Exercise of the Month: Savasana

What is your favorite exercise?  Mine is chasing the ball!  You are probably thinking running, lunging, push ups, (well–I am not sure they are anybody’s favorite exercise) or walking or something along those lines.

Mommy says that resting your body and mind is an exercise that is the toughest for MOST people.  Have you ever tried meditating?  It is REALLY hard to sit completely still and shut down the mind and body without falling asleep!  Us dogs can do it really easy cause we live in the moment but I have noticed that most people are always in a hurry, thinking about the next thing that they are going to do and their minds are always on overdrive.  But meditation  is as important to do as cardio, weight training, flexibility training, etc. as it calms the mind and allows you to think clearer, more focused and calmer.

Mommy put together a few tips on how to meditate or go into savasana:

1.  Find a quiet place free from any external distractions: kids, telephones, televisions, etc.

2. While sitting, keep your back straight, legs crossed, right hand laying in the left hand, palms up and face and shoulders relaxed.  You can also practice this while in Savasana pose at the end of yoga class.  Laying down during meditation is usually not advised as you may fall asleep and that is not our goal here.

3.  There are many forms of mediation but I find the easiest is to focus on your breathing.  Close your eyes and focus on your breaths.  Breath through your nose at a slow pace.   Focus on positive energy coming in on your slow  inhale and any negative energy leaving your body on your slow exhale.  Any time that your mind starts to wander, focus back on your breath.

4.  Start by meditating for 2 minutes a day.  Setting a timer will help if you are like me and keep opening your eyes to see what time it is.  By setting a timer, it is one less thing to think about. You can increase your time as you get better.

5.  Try to make time to do this EVERY day, the more you practice, the better you will get.  First thing in the morning is a great time as it will start your day with a clear, calm and peaceful mind. Lunch time also works well as it will make the second half of your day go smoother allowing you to be more focused.

Let us know how your meditation is going!  We would love to hear how it is helping you.  Doug and Dozer from Dogtown San Diego are demonstrating Savasana on one of our Leash Your Fitness Doga Yoga News shoots.  They were both really good at it!

Mastering Savasana–Dogtown style