 (shah-VAHS-anna)
sava = corpse
This pose is also called Mrtasana (pronounced mrit-TAHS-anna,
mrta = death)
Step by Step
In Savasana it's essential that the body be placed
in a neutral position. Sit on the floor with your
knees bent, feet on the floor, and lean back onto
your forearms. Lift your pelvis slightly off the floor
and, with your hands, push the back of the pelvis
toward the tailbone, then return the pelvis to the
floor. Inhale and slowly extend the right leg, then
the left, pushing through the heels. Release both
legs, softening the groins, and see that the legs
are angled evenly relative to the mid-line of the
torso, and that the feet turn out equally. Narrow
the front pelvis and soften (but don't flatten) the
lower back.
With your hands lift the base of the skull away
from the back of the neck and release the back of
the neck down toward the tailbone. If you have any
difficulty doing this, support the back of the head
and neck on a folded blanket. Broaden the base of
the skull too, and lift the crease of the neck diagonally
into the center of the head. Make sure your ears are
equidistant from your shoulders.
Reach your arms toward the ceiling, perpendicular
to the floor. Rock slightly from side to side and
broaden the back ribs and the shoulder blades away
from the spine. Then release the arms to the floor,
angled evenly relative to the mid-line of torso. Turn
the arms outward and stretch them away from the space
between the shoulder blades. Rest the backs of the
hands on the floor as close as you comfortably can
to the index finger knuckles. Make sure the shoulder
blades are resting evenly on the floor. Imagine the
lower tips of the shoulder blades are lifting diagonally
into your back toward the top of the sternum. From
here, spread the collarbones.
In addition to quieting the physical body in Savasana,
it's also necessary to pacify the sense organs. Soften
the root of the tongue, the wings of the nose, the
channels of the inner ears, and the skin of the forehead,
especially around the bridge of the nose between the
eyebrows. Let the eyes sink to the back of the head,
then turn them downward to gaze at the heart. Release
your brain to the back of the head.
Stay in this pose for 5 minutes for every 30 minutes
of practice. To exit, first roll gently with an exhalation
onto one side, preferably the right. Take 2 or 3 breaths.
With another exhalation press your hands against the
floor and lift your torso, dragging your head slowly
after. The head should always come up last. |
