Deep Relaxation Shavasana Meditation practice reduces stress, helps the practitioners become more mindful, and improves their health(1). 

Introduction

Deep Relaxation Shavasana Meditation is a practice that you must perform after finishing other yoga exercises(2). “Save” means ‘dead body’ and “Asana” means ‘yoga posture’. The name ‘Shavasana’ is derived from the fact that the practitioners must lie down like a “dead body” to perform this meditation(2). 

This practice has the ability to quickly rejuvenate you when you are tired. The best thing about Deep Relaxation (Shavasana) Meditation is that it can be practiced by anyone and at any time(2). The regular practitioners of this meditation experience freedom from physical or mental fatigue. After Shavasana, renewed energy flows through the nerves, helping one feel refreshed(2).

History/Origins

The introduction to the idea of yoga or asanas possibly came from the Sramanas, a group of Indian renunciant ascetics that emerged in around 500 BCE(3). They developed dhyana or meditation practices with the aim to end karma-driven human suffering. Even though the Sramanas emerged independently of the Brahmanical Vedic tradition and included Buddhists, Jains and Ajivakas, they were influenced by the tradition to varying degrees.(3). 

They believed that through meditation one could attain liberation, but they did not call the practice “yoga” at first(3). The first mention of the discipline of meditation being referred to as “yoga” can be seen in Brahmanical Mahabharata(3).

Benefits of Deep Relaxtion Shavasana Meditation

According to a study by Janet Hennard(4), yoga practices such as Deep Relaxation Shavasana Meditation have the ability to benefit patients with Fibromyalgia. This condition causes widespread pain, stiffness, sleep disturbance, headache, fatigue and mood disorders. The study concluded that regular yoga effectively improves overall health.

Findings from another study(5) also indicates that Deep Relaxation Shavasana Meditation can reduce the age-related decline in cardiovascular or blood circulation functions. A recent research article(6) claims that routinely practicing yoga can improve the memory of the elderly, especially ageing women.  

 

References

  1. Adams Media | Meditation Made Easy: More Than 50 Exercises for Peace, Relaxation, and Mindfulness by Preston Bentley
  2. The Divine Life Society | Hatha Yoga by Swami Sivananda | Shavasana
  3. Penguin Books Limited | Roots of Yoga by James Mallinson and Mark Singleton
  4. International Journal of Yoga Therapy | Volume 21, Issue 1 | 2011 | A Protocol and Pilot Study for Managing Fibromyalgia with Yoga and Meditation by Janet Hennard
  5. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology | Volume 47, Issue 2 | Effect of Yoga on Cardiovascular System in Subjects Above 40 Years by Jyotsana R Bharshankar, Rajay N Bharshankar, Vijaykumar N Deshpande, Shoba B Kaore and Geeta B Gosavi
  6. Elderly Health Journal | Volume 6, issue 1 | 2020 | Effect of Yoga on Memory in Elderly Women by Aliakbar r Vaezi, Arefeh Dehghani Tafti, Sanaz Behzadi Goodari and Reza Bidaki