Why the right side?…

“Why does my teacher always say to roll to the right side at the end of savasana?”

I’ve heard this question a few times, so I researched it! The most straight forward, anatomical answer is that your heart is on your left side so when you roll to your right, your heart is above the organs on your right side thus putting less weight on the heart. It’s not that big of a deal, but if you rolled to your left, the heart would have a bit more pressure on it after savasana.

However, if you’re craving a little more depth on the subject (like me) I’ve done the research…

The concept of polarity, or balancing the opposites, is vital to both Yoga and Indian traditional life. The right side of the body is related to the solar/positive/masculine flows of energy that are manifest by the surya nadi, which is correlated to the termination of the pingala nadi (a major prana nadi which flows along the right side of the spine). The left side is related to the lunar/negative/feminine flows of energy that are manifest by the chandra nadi, which is said to be the termination of the ida nadi (along the left side of the spine).We must also remember that even the term Hatha Yoga, which means “sun and moon,” has the right side placed before the left in its esoteric association of ha with the sun and tha with the moon (Hatha).

There are also some physical reasons for this:

If the goal is ‘action’ and one has ‘things’ to do after a practice, one rolls to the right side. It is generally recommended that one get up from bed by rolling to their right side, as it is energetically linked to ‘action’. If one is trying to remain calm, or preparing for bed, one should roll to the left side.

  • Rolling to the right side of the body is rolling away from the heart (less pressure and weight on the rested and open heart).
  • Pausing on the right side allows the students natural blood pressure to reach it’s potential homeostasis.
  • Resting on the right side allows the energy to be redirected in the present moment as needed and circulated appropriately.

Sat Nam,

3 comments on “Why the right side?…

  1. Swapna says:

    Why do female and negative have to go together :|!My father taught me to wake up on the right side, sit up in bed, look towards a window or a picture of a deity or just ahead of me, rub my hands together, bring them side-by-side palms up, look at the them for a few moments then move them in a wiping kind of motion over my face, bring them together in prayer and then get out of bed. It seems like this may have its roots in Ayurveda. Not sure what each of those individual steps signify. But the pause after waking up and before getting out of bed, is nice :)I wonder why I never questioned the reasons for these rituals growing up.


  2. Lindsey says:

    Swapna- Men and Women both have masculine & feminine energy so the fact that negative is tied to feminine does not mean anything against women (since men also have feminine energy!). I have an Ayurveda book that I will let you borrow, I don't remember seeing your morning ritual in there but I think you would really like the book. I do know that looking at something pleasing, calming, or familiar as soon as you wake up sets your mind in peace for your day!


  3. Swapna says:

    Thanks! 🙂


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