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Ahhh, Savasana! When you hear the yoga teacher say that it’s time for Savasana, inside you give a little cheer. Yay, it’s time to rest, relax and do nothing!

By its appearance, the pose looks deceivingly simple. You just lie on your back and veg out, right? What’s hard about that?

Although it looks easy, Savasana has been called the most difficult of the asanas to master by many gurus.

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Purpose of Savasana

Savasana, also known as Corpse Pose is meant to be a pose of total and deep relaxation. In Savasana, we strive to quiet the chatter in our minds as we remain fully conscious. We attempt to eliminate tension from our bodies and our minds as we lie completely still. We remain fully awake and aware as we relax and surrender completely.

Challenges in Savasana

The art of Savasana is harder than it looks.

Our minds will resist our attempts to relax fully. The mind will wander off into the future, e.g. thinking about what’s for dinner, reviewing your to-do list, planning for a meeting tomorrow, etc.

Our bodies too will cause distractions that make surrendering in the pose a challenge. We may feel a nagging pain or itch. Perhaps we just cannot be still, or we feel cold.

Sometimes we struggle to stay fully conscious in the pose and we fall asleep. We need to have compassion for ourselves recognizing that our bodies need rest. With practice, you will be able to train yourself to remain awake and fully conscious, and also get the rest you need during Savasana.

Why Practice Savasana

In our current times, multi-tasking and producing more at a faster pace is highly valued. Learning and cultivating the art of Savasana is more important than ever. Not everything important happens only when we are moving and doing. In the stillness of Savasana, we can find clarity, connection, peace, and joy. These feelings can arise from this state of ease and relaxation that we can achieve in Savasana. We can experience a taste of what meditation can offer.

Set Up for Savasana

1. Come to lie on your back on your yoga mat (I use this yoga mat). Let the legs fall open and relax. Position the legs about as far apart as the width of the mat.
2. The arms are away from the body with the palms up. Let the fingers curl up as you relax the hands.
3. Bring the shoulder blades in toward each other and slide them down the back. You will find this helps the shoulders to lie more flat on the mat.

Tips for a Successful Savasana

Prepare for relaxation. Take a full-body stretch with the arms overhead and reach through the toes in the opposite direction. When you get your body situated (with props – see below) take a full deep breath in and out.

Decrease distractions. Reduce extraneous noise or practice in an area with less noise. Dim or turn off the lights, close the curtains/shades to minimize distracting light, or use an eye pillow. Play soft music or practice in silence.

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Comfort is key. Use props! In order to be able to relax and surrender you need to be as comfortable as possible. Props can help you find more ease in the pose. Here are a few suggestions for how to use a few standard props:

• Blanket – If the floor is chilly, place a blanket underneath your body. Cover up with a blanket for warmth and security. Place a folded blanket over the abdomen. Place a folded blanket under the head. Ideally, the forehead should be slightly higher than the chin. Roll up a blanket and place it under the knees, this can be helpful for low back tension. I frequently use several, as can be seen in the pictures!

• Eye Pillow – Place a scented/unscented eye pillow over the eyes to decrease light distractions. The weight/scent/temperature of the eye pillow can be soothing. Eye pillows can be heated to bring an even more serene experience. When teaching, I heat eye pillows on a heating pad during class so they are ready for students to use during Savasana.

• Blocks – Blocks can be placed under the knees.

Full body scan – Once settled, take a brief scan through the body and see if you can identify any areas of tension. Start at the top of the head and slowly work your way down through the body. When you find tension, consciously release the tension using the breath to assist. Exhale and release.

It can be helpful to bring your awareness to the physical sensations of breathing. Feel the rise and fall of the chest and belly with each breath. Notice the movement of the ribs and breastbone. Listen to the sound of the breath.

You can set a timer for the length of your savasana. If you are coming into savasana after a yoga asana practice, it is recommended that you spend 10 minutes in the pose for a 60-minute yoga class (50 minutes asana, 10 minutes of Savasana).

Benefits of Savasana

Practicing savasana benefits our mind, body, and spirit. Yoga teachers agree that savasana is an essential pose in the practice and it should not be skipped.

This pose provides a release from muscular tension in the body. We experience stress relief as we come into the present moment and connect with our breath. This pose helps us to learn to surrender, to make space for peace, quiet, and stillness in our bodies and our minds. We cultivate a sense of peace and joy within as we tap into our inner wisdom. Over time you will notice the lengthening of the sweet gaps of quietness that come between the thoughts.

Savasana is typically the last pose is a yoga class. This pose deserves as much attention as any of the physically demanding poses that we may perform throughout the asana portion of the class.

Most yoga teachers will agree, it is the most important of all the asanas (poses) that you will perform during a yoga class.

It is my recommendation whether you take a yoga class at a studio or gym, or if you do your own yoga practice at home that you make sacred the time spent in Savasana.

Savasana can follow your regular yoga practice or you can practice this pose by itself! When my daughter was in her early teens she would often ask me to do a guided Savasana for her. So I would help her get set up and guide her through a Savasana for her, to help her relax in the pose and stay in the present moment. We would do this in the evening before bed.

Find a yoga class perfect for you at YogaDownload.com and don’t forget to practice savasana at the end of your class!

Is Savasana your favorite yoga pose? Do you find Savasana to be challenging? Please comment below. Share this post with others that may be interested!