Poses >> Savasana

Savasana
Sava (corpse)

This is the heart of all restorative poses. Relaxing completely, even if it is only for five minutes, is one of the most important skills we can acquire. When you have learned to relax whenever and wherever you need to, you can use this skill in a variety of situations to reduce stress and its accompanying fatigue.

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Slowly lean back on your arms and lower down to the floor. Walk your pelvis/hips down away from the tailbone. Slowly extend one leg at a time, lengthening it down and out of the hip socket. Let the feet fall open about a foot apart. Be sure that the legs are equal distance from the midline of the spine, so that the feet fall open evenly.
2. Using the hands, lift the head up and draw it away from the shoulders, lengthening the neck. The chin melts in toward the neck slightly. If you have trouble doing this, or feel tension in the neck, place a small towel or blanket under the head to relieve any pressure in the cervical spine.
3. Walk the shoulders down away from the ears and extend the arms, with the palms turning up towards the sky. Hands should be about a foot away from the torso.
4.Soften all the outer edges; with the eyes closed, let the eyes sink into the back of the head. Allow the forehead to relax, especially between the eyes. Relax the jaw and tongue.
5.If you still feel pressure in the lower back, place a rolled up blanket under the knees, or you may bend your knees with the feet on the floor hip distance apart. Let the knees fall in toward each other. After a few minutes, the lower back should release and you may be able to extend the legs again, with ease.
6.Stay in savasana five minutes for every 30 minutes of practice. To come out, keep your eyes closed and gently roll onto your right side, taking a couple of long, slow, deep breaths. Use your hand to push you back up to a seated position. The head should be the last thing to come up.
7.Remain in a simple cross-legged position with the eyes closed momentarily. This is the most opportune time to practice meditation or just sit quietly with the eyes closed, noticing the effects of your practice.�
8.Transition slowly into the rest of your day, mindful to bring the effects of the practice and this quality of attention with you. Enjoy!
• All measures of stress are reduced by a period of deep relaxation. Fatigue is diminished and life is just easier to handle when we are more relaxed.
• Pregnancy note: If you are more than three months pregnant, practice side-lying relaxation.

Video and Text by Yogamates Featured Teacher: Ashley Turner