Imagine the opportunity to relax and release all the roles and responsibilities, thoughts, and distractions in your life while simultaneously strengthening your brain, body, and emotional resilience. Is it a trip to the Caribbean? A spa? A snow day? Nope. (Hint: It’s a lot closer to home and a lot more accessible!) Have you guessed? It’s a few minutes of glorious, restful rejuvenation. Shavasana.

Today, for most people, the body is constantly in a state of depletion and fatigue. There is so much exhaustion at the level of the emotion, the mind, and the tissues, that the body can’t help but let tamas overtake it.

Shavasana is the practice of sensory relaxation, consolidation, and redirection (Pratyahara), a practice to retain ojas, radiate tejas, and uplift prana. Literally, “corpse pose,” Shavasana can be traced back to ancient Vedic rituals, reminding us that life in this body is only temporary. Shavasana is also an exercise in spiritual/consciousness evolution as we restrict the senses, redirecting our focus inward. Through repeated practice of turning the senses inward (Pratyahara), one can hope to develop Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation) and eventually reach Samadhi.

Shavasana helps ease the samskaras of doshas in the body, the vikalpas and gunas in the mind, and prepare for deeper practices. Further, in laya yoga, shavasana promotes the dissolution of the five bhutas for liberation from the karmic cycles.

Shavasana is the bridge between pranayama and meditation. It is a precise, conscious, and step-by-step approach to prepare the body and mind for higher states of awareness, such as Yoga Nidra. As we build stamina in with presence in shavasana, the evolution of the practice begins to bloom.

Evaluate the self-care habits in your life. Give your body, mind, and emotions what they need and make a sankalpa to put effort into staying present during shavasana. It may take some conscious practice and time, but the rewards are boundless!

PREPARE FOR YOGA NIDRA WITH THESE THREE PRACTICES

Relax your Senses

Deep Tissue Relaxation

Guided Relaxation

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