shavasan

The name suggests resemblance to the dead. 

You are required to pose as dead. First chapter should be about the body and the second is about the mind. 

Shavasan is most important before any ASANA because it is suggested you do the shavasan immediately after you complete your session of other ASANA. Because ASANA does not only work on muscles, it first works on the internal organs. Many a times we are unable to sense the excitement that it creates on these organs immediately. But it is necessary that we relax them in the proper manner. 

You will observe that this first of all regulates the sleep. If justifies the required time of sleep. If you are spending sleepless nights, this is exactly for you. If you feel sleepy all the time this is again exact medicine for you. So it calms you and energizes you whichever is required for the body. This is the best part of this ASANA. 

After practice it also shortens your sleep time without causing any adverse effect on you. 

When you are able to do shavasan with the mind you can complete your sleep in a short nap's time. 

Secondly it teaches you to bury tensions. It teaches you to cut-off from the present situation, not only when you are practicing this but at any time.

The beauty of this ASANA is that you can observe it at any time of the day, anywhere and in any position of the body.  

You can understand what parts of the body are over-exercised and what parts are not being used for some time or quite some time. You can design your ASANA accordingly for relaxing and exercising the right course.

Start the first session while sitting in a comfortable position. by first method which is popularly quoted is to relax your body from toes to the head by serially acquiring peace at each limb. 

second method is little different. we very well know breath governs the activity and vice versa. when you are tense your breath length becomes shorter and faster. and vice versa. so the method is to lengthen your breath increasing it comfortably ( without having to make any extra effort) first watch the length of your breath for some time then let it be deeper and more deeper with each breath . you can feel the breath reaching to all your limbs after a few days practice. Now turn your speed of the breath slower and again you need to do this effortlessly one by one with each breath turning slower than the earlier one. you will reach to a level when you will fall asleep. 

this will automatically erase tensions of the body. 

I call it lullaby of the God- the gift of the god . the breath . the controlling switch of the body. 


third method is by kumbhak a method of pranayam. Kumbhak is in street language is to stop the breath either holding the breath air inside(anter kumbhak) or holding breath  air outside(bahya kumbhak).  before starting on this method consult physician about holding breath does not make any problem to you . 

start by tightening your body at the maximum possible. take a deep breath and hold the breath inside at least for a three normal breath lengths . this length varies with different body. release both at the same time forcefully. ideally at 1/3rd of the time you normally breath. loosen all the body parts at once. do not inhale air for again for 1/3rd of the time you normally breath. then start normal breathing. you achieve the same relaxing position as in the first method but in a few seconds.