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What is Savasana? (Shah-vah-sah-nah)
Savasana or Corpse Pose is the final pose of your yoga practice and
while it may be one of the most important poses it can, for many, be
one of the most challenging.
 
All poses done in your asana practice prepare you for this final
pose which can range in length from 10-20 minutes, however even
5 minutes of Savasana can bring positive benefits. Its Sanskrit
​name translates to Corpse Pose as Sava means Corpse.  In traditional mat yoga, you are lying on your back on your mat in a very still, resting pose with your legs/arms spread out comfortably. It is the time where you close your eyes, shut your mind down and relax, unwind and be still in the moment. When you lay motionless while keeping your mind still,
​it forces you to relax. The more you practice this pose the easier it gets.
 
Common Challenges of Savasana
By the end of your practice your body and mind should be ‘tired’ enough to sufficiently relax for Savasana. While it may not seem like it, you do exert quite a bit of energy moving from pose to pose.  However, even with the best intentions it can be difficult to shut out the day’s events or responsibilities on your mind for the rest of the week.   Some common challenges of getting the most out of Savasana include:

1. Shutting down your mind ~ it’s much harder than you think and often when you lay down and relax, your thoughts go into overdrive. A few of those thoughts crossing your mind might include:
   1. I wonder if it’s cold /hot outside
   2. What am I going to make for dinner tonight?
   3. Did I pack lunch for work tomorrow, do I have anything for lunch tomorrow?
   4. Is someone snoring?
   5. How much longer are we going to be in this pose?
   6. How will I know if we’re done?
   7. Is anyone else sitting up…maybe I should look around to check…should I have my eyes closed or open, I forgot
   8. It’s too quiet in here
   9. I hate my job, can’t wait for the weekend
   10. The kids have soccer practice this weekend, is it my turn to drive?
   11. Do I need gas in my car maybe I should stop on my way home?
   12. Did I send that email this afternoon?
   13. I’m cold
   14. The floor is too hard, this is uncomfortable
   15. Why can’t I get that song out of my head?
2. Your body is too cold or too warm~ both can be distracting
3. Noise- even the slightest noise in the room, an adjacent room or from outside can be distracting
4. Body reactions – your body is twitching, it’s simply too hard to relax, your body shape, size or physical challenges make it harder to lay prone
5. Relaxing that deeply in a room full of other people, your mind may be in ‘guard or protective’ mode
6. Falling asleep—it happens, it’s your body’s way of telling you that it needs rest.  The more you practice the easier it will be to get into a state of mindfulness yet not go so far as to fall asleep.

 
It’s normal for the mind to wander, but with practice and a little patience with yourself you can begin to quiet the mind in order to gain the full benefits of Savasana.
 
What are the Benefits?
The intention of Savasana is to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

1. You will feel peaceful when finished
2. Relaxes the body
3. Health benefits can include lowering blood pressure, reducing insomnia and fatigue
4. Helps relieve stress
5. Calms the brain

How Should I Prepare for Savasana?

1. Being open to the pose itself is the first step.  Prepare your mat by having a variety of props, bolsters, blankets, eye pillows to ensure your comfort when laying down. The more comfortable and relaxed you are the easier it will be to enjoy 10 or so minutes of quiet all to yourself.
2. Breathing is important and at first you most likely will be instructed by your teacher to take one final deep cleansing breath and then they will help guide your breathing before being quiet themselves.
3. Prepare your body by focusing on each part of your body to help it to relax.  Start from your toes, wiggle them then relax them doing the same concentrated effort to recognize with intention, for a brief moment, each area of your body all the way up to your head~ toes, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, breathing from tummy to chest, fingers, wrists, arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, nose, eyelids…this isn’t a long process you’re just acknowledging your body and giving it permission to rest.
4. Just be still.  You may have thoughts wander in and out of your mind, recognize them then shut them down and be still again, concentrate on your breathing and in time you’ll find that you have longer periods in between of inner peace and tranquility.  But be aware, life happens every day and depending on how your day went or what you have going on later that day, if your practice is in the morning, any stress or deadlines in your life will affect this, it’s ok, don’t beat yourself up.

