Viśrāma – rest

«Laying down on the ground, like a corpse, is called Sava-asana. It removes fatigue and gives rest to the mind» (Hathayoga-pradīpikā, 1.32)

This verse talk about cittaviśrantikārakam, “that brings relief to the mind”. The compound has within it the word viśrama, which means “rest”, “relaxation”, “calm”, “tranquility”. Undoubtedly śava-āsana, in spite of the restlessness that can provoke the thought of the corpse, is absolutely the most relaxing pose. Usually it is everyone’s favorite in hatha-yoga sessions. It is often said that ten minutes in this pose count as several hours of restful sleep.

You could take advantage of this pose from time to time, Pisces. Recent times, not to mention years, have been heavy. They have undoubtedly heightened your sensitivity, but they left you a little tired and without a great desire to do anything. In July you could find yourself a little unruly, with only the desire to relax, satisfy the senses and spend some time with friends. More than understandable and even feasible. Besides, rest and recreation are necessary to accumulate physical and mental strength to spend later, when there is something worth working for.

Restore the body and mind with this sequence:

Jātharaparivartana-āsana, abdominal rotation. Relax in this pose, let your whole body collapse onto the ground and enjoy the pleasant massage of the abdomen given by your breath // 2-3 min. on the side.

Ardhaśalabha-āsana,  half locust pose. The anti-stress pose par excellence. // 1 min. on the side.

Brāhmarī-prānāyāma, bee breath. Emit an expiring sound like a fly buzzing around your ears. It relaxes the nerves and the mind and favors concentration. // 1-2 min.

TOTAL TIME: from 5 to 12 minutes.

MANTRA of the MONTH: «Relax».