Your body has an innate capacity for relaxation, but in our busy lives, we often forget how to access it. Yoga postures are a way to communicate with your body in a language it understands, using physical shapes to invite a state of mental calm. These three poses are fundamental lessons in the art of relaxation.
Balasana (Child’s Pose) teaches the lesson of security. By creating a contained, protected shape, you are sending a primal signal to your nervous system that you are safe. This feeling of security is the foundation of all true relaxation. It allows your muscles to release their guarding tension and your mind to let go of its hyper-vigilance.
Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall) teaches the lesson of surrender. In this pose, you are fully supported by the floor and the wall. There is nothing to hold, nothing to do, and nowhere to go. This teaches your body and mind the profound skill of surrendering effort and simply being, which is a powerful antidote to the stress of constant striving.
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend) teaches the lesson of release. As you fold forward, you are met with the boundary of your own flexibility. The lesson is not to force past this boundary, but to breathe into it and invite a gentle release. This teaches patience and the understanding that relaxation cannot be forced; it must be allowed.
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