Thicker than Water: A Memoir

by Kerry Washington

Ms. Checken described the final position of the class as “corpse pose”—Shavasana. This asana, she explained, is usually the final position in any yoga practice. Its purpose is to fully rest the body in a deep state of relaxation and meditation before moving on with the day. As we lay on our backs as directed—with our palms facing up and our feet hip-width apart—Ms. Checken walked us through a guided meditation. She asked us to tense and tighten individual body parts for a count of three and then release and relax each one—first our hands, then our forearms, then our ears, noses, all the way down to our toes. She told us to imagine with each breath that every single part of our body was sinking deeper into the floor beneath us. And then she stopped talking. And we just lay there, breathing.