What is Shavasana?
Shavasana (शवासन) is a Sanskrit word comprised of Shava (शव) means dead body and asana indicates toward posture. That’s why it is known as corpse pose. It is also known as mitrasana or dead man pose. The asana is pronounced as Shuv-vah-sana. If its origin is traced, it is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika book where it has mentioned first. It is one of the effective yoga poses, used for relaxation and meditation after the end of a yoga session. The asana can be practiced when somebody feels tired and needs rejuvenation. It is known as dead man pose or mitrasana or corpse pose
Steps: how to do Shavasana
- First of all, lie flat comfortably on your back.
- Try to make your neck and shoulder muscles relax.
- Rest your arm on each side of your body and have a gap as wide as mat between your legs.
- Hand should face upward.
- Eyes should be closed.
- Now try to feel your body and its parts.
- Try to make synchronization between your body and breathing.
- It can be practiced between 5-10 minutes. It can also be practiced for 20-30 minutes.
Shavasana benefits
- Meditation: Shavasana is the best yoga pose for relaxation and meditation thereby helps to rejuvenate the molecular aspects of the body like cells and tissues.
- Calms the body: It helps to make the body and mind fresh & afresh.
- Stress: It is one of the important yoga poses to make the body stress free.
- Nervous system: It is extremely beneficial for the nervous system.
- Blood pressure: It is good to normalize the blood pressure, relax your heart, and reduces the level of anxiety.
- Memory: It increases concentration and memory.
- Increases energy level: The regular practice of the asana helps to increase the level of energy in the body.
- Insomnia: The patients of insomnia should practice the asana to get relief from it.
- Vata dosha: If somebody has an imbalance of air elements, he should practice the yoga pose to overcome the problem.
- Muscles relaxation: It removes fatigue and depression, good for muscle relaxation.
Shavasana precautions
- While performing the asana, one shouldn’t feel asleep to extract the benefits of the pose.
- On feeling sleepy during the asana, take faster and deep breathe
- The asana seems like a short nap yet it is a fully conscious pose aimed at being awake to harness its fullest benefits.
Modification/Variation
If there is a problem while performing the asana, one can keep a blanket below his lower back and knee.
Shavasana vinyasa
Shavasana is generally practiced at the end of yoga sessions to make the body spirited and full of energy. It can also be a practice between the yoga session to make the body relax and calm. Sometimes, it is also performed at the beginning of the session.
Awareness
Whenever you do Shavasana, your entire focus should be on the practice and perform it with full enthusiasm so as to extract its maximum benefits. It requires little mental effort but without any strain.
Sequence
Shavasana is ideally practiced after the end of your yoga session. Or whenever you get tired while performing yoga. It is also practiced after intense yoga-like naukasana, halasna, or advanced yogasana.
