Rolling to the Right Side After Savasana. Why?

Have you ever wondered why yoga teachers usually suggest you roll to your right side after savasana before pressing up to a seated position?

Well there are a few reasons, some physical, some energetic/philosophical. The physical reason we roll to one side is that it is gentler on your back to press yourself up from a side lying position rather than sit up directly from lying on your back in savasana. However, for pregnant people, we usually suggest rolling to the left side instead, so that the weight of the uterus doesn’t press on the liver, which is on the right side. 

​For those not pregnant, the reason we generally roll over to the right side is the energetic qualities of the left and right side nadis. Nadis are energy channels said to run throughout the body in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine. The Ida nadi is on the left side and the Pingala nadi is on the right side. The Ida nadi has cooling, calming yin energy, whereas the Pingala nadi has heating, energizing yang energy. The nadi ending in the right nostril is the Pingala, while the nadi ending in the left nostril is the Ida. After savasana, we usually want to continue to prolong the yin sense of calm, so rolling to the right side allows the left side nostril to remain stimulated and open.