Savasana!

If you don't know what Savasana is, I'm going to have to say you are missing out! Savasana is often the final relaxation pose in a Yoga class. From the outside it just looks like your sleeping on your back, but on the inside there is a whole lot more going on.

Savasana, pronounced (sha-va-suh-nuh), is a place to pause and reflect, to relax the body, and and clear the mind. Savasana translates from Sanskrit to "Corpse Pose." Yes I know - maybe a little spooky but the idea is that it is a place to practice letting go of the ego mind so that one can settle more fully into your spiritual essence. 

Taking a nice long Savasana feels good and it can be a great tool to cultivate lasting harmony. As you relax into a more natural and balanced state of being, it is as if you hit a reset button for your body, mind and heart. Taking some time to fully rest helps your to feel refreshed and renewed.  

This Saturday, June 18th I'll be presenting a workshop at Shine Yoga Center in Hyde Park from 2-4 pm. This workshop has been designed to help people get more out of Savasana. In the Anusara-inspired style of yoga that I teach, we focus on alignment to cultivate better harmony. The same principles of alignment that we use in active poses can be used in setting up Savasana so that the body rests closer to it's optimal alignment to help harmonize the neuro-muscular and muscul-skeletal systems of the body. When the body is better aligned, everything responds in a more harmonious way. Relaxing in a balanced and supportive way works wonders to melt tension, discomfort and pain. 

The workshop 

will begin twith a gentle warm-up to help balance opposing muscle groups. We'll work with assistants to find greater symmetry and harmony in the Savasana position. Then I'll  give cues to find this harmony and expansion for yourself. We will of course top it all off with a nice, long, sublime Savasana complete with guided imagery and inspiration to help you melt more fully into your own heart center. You can find more details on Shine's web page www.shineyoga.com. This workshop is open to all levels including brand new beginners.