A FEW HANDY HINTS AND TECHNIQUES WHILE IN CORPSE POSTURE - SHAVASANA

LYING ABDOMINAL BREATHING

Lie down and relax. Put your right hand on your abdomen and breathe deeply, diaphragmatically. When we breathe diaphragmatically, the diaphragm expands downwards into the abdomen and pushes the internal organs forward. Thus if your hand rises when you inhale, and descends when you exhale, you are breathing correctly. Totally relax, and concentrate on your deep and slow breathing … (pause for a few minutes) ... . When you feel that you are breathing diaphragmatically, place your hand on the floor beside you again, with the palm upward, and continue to breathe slowly and deeply.

Count to yourself to three with each inhalation, and also with each exhalation. Then count to four, and then to five. When we breathe slowly and deeply in this way, counting to five for each inhalation and each exhalation, we are breathing only 6 times a minute, whereas we normally breathe 12 times a minute. With this slow breathing we naturally stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, and it is impossible to feel any anxiety or tension.

You should breathe in this way all the time, not only during yoga practice, but every minute of your life. This is the way children naturally breathe.

TWO‑PART BREATHING

Practice deep, two‑part breathing. Inhale and stretch your diaphragm down, opening up the lower lungs ... then expand your chest out to fill the upper lungs, then exhale naturally, relaxing both the chest and the diaphragm. Feel like a balloon, expanding and deflating. Concentrate on your breathing, as if you were riding the waves of your own breath. When you notice that your mind has wandered off your breath, notice what took you away and gently bring your attention back to the feeling of your breath coming in and out.

Feel your breath flowing freely across all the boundaries of your body. If you feel any discomfort or tension anywhere in your body, feel your breath penetrating into your tissues, and when you exhale, discharge all the tension or discomfort.

BABA NAM KEVALAM

DEEP RELAXATION: TENSING AND RELAXING

Lie down in the deep relaxation pose (corpse posture), with your palms up and your legs slightly apart. Do not touch anyone. Inhale and squeeze toes and tense your feet ... then exhale and let the tension go. Stretch out your feet, feel the tingle of relaxation. Now inhale and tense your legs and thighs as hard as feels comfortable. Hold ... and release the tension as you exhale ... . Now inhale as you tense your buttocks ... . Hold the tension and then release and let go as you exhale. Inhale again and as you do, tense your stomach by pushing it out; hold this tension for a few seconds then exhale and relax.

Now move to your chest, and as you inhale feel your chest expand … . Hold this expanded position for a few moments and then relax it when you exhale. As you inhale tense your back, especially in between your shoulder blades. Hold the tension for a few seconds and then release it as you exhale ... . Now tense the whole trunk of the body while breathing in - and experience the tension - breathe out, let the tension go, and relax ... . Now tense your shoulders by lifting them up towards your ears as you breathe in … . Hold for a few seconds and relax, dropping your shoulders as you breathe out ... .

Clench your fists as tightly as possible and feel the tension in your hands and arms. Hold the tension. Now let it go and shake out the arms and hands ... . Move your attention to your head and face. Scrunch up your face while breathing in, tightening all the face muscles - hold the tension - now release it and relax and let go as you exhale.

Inhale and yawn with open mouth and raised eyebrows. Hold for a second and then release and let go ... . Now focus your attention on your breathing - allow your breath to be slow and deep and even.

LYING TWIST

You can also try this.

Fold your hands together under your head, your elbows flat on the floor. Bring your heels up to the center of the body - breathe in. Exhaling, lower both knees to the left. Then look to the right and twist. Hold this position for a few seconds, feeling the gentle twisting all along the spine. Now breathe in and return to center.

Repeat on the other side.

Then repeat three or four times on each side. (Be sure that your shoulders remain on the floor.)