Why do we roll onto our right side at the end of savasana to come up to sitting?

First of all it makes sense that we all roll onto the same side to avoid collisions. But why the right side? The liver is on the right side of our trunk and it’s bigger and heavier than the other organs. If we lie on our left side, it weighs onto the rest. However, if we lie on our right side, it will be underneath and won’t compress anything. This is why sleeping on your right side, especially after a heavy dinner, may feel more comfortable, because the stomach won’t be squashed while it does its work. Of course, lying on your left side is not going to cause any damage to your body, and definitely not for the few seconds between savasana and sitting up. It could even be that for some people lying on the left side is more comfortable for a variety of reasons!

Do you know any other reasons why we roll onto the right side? Or reasons to roll onto the left side? Leave me a comment or write to me here!

• Ruta has sent in this comment: “Maybe it’s the right side because our heart is on the left side and we don’t want to squeeze it either. We want to have an open, loving heart, and not a heart that’s suppressed.”

Thanks to all my students at Yoga Hub Berlin, who inspire me with their practice.

Visit the Yoga Seeds index to go straight to what you’re looking for.