e. At a glance, Shavasana may seem like the easiest asana to perform. How much effort does it take to lie on your back and breathe? Named after Shav or corpse, the asana is meant for complete relaxation as opposed to just lying down. Many yoga beginners also confuse it for nap time after the asanas, which is incorrect. Although it looks quite simple, Shavasana is one of the toughest to perform since it expects you to let go completely and relax your body and mind without succumbing to sleep. It helps in healing after a session of yoga and promotes calmness in the mind. As part of our countdown to International Day of Yoga, let’s look at Shavasana, its techniques and its benefits.

How To Perform Shavasana

  • As mentioned above, the goal of Shavasana is to facilitate complete relaxation, but try not to fall asleep. Therein lies the challenge of Shavasana.

  • Lie down flat on the floor on a yoga mat. Ensure there won’t be any distractions.

  • Your legs should be relaxed with a slight distance between the two. Your toes should be on either side of the body.

  • Your arms should be parallel to your body at a comfortable distance.

  • Now, breathe normally and bring focus on various parts of your body, starting from your toes.

  • Ensure you are not forcing any thoughts or worrying about something.

  • Breathe in deeply and exhale while you are performing the asana.

  • Make sure you don’t fall asleep. Because that would defeat the purpose of the Shavasana.

Here's a video to assist you:

Benefits of Shavasana

Contrary to what many people believe, Shavasana is not just a nap at the end of each yoga session, although it does help you cool down. It calms your mind and reduces the chatter inside your head. It reduces anxiety, thereby improving your blood pressure and relaxing your heart. It also sharpens your memory and improves your focus. It’s said that your body gets a lot of neuromuscular information while you perform yoga. Shavasana lets your body integrate that information.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 16, 2018 03:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).