Tip of the Week: Standing Savasana Between Postures

Paying attention to your body posture between the standing postures will help with concentration and relaxation. Bikram Yoga is a 90 minute "moving meditation". The goal is to use our bodies in such a way that we can begin to still our minds. Keep in mind that even when we aren't in a posture, we are still in a moving meditation. When coming out of a posture, bring yourself to a total stillness, with a calm and smooth breath. While you will have a chance to go into Savasana or "dead body pose" between each posture in the floor series, you can do a Standing Savasana between the postures of the Standing Series. 

Benefits:

• Gives rest to the body, slows heart rate, reduces blood pressure
• Returns cardiovascular and systemic circulation to normal
• Teaches relaxation
• Stills and focuses the mind

Tips:

• The better you create and maintain correct standing savasana, the better and more deeply you’ll be able to breathe and the quicker you can calm yourself physiologically and mentally

Check that you:

• Rotate your upper arms externally and feel your shoulder blades drop down and back. Check that your neck feels long and free. 

• Stand with feet & legs together. Press inner thighs, buttocks, inside of feet together. Wake up soles of the feet by pressing them firmly into the ground.

• Gaze straight ahead at yourself in the mirror

• Breathe calmly through your nose

Transitioning without fidgeting between the postures cultivates patience and calm. Focus on yourself in the mirror, and don't let let anything break your peace. Try to make a conscious effort not to fix your hair, drink water when you don’t need it, wipe the sweat, or adjust your mat and towel. Let go of being ‘bothered’ by the details. 

Awareness of body posture between standing postures will improve your yoga practice and contribute to aligning the group energy wave which moves around the room.