Keeping still is one of the hardest things for us to do, especially in that heat! 60 seconds of absolute stillness can seem like 20 minutes and there will always be something distracting you right?!

Savasana is sanskrit for Dead Body Pose and once we actually get to that place we will not be moving a muscle! So there is no doubt this is hard to do when we are live and kicking, however it is one of most important postures in Yoga and for some it takes years to master and for others it may be a walk in the park.

image of the dead body posture
Bikram Yoga Posture – Dead body pose

Many yoga enthusiastic could talk for hours about the benefits of  savasana and but downto the practical side  – it comes down to preserving as much energy between the active postures; by practicing 100% relaxation in savasana we can give 100% effort in the postures. Another important reason is that stillness creates discipline and it creates calmness so that we do not panic (especially in the heat), which effectively keeps your practice more focused.

In the standing series we practice short standing-savasana‘s between sets and postures, at the end of the standing series; savasana comes in the form of an actual full 2 minute posture so we can absorb all the hard work we have done in the standing series. During the floor series we practice short savasanas between the sets and postures too.

Remember the importance of savasana in all of its forms to improve your pratic. Using it effectively as a “pit stop” it will guide you through your practice with more efficiency and it will allow you to give 100% effort when practicing all the moving postures.

Aim strongly to focus on this in your next class and see the difference in your practice and your performance through the class.

Hydrate well before class; breathe through the nose and remember the importance of practicing Savasana!

By Suraj Ghumra