Showing posts with label savasana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label savasana. Show all posts

Savasana - Corpse Pose

This is just a bit of fun I had doodling some notes on Savasana, the corpse pose.

You can expect to be doing Savasana at the end of most yoga classes you go to. It's the simplest posture of all - but often the most difficult - as the requirement will be to lie absolutely still and just let go for a few minutes.

Teachers will often tell you that this is where you will reap all the benefits of the class you have been through.

Find out more here about what else to expect in a typical yoga class.

<<< In the meantime, here's a kind-of silly cheat-sheet for all you need to remember (or forget) to do Savasana right... if there is such a thing as doing it 'right'.

What to expect in a typical yoga class


There are a number of elements which are touched on in most yoga classes. In some styles there may be more of one or the other, but generally the following aspects will be present, whether the teacher refers to them by name or not.

Asana - Postures

These are the physical postures. Asana is one of the eight limbs of yoga. The physical aspect is also sometimes referred to as Hatha Yoga (the yoga of force). Postures may very from being pretty easy and unchallenging, to extremely challenging, depending on what your level of practice is. It also depends on the focus and effort you put in yourself.

Bandha - Energy locks

Basically, bandhas refer to three 'energetic locks' which are applied to the body in most styles of yoga. This may not be strongly emphasised in beginners' or open classes, but it is a key element of a strong yoga practice. The bandhas are muladhara bandha (lifting or contracting the pelvic floor muscles), uddhiyana bandha (lifting and tightening the abdominal muscles) and jalandhara bandha (tipping the chin down to slightly constrict the throat). Apply all three bandhas to create mahabandha.

Drishti - Gaze

This refers to the focus or gaze. The teacher will ask you to direct the gaze in a particular direction for every posture. You may be asked to look upwards, towards the knees, feet or hands, for example. The purpose may be to get the full stretch in the posture, to maintain mental focus, to help with balance, or sometimes make the balance more challenging.

Pranayama - Breath

Breath work is an intrinsic part of every yoga class, and is also one of the eight limbs of yoga. This is one of the elements which makes it so different from other forms of exercise, as you are asked to remain aware of the breath, and to work with the breath. Pranayama exercises may be included in the class on their own, and Ujjayi breath (breathing through the nose, through slightly narrowed throat passage) will be incorporated as part of the practice of asana.

Savasana - Relaxation / Corpse Pose

Translated from Sanskrit, this means 'corpse pose' (corpse = sava; pose = asana). Many teachers will tell you that this is the most difficult posture in the whole class, as you are asked to lie completely still, flat on your back for a period of time. Depending on what type of class you are doing, it could be for anything from 2 to 20 minutes. Most one-hour classes will have 5-10 minutes of savasana at the end of the class, which may be accompanied by a guided meditation from the teacher, music, or silence.

Vinyasa - the flowing element

Translated from Sanskrit, vinyasa means 'to place in a special way'. Each movement is a progression from one to the next. The movement is aligned with the breath so that you move with each inhale and exhale. It can be said that each action encourages the next. Vinyasa-style yoga classes are ones where there is a flow from posture to posture. These classes are also often referred to as Flow Yoga or Power Yoga and are derived from Ashtanga yoga. 

These are very simple descriptions of the elements you can expect to see in a yoga class. Experience these elements directly by joining one of my classes!