There’s nothing quite like the sweet, delicious feeling of laying in Savasana after an amazing, sweaty yoga class. What makes it better? When your teacher comes around to make the smallest adjustment to your position – then boom it feels even more amazing.
Savasana is the highlight of my yoga practice, letting all the hard work soak in. But sometimes when I’m at home, I can’t quite get that same deep state I find when I’m in a class environment.
So, here are our top 5 self-adjustments to help you find that little place of paradise, and let you sink deeply into your chill zone without the need for the magical teacher’s helpful adjustments.
Firstly, put on a nice relaxing tune. Once in your Savasana, legs long, feet rolling out to the sides, arms alongside your body and palms facing up to the ceiling, then…
1. Stretch
As you breathe in, scrunch up the face, purse the lips, stretch the fingers and toes tensing every muscle you can. Hold for the count of three and then release into your mat.
2. Lengthen the Neck
Take your hands to the top of your shoulders either side of the neck. Using gentle pressure draw the hands evenly up both sides of the neck. When you reach the head, lightly lift the head a couple of centimeters off the ground let the hands run up the back of the head and then gently replace the head onto the earth. Replace the arms by the sides of your waist and relax.
3. Tuck the Shoulders
When resting gently lift the chest and draw the shoulder slightly towards each other underneath you to open the chest. Relax and soften here keeping the chest open.
4. Cushion the Back of the Knees
Bend the knees placing either a bolster, cushion or even a block underneath the back of the knee for support. Relaxing the leg over this support to find the earth.
5. Eye Pillow
So technically this isn’t an adjustment, but at home, I struggle to keep from the temptation to flutter the eyes sooner than I should, so I suggest either investing in a bean eye pillow or using something with a little weight to it to soften over the eyes. Especially if you are practising during the day.