The "savasana" or "corpse" pose - I prefer calling it the total relaxation pose - conditions you to "relearn the lost art of relaxation" as noted in one of my favorite books, "Yoga for Beauty and Health."
Some yogis claim that the above pose, often done at the end of a yoga regime, is "one of the most difficult of the asanas." I disagree. I don't think "doing" this pose is difficult. Staying in it for the requisite 3-5 or more minutes, however, may pose a challenge.
Apart from going to sleep at night, taking a nap, lying on the beach soaking in the sun on a vacation, many of us are not accustomed to just lying and relaxing for a set period of time.
Yet, we can gain so much when we practice the savasana, particularly at the end of a yoga session. After a yoga practice, the savasana allows the energy released from yoga poses to circulate and settle evenly throughout the entire body. Thus, when we get up off our mat we feel especially restored, refreshed, and renewed!
The savasana is also invaluable for overcoming insomnia. To my surprise, the other night I woke up at around 2:30 am and could not readily fall back asleep. After a few minutes of frustration, I remembered the savasana and settled my body into the pose. I coaxed my body to relax by repeating "deep relaxation" aloud and mentally to my entire body. I also visualized myself floating on a cloud. My body melted into relaxation and soon, I feel asleep.
The December 2013 issue of Yoga Journal features a detailed article about the "basics" of the savasana. You can also watch a Yoga Journal video on the savasana right below. Enjoy!
Yours for enjoying total relaxation with the savasana.
Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginner's Yoga at Home Coach
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