Uta’s Insights: Yoga Pose of the Week — 15. Corpse Pose

Corpse Pose — Savasana

Savasana is a beautiful resting pose best enjoyed after a demanding workout or a long workday. It removes stress from the spine and restores its natural symmetry.

The pose allows you time at the end of your program to fully absorb and assimilate the benefits of your yoga session. It rests the whole system and lowers respiration and pulse rate.

In conjunction with light breathing exercises [pranayama] and meditation ― ideally with a qualified yoga teacher ― you will learn to use Savasana to relieve stress and to enjoy a deep relaxation within your body. These benefits will lead you to a path of inner calmness and allow you to finish the program in a relaxed and refreshed state.

I enjoy practicing Savasana and it has become a wonderful companion in my daily fitness routine. It is so helpful in reducing some of my occasional tiredness. And in conjunction with meditation, I find I am able to relieve headaches or digestion problems as well as other symptoms of pain in my body. Despite many years of practice I still feel that I am quite new to exploring the whole spectrum of benefits of this amazing asana.

Guidance by a qualified teacher is the most beneficial and safe way to get familiar with this pose.

How to practice the Corpse pose:

1. Lie on your back, feet spread about 18 inches apart. Let your thighs, knees, and toes turn slightly outward.
2. Let your arms open, hands about 6 inches from the sides. Allow the palms to face upwards in a receptive gesture.
3. Spread the shoulders gently out on the floor. Your jaw should be soft and your eyes heavy in their sockets. Imagine your whole body is warm, melting into the floor.
4. Pay attention to your breathing. Allow it to flow naturally and freely from the nostrils. Imagine the entire body breathing and expanding. From time to time, try to breathe into areas of tension and feel the different sensations.
5. This practice becomes easier and deeper over time. Be kind to yourself and don’t be impatient if you initially find it hard to relax.
6. To move out of this pose, angle your left knee and place the left foot next to your right knee on the mat. Then gently roll onto your right side and place the left hand next to your right shoulder on the floor. Now, slowly press upwards with your left hand and right arm ― engaging the abdominal muscles ― and move your upper body off the mat until you come into the sitting position. Be careful with these movements so you protect your back while slowly moving from the lying to a sitting position.

Now, alas, we have reached the end of our little yoga series. It was such a joy to practice the various asanas with you.

On behalf of my entire team here at Take The Magic Step, some of whom are also yogis and yoginis, I wish you much joy as you go on with your practices. We hope that yoga will accompany you for a lifetime and can help you to stay fit always.

Namaste!

Yours,

Reading Suggestions:

1. Yoga for the Right Balance
2. Yoga With My Fellow Runners From Kenya
3. Yoga for Performance^sm: Introduction
4. Yoga for Performance^sm: Runners’ Sequence, Part 1
5. Yoga for Performance^sm: Runners’ Sequence, Part 2
6. Benefits of Yoga