Shivasana or Savasana is so much more than a chill after class. It is often called the most important pose in yoga. Your yoga asana practice works your muscles, nervous system and glandular system. Shivasana is the time to allow you to integrate the energy from the exercises fully into your body.
Just like lifting weights at a gym to grow your biceps, placing controlled stress on your body allows it to develop a strength and endurance that allows you to cope with normal life. However, if you do not rest and give the body time to integrate these changes, but instead jump straight into normal activity, you run the risk of a “over-training”, where essentially your nervous system and your neuromuscular system become too tightly wound and at don’t derive maximum benefit from your practice.
Traditionally Shivasana lasts for up to half an hour. In our busy western society, often it is rushed or not practiced at all. We can make the mistake of thinking because it looks easy we are not getting any benefit from it. This is of course a misapprehension. In fact, Shivasana is considered to be the most difficult of all yoga poses to master, because complete relaxation of body and mind is incredibly difficult to achieve.
If you need further convincing of the benefit of Shivasana you should know it lowers your blood pressure, alleviates stress and fatigue, rejuvinates your body and mind and helps you come into complete surrender to make place for peace and harmony.. Think of it as the cherry on the cake of your yoga practice.
Then get into your busy day.
The Lotts Yoga. 