Shavasana - how to practice

Shavasana is also called as the corpse pose because the name "Shavasana" comes from the Sanskrit words "Shava" meaning the "Corpse" and Asana meaning the posture.  The shavasana is one of the most important part of yoga practice. Lying on the back, the arms and legs are spread at 45 degrees, the eyes are closed and the breath deep.  The whole body is relaxed on the floor with an awareness of the chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath.  

The Shavasana got its name because the body looks like a dead body.  The Shavasana is one of the easiest asanas to get into but the most difficult to practice.  This is the best relaxation poses and if practiced properly with full efforts, can relax every body part, relaxing not only the body but also the mind.   This article explains how to practice Shavasana.

• Allow the arms and legs to drop open while  lying on the back with the arms about 45 degrees from the side of your body.  Please make sure that you are comfortable.
• Now close the eyes and take slow deep breaths through the nose.  Allow the whole body to become soft and heavy by relaxing on the floor.  As the body is relaxed on the floor, feel the whole body rising and falling with each breath.
• Scan the body from the toes to the fingers to the crown of the head, looking for tension, tightness and contracted muscles.  Consciously release and relax any areas that you find.
• Release all control of the breath, the mind and the body.  Let your body move deeper and deeper into a state of total relaxation.
• Stay in Shavasana for at least 10 to 15 minutes
• To release, slowly deepen the breath, wiggle the fingers and toes, reach the arms over your head and stretch the whole body, exhale bend the knees into the chest and roll over to one side coming into a fetal position.  When ready, slowly inhale up to a seated position. 

Benefits of Shavasana

• This yoga posture brings a deep, meditative state of rest, which may help in the repair of tissues and cells, and in releasing stress. It also gives time for the yoga workout to sink in at a deeper level.
• This posture leaves you in a state of rejuvenation. It is the perfect way to end a yoga session, particularly if it has been a fast-paced one.
• Shavasana  helps reduce blood pressure, anxiety, and insomnia.
• This asana is  an excellent way to ground the body and reduce the Vata dosha(imbalance of the air element) in the body.

Padangusthasana - The Big Toe pose

Padangusthasana also called as the Big Toe pose is one of the easiest poses in Yoga.  Most of the yoga practitioners will learn how to do this padangusthasana in the early practices and yoga sessions.  It is one of the important yoga pose which helps you to stretch all your muscles from head to toe.  Here are the steps to practice padangusthasana.

Steps to practice Padangusthasana

• Stand upright as in Tadasana with your feet parallel to each other.  There should be at least six inches between the feet.  Keep your legs straight.
• Now contract your thigh muscles, which will lift your knee caps outward.
• Keep the legs straight, and bend forward with an aim of touching your forehead to your knee.  Your torso and head should move together.
• Once in this position, try to grip your big toes with fingers of each foot.  Grip your toes firmly with your fingers
• Now press your toes into your hand.  If you are unable to catch your toes with changing your posture, you can also use a band or a strap to hook under your toes and hold that instead.
• Now lift your torso and straighten your elbows as you inhale.
• Do this for as high as you can without stressing any other part like your neck ..
• Exhale when you release your torso and bend towards your toes again.  Do this repeatedly.
• Now try to straighten as if going to starting position but holding your toes.
• Do this cycle of inhalation and exhalation few times increasing the stretch of the torso every time you stretch.
• Come back to the starting position by slowly releasing the band and straightening up.

Precaution
If you feel some stroppy pain in your spine or any part of your body, immediately stop doing it. If you suffer from lower back pain or any lumbar pain, this posture is not advisable to perform. If you have flat feet and week ankle, you must first take instruction from your trainer.

Benefits of Padangusthasana

• This asana is immensely helpful to improve flexibility of the whole body.
• This asana someway calms the body flow of blood and thus helps in reducing hypertension.
• This asana helps to stretch hamstring, calf muscles and thigh, and thus burn the fat and increase strength in these areas.
• Regular practice of this asana helps to relieve bowel movement and bloated feeling in the stomach.
• It helps to rejuvenate liver and spine and aims to balance the physical and mental aspect.
• This asana is recommended for people who are suffering from osteoporosis or likely to suffer from it. This posture gives strength to bones. It is experienced that this asana somehow helpful in insomnia.

Here is a video showing how to practice Padangusthasana