Tricky Transitions make Slow Flow interesting as well as challenging.
Thanks to Yoga Journal, Richards Slow Flow class at Lifetime Canton last night and a lil creativity my Slow Flow class tomorrow at Lifetime Canton at 5pm will be one you don't want to miss!
Happy Hump Day!
The finishing yoga poses should be included at the end of every yoga session or between every 30 minutes of yoga duration, to attain maximum benefits from the yoga poses that is just performed.
This finishing yoga is mean to relax your body after the yoga session. It normalizes the body and helps to reap maximum benefits from the yoga poses performed during the yoga session. It also provides a relaxing effect to the mind, body, and spirit. Let us see a few finishing poses:
- Savasana or Corpse Pose
- Final Corpse
Well-experienced Yoga Guru’s always end a yoga session with a totally relaxing yoga pose called as “Savasana,” it helps to gain the most from the yoga poses you have just done. Furthermore, make you more relaxed, very simple asana but very difficult to attain perfection.
Savasana or Corpse Pose
Savasana is a Sanskrit word Shava means "corpse" (A dead body), and Asana means "posture" or "seat.” That is lying as a dead body, is a pose of total relaxation.
Savasana is better than sleep finish every yoga session with Savasana; it integrates and assimilates what we have just practiced. Some yoga teachers recommend certain times to spend in Savasana, at least five minutes for every thirty minutes you have spent doing other yoga asanas.
However, savasana may seem like an easy pose, but it can actually be very tough to learn and practice perfectly. Even the great yoga masters called it the most difficult about all yoga poses. Unlike other poses, which are active, moving, and physically demanding, it requires a conscious decision to release the mental chatter and surrender fully into a state of presence.
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| Times Square Savasana |
Is Savasana a Nap?
Yoga master considers it as the most important pose in yoga; it enhances and renews the body, mind, and spirit. Savasana is not a nap, instead remain in present, and be aware during the pose. Corpse pose exists in the middle space between sleep and effort.
Benefits of Savasana
During stressful instances, the sympathetic nervous system produces a “fight or flight” response that can over-stimulate your mind and body, causing anxiety, fatigue, depression, and diseases. On the controversy, practicing Savasana stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, known for its “rest and digest” response. Relaxing the physical body has numerous benefits that include:
- Lower blood pressure,
- Decrease heart rate,
- Slow & deep respiration,
- No muscle tension,
- Decrease in metabolic rate.
- Relieve from headaches, fatigue, insomnia, nervous tension, anxiety, and panic-attacks.
- Increase energy, concentration, memory, self-confidence, and productivity.
In addition to the mind-body benefits, Savasana is also a time during your practice when you can connect with your peaceful, innermost self.
How do you do Savasana?
- Lie with your back, legs straight, and arms at your sides. Rest on your hands five inches apart from your body with palms facing upward. Rest on your feet drops open and closes our eyes.
- Let your breath occur naturally, when breath is free mind also free. When the breath is, allows moving naturally, the mind settles into itself.
- Allow your body and mind to feel heavy on the ground.
- From your feet soles to head-crown, consciously set free every body part, organ, and cell.
- Relax your face; make your eyes drop deep into their sockets. Welcome peace and silence into your mind, body, and soul.
- To exit savasana; first take a deep breath followed by gentle movement from toes to head (head be the last part) and awareness back to your body. Then, slowly roll to your right side and rested there for few seconds, inhale and comfortably move to seated position.
Hindrance or obstacles to the savasana
The most common obstacles to a Savasana practice are:
- Nap (a brief sleep),
- Boredom,
- Mental agitation,
- Tension
Although Savasana is the most difficult asana to perform, the focus is simple - relax everything (every body part and mind). If you get distracted or agitated, you can always undo, unwind, let go from the start.
Final Corpse
The final corpse provides immense relaxation. It requires you to be tense followed by relaxation. Final corpse is always should practice at the end of the yoga session and has a relaxation effect.
In order to experience Relaxation, you must first experience tension. Working up from the feet, as shown below, you first tense and lift each part, then drop (do not place) it down. Now, let your mind travel throughout the body, commanding each part to relax. Let yourself go. Sink deep into the quiet pool of the mind. To bring your consciousness back to your body, gently move your fingers and toes, take a deep breath and sit up as you exhale.
How do you perform the Final Corpse pose?
- Feet and Legs - raise your right foot just an inch off the ground. First, tense the leg, hold in position, and let it drop. In addition, repeat it on the left foot.
- Hands and Arms - raise your right hand just an inch off the ground. First, tense the hand, hold in position, and let it drop. In addition, repeat it on the left arm.
- Buttocks – raise your hips an inch off the ground. First, tighten your buttocks together, hold in position, let drop the hip and relax.
- Chest – raise your back and chest an inch from the ground, keeping your hip and head grounded. First, tense the back and chest, relax, and drop them down.
- Shoulders – raise your shoulders an inch from ground and push them up tight with your neck. Let them drop and relaxed.
- Head - Tuck in your chin gently and roll your head smoothly from side to side. Locate a comfortable position in the center for the head to rest, and then relax.
Visualize your body in your mind and feel
- I relax the feet; the feet are relaxed.
- I relax the legs; the legs are relaxed.
Continue this up on the body, applying the technique to each part along the way - the knees, hip, stomach, chest, neck, jaw, scalp, and so on. Feel relaxation all over the body as you guide your awareness throughout every part of the body. Each time when you inhale, feel the wave of oxygen-rich blood flowing down to your feet. Each time when you exhale, feel the tension flowing out of your body. Hold your mind like a deep, stand still lake, without any ripple. Now go deep within yourself, and experience your true nature.
