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The Power of Savasana
By fitness | July 10, 2009
Savasana was my favorite part of my Yoga class solely because you basically got to take a mini nap during the class. However, you are not supposed to let your body become so relaxed that you fall asleep, but just relaxed enough so that you can control the urge to sleep. While I did not take Yoga seriously in the first class I took (it was in college), I later realized what a great mental and physical work out it truly is. Savasana literally means “corpse pose” and while it does generally resemble a corpse, there is much more effort that goes into this pose than what it seems (as is the case for many Yoga positions).
With the recent craze of Yoga and Pilates work outs, it has become evident that a new type of exercise method was in dire need for most of the Western world. Both workouts contain an enhanced focus on breathing techniques as well as control that teaches students how to control their muscles in an effort to better hone into their inner self. With Yoga hailing from Easter religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, many Westerners feel as if they are traversing another culture when taking a Yoga class. This has thus paved the way for a massive following in the United States because of the boredom of many housewives with their regular aerobic routine. Yoga offered them a new experience in which they could tone muscles without the running and lifting that was otherwise required through other workouts. Additionally, there was an exotic air about the practice of Yoga which many people wanted to carry about them in an effort to appear worldly and traveled. This has since diminished since there are Yoga classes in almost every major gym.
The savasana is one of the unique poses of Yoga in which you lie on your back in an effort to rejuvenate your mind and body; the overarching goal is to achieve an anabolic state of metabolism which thus allows your cells to rejuvenate themselves. While the savasana is one of the easiest Yoga moves to perform, it remains one of the most difficult to perfect. There is a fine line between deep relaxation and full sleep, and it is only after mastering the technique to get to this state that you have fully succumbed to the ultimate mind/body experience. My original teacher told our class that many Yoga masters have still not reached this pinnacle point in their Yoga careers so that they can control their relaxation; the key is to free your mind of any worries and make it completely blank. In our ever moving modern-day society this is a difficult task to complete because there is always something nagging in the back of your mind: an unfinished errand, unpaid bill, maybe even a looming deadline. Regardless of your exterior life, Yoga and the savasana pose invite you to look within yourself to reach this inner equilibrium wherein you are free from all external pressures and can truly be one with yourself.
by Nicole White a guest writer for LifeOrganizers.com,
Nicole White writes about masters in health care. She welcomes your feedback at Nicole.White222 at gmail.com
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