Shavasana

Relaxation Practice

Shavasana refers to the last pose in each yoga class, where you get to lie down on your mat to practice a moment of stillness. After moving, stretching and strengthening, this meditative posture helps to restore and revitalise the entire body. It acts as a restful bridge to quiet your mind after your yoga practice and before heading back into the busyness of your day.

While you lie down on your mat, feeling fully supported by the ground beneath you, slowly work your way through your whole body, releasing any tension, continuously trying to soften, like melting into the ground.

See if you can let go of what no longer serves you, and send it off with gratitude and thanks.

Time spend in Shavasana can be helpful in strengthening and activating your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), causing a calm and relaxed feeling in mind and body. Other benefits when the PNS is activated are a slowing heart rate (helps with anxiety), reduced blood pressure, improved digestion, enhanced immune function, mental clarity and focus, and greater emotional balance.

You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go, and see what happens.

‘Shavasana’ translates to ‘corpse pose’ where you surrender your mind to non-action. Practise letting go of all craving and grasping toward anything outside of you for happiness. Try not to linger in the past, or engage in thoughts about the future. Instead surrender, accept, and welcome simply being where you are. Allow yourself a moment where it is enough to just be.