SHAVASANA: The Mind-Body Relaxer

Shavasna is seen as an adjunctive therapy for such diverse conditions as old-fashioned neurasthenia
(not unlike "burn-out"), early stages of mild to moderate depression, sleep-onset insomnia,general anxiety etc
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SHAVASNA Means "Corpse pose" (shava=corpse, asna= pose) also known as the "dead pose"
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SPECIFIC ADVANTAGES:-

(1) A deep state of muscular relaxation is brought about
(2) The blood pressure is lowerd(individuals with unusually low blood-pressure may suffer discomfort from practising it),while at the same time heartbeat and respiration are considerably slowed.
(3) A transfer of nervous energy to the internal organs takes place
(4)The nervous system is rested and rejuvenated.
(5)The mind is brought to the point of complete relaxation from which it may go into a Deep,Dreamless sleep
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ELEMENTARY TECHNIQUE
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(1) Lie supine(face up) on the floor upon a suitable folded blanket or Mat. Loose clothing should be worn,and the room temperature ought to be comfortable warm.
(2) Place your feet about 20 inches apart and allow your ankles and toes to relax to the outside.
(3) place your hands palms up(or comfortably on the little finger edge of the hands) this is to avoid stimulus to the sensitive tactile receptors underneath the fingertips,thus dampening the alterting responses in the brain
(4) make sure that shoulders are flat and that the small of your back is relaxed into the floor
(5) Adjust your head to a comfortable position and completely surrender your body weight to the floor
(6)** Preliminary rotation sequence*
(Tighten--Lift--Release--Drop)
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RIGHT ARM--> On inhalation(breathe naturally),make a firm fist, extending the contraction up the arm to the shoulder,While simultaneously stretching your arm and raising your whole arm a few inches from the floor. Upon exhalation, release the tension in your arm and let it "flop"(drop) to the floor....
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LEFT ARM--> Switch the searchlight of your mind to your left arm,mentally scanning from shoulders to fingertips...
On inhalation,make a fist,stretch your arm from the shoulder,and lift it several inches from the floor.Upon exhalation,allow your arm to relax and collapse to the floor
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RIGHT LEG--> Focus your attention down your right leg(from groin to toes). On inhalation,bend your foot back(dorsiflexing),pointing your toes toward your kneecap(stretching the calf muscle),and raising your legs several inches from the floor. With the exhalation,relax your leg and let it drop to the floor..
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LEFT LEG--> Turning your concentration to your left leg, sense and feel it, repeatin the inhalation-contratction-elevation sequence,as with the right leg,and following with the exhalation-relaxation-releasing sequence,letting it drop to the floor
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** Whole Body Awareness**
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In this inhalation-exhalation cycle,direct your awareness to your spine and trunk,mentally travelling from your pelvis to the back of your head, cultivating a "melting" sensation on exhalation
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ADVANTAGES of step 6
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(1) Encourages release of physical tension in the limbs by muscular contraction followed by flaccidity
(2) The contraction-release phases increase proprioceptive,kinesthetic and circulatory consciousness of the limbs
(3)Both hemispheres of the brain,alternatively,become involved with the sequential firing of motor strips(contractive phase) and sensory strips(relaxation phase) within each cerebral cortex. This becomes an automatic psychophysiological attention fixer for centering consciousness.
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(7) commence concentrating upon your upper and lower extremities(the arms and legs),and with each exhalation feel your arms and legs becoming heavier and heavier. Imagine yourself menting or sinking into the floor
** placing of the arms and legs gives you maximum advantage of natural pull of gravity**
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**This exercise should be practised for a minimum of 10 to 15 minutes daily**
§ focus upon a feeling of total sagging, going with gravity,and simultaneously cultivate the imagined sensation that the ground or floor is moving up to meet you,rather like an elevator going up§

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