Some opt out. Others cover themselves with their blanket. I prefer neither. If I get too comfortable I may fall asleep and that is not the purpose of savasana. Jan recites a bit of poetry. Sometimes she will deliver a quote from scripture. She prompts us to focus on our breath without manipulating it. We are to focus on a mantra, thinking the words without speaking them. We are encouraged to dedicate our meditation to someone or something we desire to bless. Clear the mind with a focused intention. Savasana usually lasts 20 to 30 minutes. .
Jan sounds the chime and we are asked to return to our bodies, take a deep breath and roll to our right sides momentarily. We sit upright in full lotus again and take a deep breath as we circle our arms out and up until our hands touch together overhead. We then bring our prayer hands down to the center of our chest resting them over the heart chakra. Jan dismisses us with Namaste, as she bows her head. We return the favor, "Namaste" (I bow to you). We come to our feet and gather our belongings to say goodbye. Hugs and smiles are exchanged. It's obvious that I am not alone in the comfort and relief yoga brings to my hectic life.
Big Business.
Yoga was officially introduced to the Western world by Swami Vivekananda at the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago (Shaw). It has been working its way through Western society ever since with the big boom happening in 1960's pop culture. Yoga's popularity continued to rise with the fitness craze of the 1980's and '90's. Think back to the popularity of the Jane Fonda workouts. At age 75, Jane has found a new niche preaching the gospel of yoga (Original Fitness Guru). The growth of yoga's popularity in America continues on an upward trajectory. The industry has seen a 29 percent increase in participation from 2008 to 2012 (Yoga Journal 2012). A Google search of the phrase "yoga clothing" produced 35,300,000 possible links in 0.