Close your eyes and picture this: more than 750 people moving in a smooth, unified yoga flow with the only sound to be heard is coming from palm trees swaying softly in the warm summer wind. As the sun sets and the pomegranate sky fades, the cool blue glow of 750 headsets becomes more prominent and the melodic movement continues in a quiet calmness. This is Silent Savasana.
Established in 2015, Silent Savasana is an outdoor yoga experience that links individuals together through state-of-the-art LED headsets that transmit the instructor’s voice and a carefully curated playlist straight to yogis ears. While the foundation of Silent Savasana is yoga sessions, the experience is not about the workout, but rather the “work in.” Every single person is going through a struggle you know nothing about, whether it be an addiction, recovery from a trauma, grieving the loss of a loved one or something else. Silent Savasana is about going inside yourself to turn pain into power and wounds into wisdom with yoga as the movement for our self improvement.
Growing up, I experienced physical and verbal abuse. At age 10, my brother and I were kidnapped by our biological dad. We didn’t see him much and it was just supposed to be a short visit. When you’re a kid, you think you’re scared. When you get older, you realize you damn near got killed. Because of that, I went on a self-destructive path where I inflicted pain every chance I got — wrestling, fighting, motorcycle and car accidents. After one of my friends got arrested for multiple serious charges, I decided to change my ways. I was intent not to go down that path. I started washing dishes at Station Casinos, worked my way up and eventually had a career in real estate. But it all caught up.
My body broke — doctors told me I had to have back surgery.
I said “nope” and picked up a yoga mat instead. When I took my first yoga class, I walked in with a cane and I never looked back.
I made a pact with the man upstairs that if he allowed me to walk again, I was going to spread the message of yoga. I tell people there are lessons in the light and lessons in the dark. Some of my most profound messages came through in my darkest moments. It is inevitable that you will face struggles; we must love ourselves enough to face those struggles, but most importantly, we must love ourselves.
In yoga, breathing is primary and postures are secondary, so if you can breathe, you can do yoga.
Each yoga posture has health benefits, both physical and mental. Uttana Shishosana, or puppy dog posture, strengthens and stretches the arms, hips and upper back. It can also relieve symptoms of chronic stress, tension and insomnia. Some of the postures might be hard or uncomfortable, but it’s about stepping outside your comfort zone, going back to the breath and going back inside. It is a healing process and if I could, I would rename “yoga” to “YOU-ga.”
I always say once you know, you cannot unknown. You cannot put the toothpaste back in the tube. We must use the pains of our past to guide us moving forward. Your past is not there to define you, but remind you. Yoga allows us to penetrate the ideas of limitations we impose upon ourselves. It re-establishes a sense of well being, calmness and self love that have nothing to do with our current circumstances. If you get a chance, take it and if it changes your life, let it.
If you’ve never been to a Silent Savasana experience, I invite you to join us to see what the movement is about. You owe it to yourself.
For a full list of events, visit SilentSavasana.com or follow
@SilentSavasana on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.