Basic Relaxation Pose with Legs on a Chair

I recently discovered Basic Relaxation Pose with Legs on a Chair and now I can’t live without it. In my yearnings to learn more and more about the power of restorative yoga, I had some lower back discomfort one day and thumbed through the chapter on poses for lower back pain in Judith Lasater’s book Relax & Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times, and found this pose. I recently bought myself a sandbag and it was the perfect time to try it out.

Basic Relaxation Pose, or Savasana, can be modified to suit anyone’s needs, whether it be with a blanket roll under the legs or head, a small bolster under the knees and ankles, by placing legs up on a chair, or simply lying down and letting yourself completely sink into the earth. I’ve tried them all, and they all have their benefits for however I’m feeling at the time.

How to do Basic Relaxation Pose with Legs on a Chair:

• Lie on the floor in front of a folding metal chair (any other sturdy chair that doesn’t roll will also work) and place the lower half of your legs on the seat of the chair so that your hips and knees are bent. The back and buttocks are resting on the floor.
• Fold the long edge of a firm blanket and place it under your head so that your neck is supported.
• Place a 10-pound sandbag over your lower abdomen.  If you don’t have a sandbag, a 10-pound bag of rice will also work.
• Your breathing may feel a little restrained at first, but as you relax into the pose and tension is released, you’ll notice that the sandbag will feel lighter and you’ll be able to breathe easier, and your lower back will relax also.
• Rest with your arms out to the side, preferably with your palms up. Place an eye pillow over your eyes to block out light and allow yourself to relax completely.
• Allow your lower back to sink into the floor with the weight of the sandbag and let tension and stiffness melt into the floor.
• Take some slow, gentle deep breaths followed by an equally long exhalation. Follow that with your natural breath and repeat the process.
• Stay in this pose for 15-20 minutes for optimal benefit.  You’ll notice that this pose completely relaxes the muscles of the abdomen and lower back and invigorates the legs.

If you’d like to get yourself a sandbag, you can get one at a very reasonable price at Yoga Accessories.com. Click here to visit YogaAccessories.com