Why do we roll to the right side?
Melissa, I have this question I’ve kept wanting to ask you. Why after lying down we need to roll up onto our right side? Since it’s always right, I wonder why it couldn’t be on our left side. Thanks Melissa, Isabelle
Dear Isabelle, This is a great question. The reason why we roll to the right side after lying down or getting up from savasana are a three:
1) Physiological:
Your heart is on the left side of your body. When you roll to your right side, your heart remains open and free of pressure. Your heart also remains above your organs on your right side leaving less weight on your heart. This means less pressure after savasana. Pausing on the right side allows your natural blood pressure to reach it’s potential homeostasis.
2) Energy Channels:
Rolling to your right keeps your ida nadi (one of your main channels of prana, or life force, which corresponds to cooling energy) active and helps to keep your body calm as you come up to sitting. The left side of your body is your yin side. Lying on your right side allows you to continue to breath through your left nostril and continue the relaxing effects.
3) Spiritual and Ritual:
In India, it is considered auspicious to enter a holy space with your right foot. In many parts of the world we greet each other by extending our right hands. The right side represent the east and so rolling towards the east, or the rising sun is symbolic of asking for blessings of grace and bliss.
Please note that if you are pregnant you should roll to the left because it increases the flow of blood and nutrients to the baby.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Email | RSS | More
Oh my Gosh!! Thank you so much for this wonderful explanation – Great questions as well. I didn’t realize it was quite as detailed!! Thank you Melissa for everything you do!!
xo
Julie 😉
Great question! So much to learn, thank you for explaining!
Namaste,
Thank you for your yoga Melissa. So much to learn…:)
melis I love that about yoga! So much to learn, we can all be continual students. 🙂 Namaste, Melissa
JannieR I’m glad you enjoyed the video Jannie! 🙂 Namaste, Melissa
Namaste Melissa,
I was wondering, if it is common to have shakiness in my arms while doing the “downward facing dog pose”?
Namaste Donna
Superwoman2 Hi Donna, are you new to yoga or just building up strength in your upper body? Thanks, Melissa
DrMelissaWest Superwoman2 I am VERY new to Namaste yoga. I will be going and getting the Gastric Bypass done soon also. I’m thinking that it is common to have knots in my buttocks also from the movements also. Any help would be appreciated. Namaste Donna
Superwoman2 Dear Donna, It could be that the shakiness in your arms is from upper body weakness as you build strength in your upper body, but it is hard for me to know for sure. This speaks to the importance of combining your online classes with some one on one instruction or in person classes to check form. Check out this blog post I did a while back: https://www.melissawest.com/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-yoga-postures/
This would also be a good thing to check in with your knots in your buttocks that you are experiencing from your movements as well.
Another thing to note is that it may have something to do with your medical condition in relation to the gastric bypass you are getting done soon and would be good to check out with your medical doctor. I am a Ph.D. and not a medical doctor so this would be out of my scope of practice!
Thanks for practicing Namaste Yoga with us, I look forward to hearing more about your practice. Namaste, Melissa
Cool! Good to know, thanks a lot for this useful info 🙂
Glad you got this Madeline 🙂
This was sent to me by my yoga teacher. I find this really interesting.
It was prompted because of an article I received from Chopra.com
It mentions to roll to the left because it’s associated with the moon.
But I like your explanations. I’m open to learning new things.
Thank you.
http://www.chopra.com/articles/let-your-leaves-fall-5-yoga-poses-to-release-the-old-and-prep-for-the-new
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and let me know 🙂 Namaste, Melissa