Not in my right mind

After a very intense "hot yoga" class today I was lying on the floor in "savasana" pose where I was supposed to be relaxing but could not stop thinking about how I was going to tie together some of the parts of the column I am working on, "The Buffet Table of Life" (among other things, like what might be festering in the kids' lunch boxes). One of my yoga teachers has told me that we should try to empty our minds of all thoughts while practicing savasana. Impossible, I thought. She said that it is rare to get beyond three breaths without thinking of anything, but some masters...

I wondered how you can not be thinking at all without being asleep? And even then I am sure my mind is doing things -- we all dream even if we don't recall our dreams when we're awake, and some of us grind our teeth, my dentist has pointed out.

At the very end of the class we did some alternate nostril breathing. It was much easier for me to breathe out of the right side of my nose, the side being controlled by my left brain. I thought, "oh, good, I should have no trouble finishing that column today!" Left-brain dominant people are talkers and writers, confirmed by my internet research.

I recalled a class a few weeks back when I couldn't breathe out of my right nostril at all. It was during a time when I was obsessing about writers' block. I imagine that if I wanted to eliminate the problem, I could simply focus on my breathing. Maybe it does all come down to the breath, like my yoga teacher has said. It will likely be a useful thing to remember next time I can't get out of my right mind.