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And, to end any practice after you have done your standing Asanas, as well as your seated
Asanas, which are all postures, you want to finish off with Shivasina, or Corpse Pose.
Many people feel like it is time to take a nap and sometimes you do fall asleep. There
is a couple of things you can do to make it more comfortable for yourself. It is laying
down, hence the name Corpse Pose. And, what is going to happen is your feet are just going
to fall open about hips' width apart, and your hands are going to fall open towards
the ceiling. If you find your shoulders are really up or you cannot get comfortable, a
trick I found that really seems to work is lifting the arms towards the ceiling in a
sleepwalk position and just walking my shoulders and letting them drop. And then slowly letting
the arms fall open and it helps open the shoulders up. The other thing you could do if this is
really uncomfortable, to lay on your back, is to take a blanket and roll it up. You may
have to undo it and roll it a different way. Whichever is easier for you at the time. So,
finding a way to have some support under the knees will take out pressure out of the lower
back. And then, letting the legs fall open. Finding that position where you are comfortable.
The main part of this is at the closing of your practice you want to relax and enjoy.
Usually if you are practicing in a class, the teacher will give you a guided relaxation,
whether it be body scanning or concentrating on a thought. Just basically it is time to
let go of all your practice and just relax. If you want an eye pillow, it is a nice addition
to just take and put on your eyes. Let it settle in. Let your shoulders open and everything
settle into the mat. Let your breathing come back to normal. And just relax. And it is
time for you to let go of the practice and enjoy the work you have done. And that is
Shivasina or Corpse Pose.