there is a part of us that is also divine and can accomplish the impossible,” says Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas. His faith and dedication brought him to Sita, where he promised to later return with King Ram to save her and fight off Ravana’s army. And they did just that, winning back their kingdom.

The same faith and dedication can be applied in the pose Hanumanasana itself. A challenging pose, it can take much time to take the full expression of the pose. Faith and dedication are essential to finding steadiness and ease in the pose.

Bhujangasana, or Cobra Pose, represents our ability overcome fear. While the cobra is generally considered to be a creature that evokes fear, our ability to look past this initial instinct and view fear from a new perspective is key to helping us move past it.

As discussed last month, around the neck of Nataraja, or Shiva, hangs a cobra. The cobra’s venom is a symbol of avidya, or the veil of illusion that prevents us from knowing our true nature as divine. It is this veil that keeps us living in fear. Removing this veil removes the fearsome nature of the cobra, for fear is tied to the veil of illusion. Once we understand our true nature, fear is no longer relevant.

Snake and cobra symbolism is scattered throughout Indian mythology. Shiva’s son, Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, also wears a cobra—around his waist as a symbol of “his commitment to mastering his fears,” according to Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas. Ganesh strives to live a spiritual life as his father has taught him.

In one Indian myth, the world itself is built upon the coils of the serpent Ananta Shesha. Vishnu is also often depicted resting on the coils of Ananta Shesha. It is said that when Ananta Shesha uncoils time and creation take place, and when he recoils the universe ceases to exist.

One of the most common symbols of the cobra in yogic mythology is the coiled serpent at the base of the spine, awakened by the rising of kundalini energy up the sushumna nadi (main prana channel that runs up the spine), coiling around the chakras as it rises. When kundalini energy is awakened through the practice of yoga and meditation, this energy is freed to rise up toward the crown chakra, creating a state of enlightenment. This symbolism is also seen in depictions of the Buddha with a cobra positioned above his head, symbolizing his enlightened state.

When practicing Cobra Pose, try to change your own perspective. Feel your chest fill with air as you rise up against the pull of gravity. Release tension in your arms in an effort to find ease amidst effort. Only through surrender will you find the strength to hold Cobra Pose with an easy, slow breath. Let this practice help you remove fear in Cobra Pose as well as other more challenging poses in your practice.

Natarajasana, or King Dancer Pose, is the embodiment of King Nataraja, a depiction of Shiva, the god of destruction. Shiva represents change. With birth must come death; with destruction must come rebuilding. Nataraja represents Shiva as the ever-present change in the universe.

In statues of Nataraja, Shiva dances in a ring of flame that represents samsara, or the cycle of birth and rebirth. According to Alana Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas, you can think of this cycle as reincarnation, or you could think of it as the continual cycle of life patterns that play out again and again. You know that lesson that life keeps trying to teach you? It’s quite intentional. These patterns exist to help us grow and evolve.

Around Nataraja’s neck is a cobra, its venom a symbol of avidya, or the veil of illusion that prevents us from knowing our true nature as divine. Nataraja has four arms: one holds a drum that signifies the rhythm of time; one holds the flame of enlightened knowledge thought to be the remedy to the illusion of avidya; and one hand is held up with the palm facing outward while the other faces downward, representing revelation and concealment—again, symbols of change.

King Dancer stands on one leg atop a small dwarf who represents ignorance. Shiva stands above him, maintaining mastery over ignorance. “By standing over the demon of ignorance, he is able to have a higher gaze, or a higher level of consciousness, which allows him to rise above daily drama,” notes Kaivalya. Standing firm in Natarajasana helps us to see life more clearly.

King Dancer Pose is quite challenging. It requires a release from fear. “Shiva’s dance is born out of a liberation from the fear of change,” Kaivalya states. The deep backbend and strong balance of the pose draw upon our ability to release fear and stand firm in our ability to take life as it comes. Some days we remain steady in the pose; other days, we fall. Such is life. Noticing the ebb and flow instead of fearing its consequences can truly set us free. This is the real goal behind Natarajasana.

Trikonasana, or Triangle Pose, is a symbol of trinity. Sacred trinities exist in so many forms in yoga. From the practical mind, body, and spirit or birth, life, and death to the more esoteric main energy channels (nadis) of ida, pingala, and sushumna or the three gunas: tamas, rajas, and sattva, triads exist throughout yoga and, in fact, throughout life itself.

The gunas are the three qualities that make up our body and mind. Tamas is the quality of inertia. When we feel tired and sluggish, tamas is in control. Rajas is the quality of activity and passion. When we are excited, rajas is in control. Sattva is the quality of calm. When we feel peaceful, sattva predominates.

Each of these three qualities is necessary at different times and for different situations. When bedtime nears, we need tamas so that we can fall asleep. When morning comes, we need rajas to get up and get going. And when we are feeling unsteady, either mentally or physically, we need sattva to help us find calm.

Each person is born with a certain ratio of each of the three gunas. You probably know some people who are very energetic—they have more rajas. People who are slow-moving have more tamas. And people who are usually peaceful have an abundance of sattva.

The triad nature of triangle pose helps us to understand the integration of life’s balance of three. Alanna Kaivalya, author of Myths of the Asanas, recommends, “. . . when performing Trikonasana, it’s helpful to meditate on the solid foundation that we need in order to live a sattvic life and leave the world of maya behind.”

The three gunas make up everything that we perceive with our senses, also known as maya, or illusion. Balancing tamas and rajas so that we can attain a sattvic state will help us to transcend the illusion that we are our body and mind. In fact, we are much more that what we can perceive with our senses. Yoga helps us to realize this truth of our nature.

Yoga is a centuries old practice with a rich philosophy steeped in the ancient language of Sanskrit. A language once rarely spoken by people in everyday life, Sanskrit is being revived in India such that over 14,000 people currently consider it to be their native language. For the most part, however, Sanskrit is considered to be a sacred language and is reserved for use by those who seek to understand the deeper philosophy of yoga and Indian culture.

While modern yoga has lost some of its integration with the Sanskrit language, you have heard some Sankrit in class. Every yoga posture has a Sanskrit name, and many teachers choose to use these names, often alongside the English name. For example, Trikonasana is Triangle Pose. Sound familiar? Savasana is Corpse Pose. Then there is pranayama, the breath practice, and asana, the postures.

If you have any experience with mantra, or chanting, you have delved even further into the Sanskrit language. Each syllable of Sanskrit holds its own vibration, and when sounded out, the person chanting absorbs that vibration. Chanting ‘om,’ for example, instills a sense of peace that helps us to find our center. You may have already felt this yourself.

In a similar way, each Sanskrit word has a deeper meaning that is linked to the many ancient myths of India. Over the next few months in this series, we will highlight different yoga postures and discuss the myths that surround each one so that you can experience your yoga practice in a more comprehensive way.