 
Give your Savasana the same attention you give to your other poses and notice the benefits.  If you are consistent with your practice it will become easier as you add more minutes to your Savasana.
 

Do you sit or stand in one place for hours with little movement?

Whether you sit at a desk working at the computer for hours or are you a gardner kneeling or sitting on your knees, body hunched over while tending your vegetable or flower garden?  The aches, strains and sometimes pain can result from doing even things you love.

Heart / Chest Opener is a great yoga pose that is easily done that will give you a feel good stretch. It opens your heart and stretches your back, something necessary after those longs hours in one place.

Standing:
Stand with your feet hip width apart, feet planted firmly on the floor. Keeping your shoulders square, shoulder blades back, reach your hands behind your back keeping arms straight & clasping your hands together at the base of your back.  Slowly, and only as comfortably as you feel, raise your clasped hands as high as you can behind you while you are pulling your shoulder blades together.  

Feel the stretch, inhale and exhale as you feel the breathe enter and leave your body. Maintain the pose for 2-3 breathe cycles**.

Chair: 
Choose a firm chair*  and sit squarely with your feet firmly planted on the floor, slightly farther than hip width apart.  Press down with both feet and sitting bones as you lift your heart (chest) to the sky while keeping your head balanced on top of your pelvis ( think keeping strong posture with head in alignment with pelvis).  Take both hands and grab the outside edge of each side of the back of your chair to help lift your chest and feel the stretch.  

Inhale and exhale as you feel the breathe enter and leave your body. Maintain the pose for 2-3 breathe cycles**.


*Chair = I like to use a simple sturdy metal chair without arms, but whatever type chair that you choose make sure it doesn't have wheels and sits sturdy on the floor)

**Breath cycle= one inhale and exhale, making sure you're inhaling slow and deeply and the same with your exhale.

As we age we naturally loose a certain amount of strength and flexibility, especially as we also begin to move less.  With our senior population  enjoying a longer and more active lifestyle well into their retirement years, the desire to remain physically and mentally active has become more important.

Chair Yoga is one of the gentlest forms of yoga available. Poses are done seated on the chair or the chair is used for support during standing and balance poses. At times the wall may also be used for support.  Use of the chair allows for greater stability to help participants feel supported and safe as they move in/out of each pose.
 
Poses are modified so that even those with health restrictions, decreased range of motion and physical limitations can perform versions of twists, hip stretches, forward bends and mild backbends that will provide the same benefits from a traditional yoga practice including improved muscle tone, better breathing habits, reduction of stress and improved sleep.

Benefits for starting or continuing a yoga practice for seniors:

1. Physical balance  is improved which results in fewer falls, sprains and breaking of bones.  Yoga  tones muscles, builds strength and confidence.
2. Breathing exercises help to build focus and moves you from short, chest breathing to deep from your belly breathing.  The deeper you breathe reduces stress and anxiety and brings a sense of calmness to your day which can positively affect your decision making.
3. Balances your mood by incorporating deep intentional breathing while meditation and movement create an overall feeling of well being and joy.
4. Improves the start and end of your day! Yoga poses can both energize and relax. Your yoga practice can be comprised of poses that bring energy to start your day or can be structured to allow for relaxation to aid in better sleep.
5. Builds friendships!  By joining a yoga class with other seniors you build your social circle.
6. Yoga requires little to no special equipment or fancy clothes!
7. Yoga can be done at any age, body size, or level of physical activity.

 
It's never too early, or too late, to start!  Not sure if yoga is for you, or how to start your practice, contact me and we can chat!




 

Seems every magazine or fitness article that I read touts drinking eight glasses of water each day as water provides so many benefits for your health, skin, mental clarity and weight loss. 

And for a yoga practioner, it's important to make sure that you rehydrate yourself after you practice. The negative effects of dehydrating include fatigue, headaches and body aches and unfortunately by the time you realize you're thirsty you're by then dehydrated, which means it's critical to keep up with your water intake throughout the day ~ in all seasons, even moreso in very hot/humid weather or if you're activity has you sweating, you'll need to replenish the body.

