“Stillness of the body & mind takes practice…”
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| Yogis resting in Savasana |
Dear Yogis:
Congratulations,
you’ve done it, you’ve made it to the floor! You are done with the standing
series and now you can rest for 2 minutes. Savasana posture is the chance for
your body and mind to relax from all that hard work you just did in the
Standing Series moments ago. Despite its simplicity, it can be one of the
hardest postures even for the most experienced yogi, but with plenty of
practice, focus and surrendering to the emptiness within yourself, this posture
can be the portal to ultimate relaxation in or out of the hot room.
How To Get Into This Posture:
Lower
yourself gently onto your mat, feet facing away from the teacher, lying
completely flat on the ground. Feel your pelvic and tail bone meet the ground.
Arch your spine a few times, and bring it flat onto the mat. Heels touching, toes apart. Breathe deeply
into your belly and exhale through your nose a few times. Keep your eyes open
and pick a spot on the ceiling. Concentrate on this spot and make it your best
friend. This is not a time to take a nap, try to remember that this is an
active posture. Try not to fidget or wipe your sweat. You’re going to sweat
anyways. Let it roll off your body as its helping to cool you down.
Keep
your arms straight, flat and close to your body to avoid unnecessary strain.
Notice the direction of your hands and palms. Are they facing up towards the
ceiling or down towards your mat? Flip them up towards the ceiling with
completely open palms. This will help you to reduce the production of your body
heat and cool you down even faster. Now, turn your attention to your lower
half. Check out your knees and legs. Are they bent? If they are, straighten
them out and ground them into the earth beneath you. Scan your whole body and
notice if there is any tension. Breathe into that tension and release it on
your exhalation. Relax your abdomen, feeling your belly rise on the inhale and
fall on the exhale. Release your toes, release your legs and knees. Release
your hips, lower back and spine. Release your torso and upper chest. Release
your shoulders away from your ears. Relax your neck and head. Inhale and take
notice of your
tongue. Take it away from the roof of your mouth on the exhalation. Imagine you
are a pool of liquid. Let you whole body melt into your mat.
Tips:
- Flipahtee Flop = Slipahtee Slop:
-
Don’t
just flop into this posture. Remember every posture is just as much about
getting into it as it is getting out of it, but especially this one. Gently
lower yourself onto the ground, breathing in and out the feelings and physical effects
of the whole standing series.
- The Mind, Is Your Mind:
-
The Mind, is YOUR
Mind. You control your thoughts, your feelings and your reactions
that follow your emotions. If you
have thoughts that pop up, don’t sweat the small stuff, let them rise on the
inhale and release them on the exhale. Find the stillness in your mind and your
body will follow.
- Your Breath Is Your Best Friend:
-
Feel
your bell rise on the inhale. Feel your belly fall on the exhale. Breathing in
and out of your nose, to keep the body and mind calm. If your thoughts are
still racing, acknowledge them, be friendly with them and don’t get down on
yourself, then try to concentrate on your breath.
Breathing in and out for 6
counts each.
- Be Efficient With Your Time:
Benefits:
- We begin to learn relaxation
- Dead Body Pose facilitates powerful blood flow. It also helps to promote homoeostasis in and out of the hot room.
- Creates a natural cleansing
- Prepares the body for the floor series
