Cannot relax during shavasana? I can completely empathise! During the early days of my asana practice, I found it extremely difficult to release and let go in Shavasan. I would slowly open my eyes and take a sneak peek at my friends to see who else was up!!! Sure enough, there were always others like me who could not unwind!
Gone are those days! Fast forwarding to the present, I cannot imagine a personal practice without a proper shavasan to relax, unwind and rejuvenate.
If you are a beginner to yoga, you will hear the cue for Shavasana at the end of the practice. This is not to be missed and is the yogic way of relaxing – physically, physiologically and mentally; calming our systems and body in the process. It can last anywhere between 5 to 15 minutes according to the nature of the class. The idea behind shavasana is not to sleep, but to relax every part of the body with full awareness.
Benefits of Shavasana:
- Relaxes all the muscles after a strenuous asana practice
- Calms the nervous system and lets you unwind completely.
- It is an excellent tool for people suffering from high blood pressure, anxiety, stress or depression.
- Boosts your energy level.
- If you miss your sleep regularly and are tired through the day, shavasan can help
- It helps to bring our heart and breath rate to a resting mode.
Look out for these signs:
We live in a world of constant activity, and it can be difficult to come to complete stillness, especially at the beginning. Students often feel it difficult to relax and sometimes tend to move a lot. Look out for these signs and correct them:
- You might tense your shoulders or hold yourself too rigid
- Your mind tends to wander
- You try too hard to get into the correct position and look at others to see if you got the shavasana right
- You start planning your day during shavasana.
Improve your shavasana experience with Props:
Below are some tips and modifications to help you maximise your shavasana experience. Scan your body to check if any muscle tightness is restricting you from relaxing. This can be corrected by giving sufficient support using bolsters or yoga blankets
- If there is pain or discomfort in the lower back : Support the lower back with a folded blanket. Alternatively, you can also keep a small bolster or rolled towel under the knee. Keeping the bolster under the knee can also help with discomfort caused due to tightness in the hamstrings.
- If the mind wanders: Gently bring your attention back to class and try not to dwell on the thoughts. Aim to focus on the cues given by the teacher, and let the body relax. If you are practicing at home, a guided shavasana video or soothing music can help unwind.
- Uncomfortable neck position: If the shoulders are unable to relax and/or the neck is out of alignment – support the back of the head by elevating it slightly with a folded blanket.
- If the body is tense: Keep something heavy on the thighs and the upper body; the weight aids the relaxation rest. Use eye pillows or a small towel on the eyes to release and relax the eyes.
- Body tends to become cold during meditation and shavasana which can be uncomfortable. It is a good idea to cover yourself with a blanket to keep the body warm.
How to practice Shavasana at home:
- Lie down on your back with eyes closed
- Let your arms be shoulder width apart and the palm facing up
- Your legs are hip width apart and relaxed.
- Adjust your body in such a way that you are able to stay without moving through the duration of the practice.
- Relax the body and let go completely
- Slowly scan the body from your toes all the way up to the crown of the head, bringing your awareness and consciously relaxing each and every part of the body.
- As you progress in your personal practice, you can actually feel the tension leave your body during the pose.
- We tend to hold tension in hip region, thighs, neck, shoulders and jaws. Give a little extra attention to these areas and make sure they release.
- Give attention to your eyes, forehead and facial muscles where we tend to crunch and hold tension.
- Try to stay in the pose for at least 5 – 15 minutes
- To come out of Shavasan, gently bring awareness back to the body, moving the toes and fingers and stretching the arms.
- Turn to the right side, and with the eyes closed, slowly come back to seated.
Written by:
Hema Laxman,
Owner, Flamingo Yoga & Wellness
