There’s something that you will never forget in your life. I know I haven’t. It’s the first time you see a dead body—the first time you meet Death.
Death plays a pivotal role in the history of yoga—the original objective of practice was ending rebirth. At some point between the earliest Vedas and the time of the Buddha a thousand years later, the doctrine of karma changed people’s priorities.
Haṭha yoga texts, such as the Haṭhapradīpikā, often talk about gaining control over or conquering death.
Since ancient times, the Yoginis have appeared in various forms and often have a close association with nature.
In more than one contemplative tradition, the crossroads signal literal and metaphorical death. They symbolize a crisis or a point where a shift must be made to claim an alternate future.
Each time someone takes a deep breath, they are using their physiology to overcome the residual effects of trauma and stress.
Buddhism has a number of practices that directly prepare you for death. In many ways, the entire path is death in slow motion, where “letting go” in meditation is a euphemism for death.
In shamanic practice, there is a deep sense of union with the Earth. Shamans strive to know all her expressions and recognize her as a guide toward wholeness and integration.