Day 12
Savasana: (Corpse pose)
Corpse Pose commonly called Savasana, may look easy, but it can be highly challenging. It requires total “Surrender” and quieting of the body and mind. Your goal is to let gravity – not your muscles – do the work for you.
Therapeutic Applications
• Stress
Benefits:
• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Relaxes the body
• Reduces headache, fatigue, and insomnia
• Helps to lower blood pressure
Contraindications and Cautions
• Back injury or discomfort: Do this pose with your knees bent and your feet on the floor, hip-distance apart; either bind the thighs parallel to each other with a strap (taking care not to position the heels too close to the buttocks) or support the bent knees on a bolster.
• Pregnancy: Raise your head and chest on a bolster.
Lay down on your back, nice and comfortable. Legs at hip distant apart, allow the feet to fall at the ankles. Arms resting by the side. Make some space between the arms and the body and then turn palms to face the roof (If this is not comfortable you can rest your hands on your belly). Lengthen the spine by drawing the tail bone down towards the floor, and tuck in the chin, just enough to feel a natural lengthening in the back of the neck (you don’t want to feel a pulling, just a natural lengthening). Close your eyes and bring your focus to the breath. Take three long deep breaths and three slow breaths out, on each exhale allowing the body to sink down into the mat.
(Stay here for about 3 – 5 mins)
Beginner's Tip
Often it's difficult to release the heads of the thigh bones and soften the groins in this pose. This creates tension throughout the body and restricts the breath. Take two 10-pound sand bags and lay one across each top thigh, parallel to the crease of the groin. Then imagine that the heads of the thigh bones are sinking away from the weight, down into the floor.
Therapeutic Applications
• Stress
Benefits:
• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Relaxes the body
• Reduces headache, fatigue, and insomnia
• Helps to lower blood pressure
Contraindications and Cautions
• Back injury or discomfort: Do this pose with your knees bent and your feet on the floor, hip-distance apart; either bind the thighs parallel to each other with a strap (taking care not to position the heels too close to the buttocks) or support the bent knees on a bolster.
• Pregnancy: Raise your head and chest on a bolster.
Lay down on your back, nice and comfortable. Legs at hip distant apart, allow the feet to fall at the ankles. Arms resting by the side. Make some space between the arms and the body and then turn palms to face the roof (If this is not comfortable you can rest your hands on your belly). Lengthen the spine by drawing the tail bone down towards the floor, and tuck in the chin, just enough to feel a natural lengthening in the back of the neck (you don’t want to feel a pulling, just a natural lengthening). Close your eyes and bring your focus to the breath. Take three long deep breaths and three slow breaths out, on each exhale allowing the body to sink down into the mat.
(Stay here for about 3 – 5 mins)
Beginner's Tip
Often it's difficult to release the heads of the thigh bones and soften the groins in this pose. This creates tension throughout the body and restricts the breath. Take two 10-pound sand bags and lay one across each top thigh, parallel to the crease of the groin. Then imagine that the heads of the thigh bones are sinking away from the weight, down into the floor.