Asana Spotlight – Savasana

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By Carrie Harvey

While there are many poses that you will experience regularly in your yoga practice, there is one pose that you will find in every class at Modern Yoga. At the end of each class, regardless of the class style, we come into our final resting pose, Savasana. It serves to calm the central nervous system after the stress of physical movement and the fiery ujjayi breath. It also represents the end of who you were before the class and the rebirth of who you become.

Coming into the Pose

Lie on your mat flat on your back with your legs extended long. Let your arms rest by your side with your palms face up. Close your eyes. Relax your body and find stillness. Quiet your mind. As easy as the pose looks, it is often referred to as one of the hardest poses in yoga due to the difficulty of finding stillness and remaining still.

You may also find variations of savasana, such as more restorative versions that use props such as a bolster or blocks under the knees or place a blanket over the body for warmth. In all variations, the body is at rest and is relaxed.

Benefits of Savasana

Savasana has many benefits. By finding stillness in the body and learning how to remain still, you can focus on your mind.

Savasana can help reduce stress. It helps calm the sympathetic nervous system — that “fight or flight” mode in which we too frequently operate in our stressful lives — and helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system that restores the body.

Savasana can also help promote better quality sleep. It can aid in reducing headaches and lowering high blood pressure among other benefits.

We will be updating this blog post throughout the month with more info on this pose, videos & more. Subscribe to our mailing list (Below) & get notified when we update with new content!

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