Reviews show that people tend to practice yoga for a variety of reasons: many of them are interested in the health benefits they obtain, after regularly performing the routines, other are seeking the much desired state of harmony between the inner and the outer self, while another percentage of the practitioners carry out yoga sessions in order to relax.

The state of profound relaxation is achieved either by means of exercising or by correct meditation practices. The result is a sublime state of clearness of the mind, of profound harmony and understanding of the world.

In order to accelerate the process of arriving to the intense relaxation stage, you have to make use of most yoga techniques, but most of all you have to pay special attention to breathing, to your diet, to correctly perform the exercises, to meditating on the true values of the world and mostly, on your own past actions.

Thus, a deep and prolonged breath helps your brain stay oxygenated, which contributes to analyzing things in a clearer manner. Diet, on the other hand, is also relevant because the things we eat influence not only the structure of our body, but also our brain.

 During the prolonged history of yoga, specialists have determined the exercises, which are likely to produce beneficial results. However, the routine needs to be carried out correctly; otherwise you might run the risk of wasting your time, without a relevant result.

Anyway, the most important thing that you have to keep in mind is that your attitude and your focus are the key elements, which are able to really make the difference. Entering the profound stage of relaxation and synchronization between your inner and your outer self cannot happen unless you physically and mentally desire it.

Yoga relaxation is a necessary and mandatory stage of every yoga routine. It is quite normal and obvious that you need to relax after practicing the exercises, as they are most of the times very profound and demand a lot of focus.

 Moreover, certain practices require an unusual positioning of the body, which can result in discomforts, if the relaxation stage is omitted. Due to the fact that yoga is a connection between the spiritual and common world, relaxation is considered to be the stage, which safely brings you back to the present reality you live in.

As a general rule, during relaxation exercises, you have to lie down comfortably and meditate. Furthermore, you gradually move your feet and arms and position them as suggested by your yoga trainer.Different yoga routines imply different relaxation exercises, but, normally, they all have the purpose to avoid a shocking contact with the surrounding reality. Relaxation also helps you to preserve to a certain degree the level of quietness and peacefulness you experience during the routine.

As a final conclusion, if you still have doubts regarding the relaxation effect yoga practices can provide to you, then you have to know that they are perfectly reliable.

There are three parts to a proper relaxation. Pyhsical, Mental and Spiritual, to relax the body you lie down in the Corpse Pose and first tense the relax each part of the body in turn, working up from the feet to your head. The reason you should tense up each part of the body first is this helps you to feel what tension is before you can really feel what relaxation is, You use your mind to instruct the muscles to relax. With time you will be able to use your subconscious mind to extend this control to the involuntary muscles of the heart, digestive system and other organs too.

The Front Corpse Pose

Lie down on your front, legs slightly apart, toes touching and allow your heels to fall out to the sides. Make a pillow with your hands lengthen the body, tense and relax your muscles. Feel your body sinking into the floor as you exhale. Use this pose after any Asana performed on the abdomen(Cobra or Bow) alternating on which side you place your head.

The Corpse Pose

Lie on your back, your feet spread about 18 inches apart and hands about 6 inches from your sides palms up. Slowly ease yourself into the pose, making sure the body is symmetrical. Let your thighs, knees and toes turn outward. Close your eyes and breathe deeply.

The Final Relaxation (Savasana)

At the end of your Yoga Session you should spend at least 10 minutes in Final Relaxation. During this time you relax each part of the body in turn, But in order to experience relaxation you must first experience tension. Working up from the feet you first tense and lift each part, then drop(dont place) it down. You should now let your mind travel throughout the body, commanding each part to relax, let yourself go. Sink deep into the quiet pool of the mind. To bring your consciouness back to your body, gently move your fingers and toes, take a deep breath and as you exhale, sit up.

Feet and Legs

Lift your right foot just an inch off the floor, tense the leg, hold, then let it drop, repeat on the other side.

Hands and Arms

Raise your right hand an inch off the floor. Make a fist, tense the arm, then let it drop repeat on the otherside. Relax.

Buttocks

Clench your buttocks tightly together, lift the hips a little way off the floor and hold. Relax and drop them down.

Chest

Tense and lift up the back and chest, keeping your hips and head on the floor. Relax and drop them down.

Shoulders

Lift your shoulders and hunch them up tight around your neck, let them drop, Relaxed, Now pull each arm, in turn, down alongside the body, and relax.

Head

Tuck in your chin slighty and roll the head gently from side to side, find a comfortable postion in the centre for the head to lie, and then relax.

After practicing the sequence above , visualize your body in your minds eye, and repeat this simple formula mentally. I relax the toes, I relax the toes. The toes are relaxed. I relax the calves, I relax the calves The calves are relaxed. Continue on up the body, applying the formula to each part along the way. The stomach, lungs, heart, jaw, scalp, brain and so on. You will feel a wave of relaxation rising up your body as you guide your awareness through each part.

Each time you inhale , feel a wave of oxygen flowing down to your feet, each time you exhale feel the tension flowing out of your body, leaving your mind like a deep still lake, without a ripple. Now dive into that lake deep into the centre deep within yourself, and experience your true nature.