Lie flat on your back with your legs together but
not touching, and your arms close to the body with the palms
facing up.
Keep your eyes gently closed with the facial
muscles relaxed and breath deeply and slowly through the
nostrils.
Starting at the top of the head and working your
way down to the feet, bring your attention to each part of
your body, consciously relaxing it before proceeding on to the
next.
Remain in the shava-asana for between 3 and 5
minutes or longer. If you become sleepy while in the
shava-asana begin to breath a bit faster and deeper.
Comments:
While many consider this a simple
posture at first, its simplicity eventually proves to be
deceiving. The goal of the shava-asana is for the body and mind to
be perfectly still and relaxed. Not only should the body be
motionless and at ease, but the mind as well should be quiet, like
the surface of a still lake. The result will be a deep and stable
relaxation that will extend into your meditation or be felt
through the activities of your daily circumstances.
It
goes without saying that the shava-asana will take some time to
perfect. You will find the simple exercise of focusing your
attention on each part of your body and consciously directing the
breath there to be a great help with this posture.
There
are two common obstacles that can prevent you from fully
benefitting from this posture: sleepiness and a restless mind. If
find yourself getting drowsey while in the shava-asana increase
the rate and depth of your breathing. If your mind is restless or
wondering focus your attention on all of the bodily senations
you're experiencing. Bring your mind to the sensation of the floor
beneath you or on the rhythm of your breath.
While
practing your Yoga-asana routine you should always begin and end
each session with the shava-asana.
Durations/Repetitions:
We recommend that you begin your
period of yoga-asana practice with at least 3-5 minutes of
shava-asana. Return to it periodically throught your
posture session to relax and rejuvinate the body/mind and then
conclude your session with at least 3-5 minutes more.
