Shavasana

Shavasana:

Shavasana , or Corpse Pose is an asana in hatha yoga, often used for relaxation at the end of a session.

Description:

Shavasana and other sitting asanas maintain the balance between relaxation and meditation (two key components of yoga) by their equal input of physical stimuli.

To perform Shavasana, lie on the back with the legs spread as wide as the yoga mat and arms relaxed to the side, preferably with no props. The eyes are closed and the breath is deep with the use deergha (long) pranayama. The whole body is relaxed on the floor with an awareness of the chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath. During Shavasana, all parts of the body are scanned for muscular tension of any kind. Any muscular tension the body finds is consciously released as it is found. All control of the breath, the mind, and the body is then released for the duration of the asana. Shavasana is typically practiced for 5–10 minutes at the end of an asana practice, but can be practiced for 20–30 minutes.

The asana is released by slowly deepening the breath, flexing the fingers and toes, reaching the arms above the head, stretching the whole body, and exhaling while bringing the knees to the chest and rolling over to the side in a fetal position, drawing the head in the right arm. From here, one can push themselves up into a seated position.

steps :-

First of all, lie flat comfortably on your back.

Try to make your neck and shoulder muscles relax.

Rest your arm on each side of your body and have a gap as wide as mat between your legs.

The hand should face upward.

Eyes should be closed.

Now try to feel your body and its parts.

Try to make synchronization between your body and breathing.

It can be practiced between 5-10 minutes. It can also be practiced for 20-30 min

Benifits :-

Meditation:-

Shavasana is the best yoga pose for relaxation and meditation thereby helps to rejuvenate the molecular aspects of the body like cells and tissues.

Calms the body:-

It helps to make the body and mind fresh & afresh.

Stress:-

It is one of the important yoga poses to make the body stress free.

Nervous system:-

It is extremely beneficial for nervous system.

Blood pressure:-

It is good to normalize the blood pressure, relax your heart, and reduce the level of anxiety.

Memory:-

It increases concentration and memory.

Increases energy level:-

The regular practice of the asana helps to increase the level of energy in the body.

Insomnia:-

Patients of insomnia should practice the asana to get relief from it.

Vata dosha:-

If somebody has an imbalance of air elements, he should practice the yoga pose to overcome the problem.

Muscles relaxation:-

It removes fatigue and depression, good for muscle relaxation.

Type :-

Reclining.

Modification :-

To enjoy Savasana and make it successful, certain modifications or alternatives can be looked into. Mention a few below.

If the back feels uncomfortable, one could use a blanket for more support to raise the spine away from the floor.

If the neck hurts, use a blanket or a cushion below the neck and the head for extra support.

To give a better support for the back, use a bolster below the knees or raise the knees by placing the blanket.

Cover the eyes, with a black cloth to avoid light and focus better.

If one is finding the breath fast and hard, calm the breath by doing alternate nostril breathing for about 12 rounds with each nostril.

If the mind wanders, allow it to without focusing on the thoughts and take the mind to the feeling of the inhalation and exhalation at the tip of the nostril.

If the thoughts in the mind are creating stress levels, bring a broad smile on the face with a deep breath and repeat this till the thought eases.

Shavasana precautions :-

While performing the asana, one shouldn’t feel asleep to extract the benefits of the pose.

On feeling sleepy during the asana, take faster and deep breathe

The asana seems like a short nap yet it is a fully conscious pose aimed at being awake to harness its fullest benefits.

contraindication:-

Certainly one cannot say this pose has contraindications, but one can surely say that it is by itself a difficult yoga pose to practice and master. The best way to put it would be, there are certain people who may find this asana not relaxing and a lot could be related to their personality and their jobs. Let’s take a few cases here.

If someone finds the workout not appropriate or enough to feel the need for Savasana, then the whole purpose of this yoga pose is defeated.

A very distracted mind is going to find it difficult to relax and by pushing the body, it will only backfire and cause more irritation and bring a headache.

If the body hurts too much, then taking the mind away from the body in order to relax is going to be challenging.

Someone with severe acidity may find lying on the back very uncomfortable as the food pipe may cause irritation.