A few of these specific benefits include:

• Helps in weight control- substituting water for sugary drinks or specialty coffee's with all those 'not so hidden' calories provides zero calories and fills you up. The next time you feel hungry between meals, drink a glass of water, so often we're not hungry as much as thirsty!
• Good for your skin- water keeps you hydrated which is important as nearly every cell in your body is made up of, depending on body size, 78% water;
• Helps digestion and constipation- water allows the body to breakdown foods which helps the body with elimination and flushes out toxins;
• Helps maintain body temperature- it's important especially when working out to regularly replace water lost from sweating both during and after your workout;
• Helps to keep your skin clear-  If you can drink a full glass of warm water as soon as you wake in the morning, it will do wonders for you. Sometimes I add a few slices of lemon too.  TIP: A great way to start your day off is to keep a glass of water at your bedside and begin drinking as soon as you wake.  I have this great little carafe that I keep bedside for that very purpose.  

Tracking: 
As your day gets busy it can be hard to track how much water you have actually drank.  Granted a water bottle, and there are many to choose from, can work, just the idea of having to leave your work area to refill your water bottle can be troublesome, especially if you're having a busy day and, trust me, it's easy for time to slip away and then realize you haven't left your desk for hours!
On a day where I know I'll be trapped at my desk for the better part of the day, a trick I use to help me keep track of how much water I intake is that I start each day with a full pitcher of water at my desk and pour glasses from there.  As the pitcher begins to empty I know I've done good for that day!  There are also a number of apps and/or journals that help you to track your water intake.

Flavoring your water:
While we all may know that drinking water is good for you, plain water can get pretty boring after a while and for some it just lacks the taste they prefer from those other less than healthy beverages.
Years ago when a family member was hospitalized out of town, the hotel we stayed at for long stretches of time had a very large glass jar filled with water and cucumbers.  I wasn't sure at first but once I tried that first glass I was intrigued and began experimenting myself with fruits and vegetables to add another dimension to plain water.  I found through experimentation it can make a big difference in making it easier to get those eight glasses in.

Whether you purchase an infuser pitcher, repurpose a milk or water container or something you have from home, adding fruit (fresh or frozen) or vegetables can make a difference and make it easier to meet your goals for the day. 

A few of my favorites are:

• Lemons- or a combination of lemons and lime
• Berries- I like raspberries and blackberries together and sometimes add fresh mint
• Thick sliced oranges taste even fresher when placed in ice cold water
• Grapefruit and rosemary may sound odd but the flavor is fantastic!

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Other combinations that are delicious:

• Cucumber and mint
• Orange and blueberries
• Watermelon and mint
• Strawberry and basil
• Blueberry and lavender

If having fresh fruit is not always easy to have  on hand, try planning ahead when fruit is abundant in your kitchen and make fruit infused ice cubes.  Great to have on hand year round and super easy to make, Using an ordinary ice cube tray, first cut your fruit into small bite sized pieces making sure that they fit nicely into each cube.

Here I used:

• lemons
• oranges
• limes
• raspberries
• strawberries
• blueberries
• pineapple

Next, fill each cube with water making sure to cover the fruit completely.  Then freeze as usual.
Once frozen pop a few (be creative with your combinations) into a glass of water and as the ice cube melts the fruit remains and tastes just as fresh as if you bought it fresh that day.   Plus the cubes look pretty in your glass!

Either pop out a cube when needed or remove all cubes at once and store in a tightly sealed bag.
Whether you make your own fruit infused ice cubes or slice fresh fruit/vegetables/herbs into your water, both options can turn ordinary water into something extraordinary!
 
If you know you'll be on the go, make sure to have a full water bottle handy in your car or bag.  This is my favorite bottle that keeps my water cold for  hours, a great way to have water on the go that is kept fresh all day, especially as the outside temperatures rise; I have bottles in all three sizes and can attest to the ease in using and keeping water fresh and the just right temperature.

If you have fruit/herb combinations that you've tried and enjoyed please share!