Savasana on Turtleback

This drawing, also done with colored pencil on paper, is my expression and interpretation of what divine relaxation looks and feels like, and thus I drew a girl resting upon a turtle in Savasana Corpse Pose, the last and final resting pose in yogic practice.  It came to me one day as my yoga teacher was explaining to our class that the turtle is the symbol of Enlightment in Buddhist philosophy, and truly, I could think of nothing more relaxing than lying upon a gigantic turtles’ back floating in the middle of the ocean.

Here is an excerpt I found explaining the significance of turtles in different cultures:

“Throughout the ages humans have bestowed turtles with special meaning. Ancient myths from different cultures describe the world as resting on the turtle’s back. Among Far Eastern cultures it was believed that the turtle’s back symbolized Heaven and that its underside represented Earth. For them the turtle signified the possibility of uniting Heaven and Earth within one’s own life.

Some cultures today still regard the turtle as a symbol of the primal mother and believe that it is connected to the lunar cycle. Others associate the turtle with longevity and wisdom. Incredibly, sea turtles have existed on earth longer than any other vertebrate animal — they were here when dinosaurs evolved and became extinct, and they survived the Ice Age.

The turtle has qualities that are congruent with the teachings and values of the Life Balance Institute. The turtle naturally withdraws and goes within when in turmoil. It does not need to learn the importance of this focusing inward, it naturally knows.

The turtle’s whole life is one of steadfastness, effort, and patience. It lives a slow and steady life of “non-doing.” There is a saying, “Home is where the heart is” — the turtle is always at home within itself.” (http://www.lifebalanceinstitute.com/institute/about-turtle)

Through the practice of yoga, I find that like the turtle, I come back to ‘heart center’, and so I wished to express this sentiment through a deeply imaginative interpretation of Savasana Corpse Pose.