Shavasana

The technique
After completing the practice of Surya Namaskara, stand erect and take a few deep breaths, then lie down flat on your back in shavasana. Your feet should be slightly apart, arms separate from the body, with the palms facing upward and eyes gently closed. Adjust yourself comfortable, then relax and become perfectly still.

Now bring your awareness down to your feet. Do not move or become tense, simply be aware of them. Try to feel whether your feet are tense, and if you discover any tension, consciously relax them.

When your feet are completely relaxed, slowly draw your awareness up to your ankles and lower legs. Relax these parts in the same way, and continue moving the awareness up to your thighs, hips and buttocks. Pause for a moment and feel that your whole body from the waist downwards is relaxed.

Then gradually proceed upward, one step at a time, to your lower abdomen, navel, upper abdomen, chest, back, hands, lower arms, elbows, upper arms and shoulders. Now pause again to make sure that your whole body from the shoulders down, is totally relaxed. If your discover tension in any part, simply become aware of it for a few moments and the tension will melt away.

Next, move on to the throat, chin, mouth, nose, cheeks, ears, eyes, forehead, top of the head, back of the head, whole head.

Finally become aware of your whole body. Have an all -pervading awareness of the whole body, with no movement or tension in any part. Your body should feel limp and lifeless like a dead corpse. This is the state of total relaxation achieved in shavasana. The whole process from the feet to the head takes only a few minutes. Repeat it a number of times, if necessary, to enter this peaceful state.