Benefits of Savasana (Corpse Pose) and how to do it?
Savasana relaxes the whole psycho-physiological system. It should ideally be practised before sleep; before, during after asana practice, particularly after dynamic exercises such as Suryanamaskara; and when the practitioner feels physically and mentally tired. It develops physical awareness. When the body is relaxed, awareness of the mind increases. It develops pratyahara.
Practice note
Try not to move the body at all during practice as even the slightest movement will create muscular contraction. A personal mantra may be repeated with every inhalation and exhalation. For maximum benefit, this technique should be performed after a hard day’s work or just before sleep. It is good for the person with problems of heart, Hypertension, H.B.P ete.
Complete Guide of Savasana
Lie flat on your back, keep your legs apart, hands by the side of your thighs, palms facing up. Close your eyes gently.
Now you are going to relax entire body. Whatever strain tension or exertion is in the body, that is to be eliminated completely in this posture which is called Savasana. Savasana combines pose with meditation. It gives rest not only body but also for the mind. It gives relief, comfort and ease.
There are three phases of relaxation. In the first phase we have to rotate our awareness/consciousness part by part and we will have total physical relaxation. Then in the second phase we will keep on natural breath awareness and achieve mental relaxation. Unless and until we reach our spiritual being, which is full of bliss we cannot have complete relaxation. In the third phase we will tune ourselves with our spiritual being transcoding the body, mind senses and will achieve total happiness.
So bring your awareness to the toes and give gentle movement, relax them. Mentally disconnect yourself from that part of the body and give the autosuggestion; let the toes go from my mind. Fell that all the toes are completely relaxed.
Become aware of the souls. Sensitise and relax them. Then bring your awareness to the heels, feel the heavy weight of your legs resting on them. Relieve them of the weight and relax them. Loosen your ankle joints and relax them. Slowly bring up your awareness to calf muscles. Feel them and relax them. Feel that upto the calf muscles both legs are relaxed.
Just pull up the kneecaps; release and relax. Relax the knee joints. Feel both legs upto knees completely relaxed. Now feel the heavy muscles and bones of your thighs. Relax them. Feel the heavy weight of your body is now resting on your hips heavy bones and muscles. Relax the hips. Relax the waist. Upto the waist entire lower parts are completely relaxed. Make it sure, once you relax any part you should not have any more control over that part of the body. Now entire lower parts are lying latent on the ground as if there is no life.
Now, become aware of your vertebral column. Feel, entire weight of the body will be resting on it. Relax the vertebral bones one by one upto the neck. All the muscles and nerves around the spine relax totally. Feel the back muscles. Relax the lower back, middle back and upper back. Entire back completely relaxed.
Gently shift your awareness to the abdomen. Fell gentle movement of the abdomen due to natural breathing. Relax the abdomen muscles. Just aware of the organs of abdomen Kidneys, intestines, spleen, pancreas, liver, stomach. All the organs relaxed completely, slowly bring your awareness up against towards chest. Feel entire weight of the chest resting on the ribs. Relax the ribs. Relax the chest muscles. Feel the heartbeat, also harmonious movement of the lungs with natural breath. Relax them. Feel the lightness of the chest region due to complete relaxation. Now feel the heavy weight of the body is resting on the back of the shoulders. Relax the shoulders, shoulder blades relax. The wave of relaxation is moving towards hands. Relax the arms, armpits, biceps, triceps, and elbows. Relax the lower arms, wrists, palms and fingers. Both the hands relax completely.
Gently shifts your awareness to the neck. Entire weight of your head is resting on it. Slowly move your head from side to side and ultimately keep it comfortably. Relax the neck. Relax the chin. Slightly separate the lips and relax them. Have gentle gap between two rows of teeth and relax them. Just loosen your tongue and relax it. Have gentle smile and relax the cheeks. Feel the natural breath through both nostrils. Relax them. Bring your awareness to the region of your eyes. Relax the eyeballs. Relax the eyelids. Eyebrows relax. Entire region of the eyes relaxes completely. Now concentrate on the space between two eye-brow. Relax the forehead. Have no more thought. Concentrate on the ears and hear all external sounds without resistance. Don’t think of the nature and cause of the sound. Relax the ears. Finally the skull and brain relax completely.
Entire body from tip of the toes to top of the crown completely relaxed now. Entire weight of the body is now resting on the earth plane. Complete physical relaxation.
Now become aware of the natural breath. Let it be normal and natural without effort. Relax the diaphragm. Feel the movement of breath, length of breath, temperature of breath. Feel the volume and density also feel the spontaneous sound of the breath. Total natural breath awareness keeps on. If the awareness can be kept on the natural breath, then within few movements mind will be calm.
With every breath feel your body is becoming lighter and lighter. Ultimately it becomes so light, started floating like a piece of cotton. Just like other bodies, sun, moon, stars your body is floating in the space in the ether. Now there is no more stress, strain, discomfort, uneasiness. Nothing negative is there now. It is full of peace, joy, serenity and bliss. Full of happiness.
Finally tune yourself with the spiritual being which is full of bliss. Happiness comes when individual merges in God. TADA DRASTU SWARUPE AVASTHANAM. Remain in this state. This is your real state, the Atmic state. Enter into deep silence.
Slowly become aware of the natural breath again. With every incoming breath feel the pranic energy from whole cosmos entering and rejuvenating all parts of the body and with every outgoing breath feel all the impurities are going out of the body. Feel the fresh oxygen is entering and rejuvenating the blood cells of the body as you inhale and exhale all negative, devilish qualities, toxin are going out. Gradually your body is becoming purer.
Gently make your mind extrovert and become aware of the situation around you. Once again bring back your awareness to toes, fingers, and head, give gentle movement of them. Become aware of the whole physical body. Bring your legs together. Hands stretch above the head. Take deep inhalation. Stretch entire body; take the right turn, come to back again. Repeat toward left. Taking the help of your hands, get up. Come to any sitting posture. Here the practice of Savasana is over.
