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Beth
March 5, 2009
Why do we roll over on our right side before getting up after lying down for a while?
clawsonjrb
March 5, 2009
You know how some things are handed down through generations, and no one really knows why? This is one of those things. Your question made me think about why I tell students to roll to the right side, and after really thinking about it, I don’t have a good answer. I give that direction because my teacher gave that direction, and her teacher gave that direction, and his teacher gave that direction, and so on, and so on. . .
So, I did some research, and it turns out that there are many theories, but no hard answer as to why the right side is preferred. In fact, there is no real evidence that one side is better than the other. The theories I have found are based more on metaphysics than anything. Here are a few of them:
1. In Eastern thought, the right side is considered auspicious.
2. The right side represents the east, so we are rolling toward the rising sun.
3. Because the heart is on the left side of the body, rolling to the right keeps pressure off of the heart.
4. The energy of the left side of the body is thought to be cooling, while the energy of the right side is warming. Rolling to the right side after deep relaxation keeps the left, cooling channel open.
On a more practical note, having everyone in a class roll to the same side keeps students from waking up in each other’s faces!
My final answer: It appears that it really doesn’t matter if you roll to your right or to your left. Neither side will hurt you, and neither side will improve your experience. Next time you come out of savasana, roll to the left and see if you feel the same or different.
Thanks for your question! It has taught me to be more careful with the words I choose. From now on, I will simply say to “roll onto one side” since it really doesn’t make a difference which side you choose. The important thing is to ease yourself slowly into full consciousness. Sitting straight up from savasana is too jarring on the nerves. Rolling first to one side provides a more gentle transition.
P.S. We usually tell pregnant women to roll onto the left side, but that instruction is based on the advice given by many obstetricians. Pregnant women are encouraged to sleep on the left side to optimize blood flow to the uterus.