I need to start keeping a list of my favorite music for savasana.
I wrote a few weeks ago about “Be Here Now” by Ray LaMontagne, which I think is probably one of the best songs to listen to if you need to come down a few notches on the stress-o-meter. That song is going to be on my top-ten list of all-time favorite savasana songs for a long time.
After my yoga class last night, I’m now going to add “Glitter in the Air,” by Pink, to my yoga music playlist. It’s a beautiful song with touching lyrics. Here’s the video of Pink performing “Glitter in the Air” at the 2010 Grammys. If you didn’t catch the Grammys, you’ve got to watch this video. Pink gets almost naked, flies up into the air, gets showered with water while doing acrobatics, and still manages to carry a tune—a truly amazing feat! Why can’t I multitask like that?
When I lay in savasana and listened to Pink’s voice, it didn’t make me want to get naked and hoist myself into the air, but it did bring me into a relaxed state of complete bliss. I thought about looking fear in the face and laughing at it and I wished for a beautiful endless night.
I know that during savasana, you are supposed to completely clear your mind and get into a relaxed state, but sometimes hearing calm, soothing yoga music with a little bit of a message can take me on that journey in a more aesthetically pleasing way.
If you are going to add this song to your yoga music playlist, I would recommend finding a nonlive version, as I think the clapping and cheering could be a bit distracting while trying to relax.
Do you have a favorite savasana song or a great yoga music playlist? I’m putting together a savasana party mix tape, so let me know!
I’ve been writing a lot about savasana, the time at the end of yoga class where you lie still, breathe, and seal in your yoga practice. It’s basically a mini nap, and how cool is it that you get to take a nap at the end of a workout?! I never take naps on my own, so savasana, to me, is a guilty pleasure and unexpected delight.
I recently went to a more challenging Vinyasa yoga class and really got a great yoga workout. The instructor that day did an incredible job of taking the class through the relaxation process during savasana. It was wonderful listening to his calming voice and following his directions to get into a deeper state of relaxation.
So, while in savasana he asked us all to remember the state of calm we were in, to take that feeling throughout our day, and to come back to it whenever we encounter stressful situations. I was feeling rather yummy at the time, so I am doing my best to remember that place so I can visit it whenever I need to feel at peace. Yeah, I’ll take that savasana to go!
Next time you’re in savasana, take a mental picture of your calm, peaceful state and tuck it away in your brain’s internal photo journal for future use.
Or perhaps I should ask: Do you want to be mellow?
Since I’m kind of on a yoga music theme this week on the Daily Downward Dog, I thought I would keep it going and tell you about one of the mellowest songs I’ve heard in a long time. Seriously, if you need a song to help you decompress, download “Be Here Now” by Ray LaMontagne and crank it up when you are feeling stressed out.
I heard this song a few nights ago in yoga class while we were settling into Savasana, and I think it is the perfect complement to the restful journey that occurs during Savasana. Take a listen; I think you’ll like it!
I was away from my yoga studio last week and without a good yoga DVD, so I decided to lead my own class. I’ve never self-directed myself through yoga, and I wondered if I would have the self-discipline to keep it up for an entire hour. Typically, when I exercise at home, I’m really good at talking myself into fewer repetitions of the exercises I dislike (which is just about anything abdominal). I also somehow manage to get too comfortable lying on the floor after doing sit-ups and end up taking little power naps, so the resting yoga poses had me a bit concerned.
I started out my self-guided yoga class with a few variations of sun salutations, did some balancing poses, and then went to the floor for some abdominal work, bridge pose, and hip openers. So far, so good and no nap lapses.
To help me get through the class, I did have a few environmental advantages. I was doing yoga while I gazed out at Lake Erie, with a cool breeze, the sun had started to set and was glistening on the water, and the sound of waves provided the perfect soundtrack. These special accoutrements kept me from looking at the clock and helped me get totally immersed in the moment.
Of course, I had no trouble getting into savasana pose, and I finished my class off with a few moments of meditation with the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. When I finally stood up and looked at the clock, more than an hour had passed, and not only did I have a great yoga high, but I had the satisfaction of knowing that I had directed myself through a peaceful and productive yoga practice.
Wow, yet another benefit of yoga, it has helped me achieve self-discipline while working out at home!
Stop by every weekday for the Daily Downward Dog, my daily journal of cool yoga and meditation experiences! Check out the Yoga category at the Cool Stuff Shoppe for great books, DVDs and yoga products. Thank you for clicking on the ads when you visit to help fund this site!
I found out I had scoliosis when I was in junior high and it was devastating. After many doctors’ visits and enough radiation from X-rays to make me lethal, I was finally fitted for a back brace. If you think going through junior high was a nightmare, try hiding a back brace under baggy clothes for three years when you’re trying to look cool and fit in. Good times!
I can look back at junior high now and laugh, but the pain associated with having a curve in my back has haunted me throughout most of my adult life. I think everyone with back pain knows you’re supposed to do stretches and exercises to strengthen your back but let’s face it—we never do.
But I have to tell you, for the first time in my adult life, my back feels great, and I am attributing my victory over pain to my practice of yoga.
When I practice yoga it is one big workout to strengthen my back. Yoga stretches and strengthens the muscles around your spine and lengthens your spine, and this is exactly what I needed to deal with the curvature in my spine caused by the scoliosis. My back pain did not go away overnight; it took a while for the benefits of my yoga practice to take effect, but it is so worth it.
I recently did the 50-minute Yoga for ScoliosisDVD workout with Elise Browning Miller. Elise has been teaching yoga since 1976 and has successfully used it to minimize the effects of her own scoliosis. In the DVD she has four additional people practice with her who also have various forms of scoliosis. Elise does an excellent job of pointing out different adjustments that can be made to each pose to deal with the various curvatures of the spine.
The practice is taught in the method of yoga master B.K.S. Iyengar and includes information and an interview with an orthopedic surgeon. If you are new to yoga, this is a great DVD, providing helpful instructions for each pose. The practice is made up of three parts:
Part 1: Breathing and spinal-lengthening poses (16 minutes); these are great basic poses to lengthen the spine.
Part 2: Centering and strengthening poses (18 minutes); includes standing poses, back-strengthening poses, and twists.
Part 3: Restorative, releasing, and relaxing poses (16 minutes); relaxing poses to derotate the spine and align the hips.
And my favorite part: it ends with Savasana. There’s also a bonus section with six additional postures done with props (wall stretch, down dog, shoulder stretch, warrior 1 with wall, chair twist, and 3-part pull).
If you have scoliosis or back pain and have never tried yoga, I highly recommend this informative and helpful yoga DVD. It provides a great introduction to the practice and has all the best poses that have helped me tremendously in eliminating back pain and improving my posture. Plus, it beats the alternatives. Who wants to take painkillers or have surgery when you can work out the kinks in your back on a yoga mat?
