Savasana

About This Pose

Savasana is the hardest pose in yoga for many people. Not physically. Mentally. It asks you to lie completely still, to not be productive, to not plan, to not solve anything. For most adults, five minutes of that is genuinely challenging. Lie flat on your back with your arms slightly away from your body, palms facing up. Legs extend naturally, feet falling open. Close your eyes. That's the external form of the pose. The internal practice is releasing. Starting from the feet and working upward, consciously let each part of the body soften and release contact with the floor. The calves, the backs of the thighs, the buttocks, the lower back, the shoulder blades, the backs of the hands, the jaw, the muscles around the eyes. Most people do a version of Savasana that is mostly rest but not complete rest. The jaw still holds a little tension. The hands curl slightly. The mind plans tomorrow. This is fine. The pose still works. But noticing these small holdouts and releasing them is the actual practice. The physiological purpose is integration. After a practice that has challenged the muscles, heated the body, and asked the nervous system to adapt continuously, Savasana gives the system time to process and absorb what happened. Skipping it to get to the next thing is the equivalent of leaving the oven to cool with the door open. The baking still happened, but the finishing step is incomplete. Five minutes minimum. Ten is better.

How to Practice

1. 1

   Lie flat on your back with the legs extended, feet slightly wider than hip-width and falling open naturally.

2. 2

   Let the arms rest alongside the body with a little space from the sides, palms facing up.

3. 3

   Close the eyes and allow the entire body to relax fully into the floor.

4. 4

   Release any control of the breath and let it become natural and effortless.

5. 5

   Scan the body from the feet upward, consciously releasing any areas of tension.

6. 6

   Rest here for at least 5 minutes — longer after a full practice.

Benefits

• Integrates the benefits of practice
• deeply relaxes the body and mind