Śavāsana

One of my favorite yoga postures is Śavāsana (pronounced sha-VAH-suh-nuh). It is translated from Sanskrit as corpse pose. Don't let the corpse word scare you away from this nourishing experience. It doesn't mean you are dead. It means you are still: still as a corpse. The stillness helps you to come into awareness of your self... and there is a bonus: You are definitely still breathing!

As relaxing and nourishing as Śavāsana is, it is probably the most important pose in yoga. It allows the body and mind to rest and integrate the benefits of physical and mental exercise.

In this essay, we discuss the many benefits of Śavāsana and the different techniques you can use to take rest in corpse pose.

The Benefits of Śavāsana

• Śavāsana promotes deep relaxation
• Śavāsana helps the body and mind to integrate the benefits of the physical and mental exercises
• Śavāsana increases mindfulness and overall mental health.
• Śavāsana reduces stress and may help illnesses that are directly related to stress.
• Śavāsana is a motivator.

Śavāsana as Dessert

Śavāsana is quite the delight after a vigorous yoga practice. Sweating through a yoga practice I like to think of Śavāsana as the treat I am working toward. It helps me continue when I want to quit. It is the dessert, the reward for working so hard during the practice. Śavāsana can be a wonderful motivator.

Keep in mind that you can do Śavāsana at any time. It doesn't have to be after a yoga practice. Do it any time that you want to center yourself.

Śavāsana is a Pose of Letting Go.

This is the pose we maintain during a Yoga Nidra practice. Savasana allows the muscles and connecting tissues in the body to stop doing work and absorb this deep rest. It is the posture of ultimate relaxation.

Śavāsana is a Pose of Integration.

B.K.S. Iyengar (1966), noted that doing Śavāsana for 10 - 15 minutes after an asana practice will reduce fatigue. Savasana also allows your body to integrate the effects of a yoga movement practice that you just completed. As your body integrates it can increase your mindfulness. Savasana is the meditation of rest. Simply being here in a meditative state allows your body and mind to rest and restore itself. If you don't have the prescribed 10 - 15 minutes to do a complete Śavāsana, even maintaining the pose for 60 seconds will have benefits.

How to do Śavāsana

Savasana is both an easy and difficult pose. It is easy in that you lie there flat on your back with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Just rest, relax, and breathe. However, it is still a yoga pose to be done with correct body positioning to allow for the ultimate benefits. In this section I offer you the traditional method for doing Śavāsana. In the next section I outline ways you can modify Śavāsana to suit your needs.

First, lie down on the floor on your back on a yoga mat, large towel or blanket. Soften or close the eyes. Notice your breath.

Bring awareness to the spine from the tailbone to the bottom of the skull. The spine is fully touching the mat. Some may have spaces where the spine curves. Do the best you can flattening your spine into the mat.

Move the arms to the sides of the body six to 12 inches away from each side. Bring the hands facing upward. This keeps you open and receptive to the energy that you may have just created. Alternatively, you may want to turn the hands down to keep your energy inward.

Buttocks, backs of the thighs, calves are all flat on the mat. The feet are about a foot apart and naturally splayed open letting your ankles go. This is a good time to center the mind and just release and relax. Release all feeling in your body and mind. If you start thinking about what you have to do next, just come back to the moment and notice your breath. That should help to clear your mind and relax.

Modifying Śavāsana to Suit your Body

As with every Yoga posture, Śavāsana can be modified by using props to suit your body's unique needs.

Using a Chair

If you are unable to get down on the floor. Use a chair as your main prop.
Lean back comfortably in your chair. Feet flat on the floor directly aligned with the knees. Prop your feet up with a bolster, rolled up towel or rolled blanket, if needed and available.

Arms relaxed and hands dropped to the knees. Palms up to let go of energy. Palms down to keep it in.

Close your eyes and take this time to listen to how your body feels.

Listen to your breath. Allow yourself to relax into the pose. Now start letting go of awareness of the body and any thoughts in your mind.

(If you are seated in an office all day or traveling use the chair method as well.)

Using a Wall

If you can get on the floor but are unable to lie flat on your back, sit up with the support of a wall behind you. Legs extended in front of you or positioned as comfortably as possible. Spine is flat against the wall.

Śavāsana as a Restorative Pose

In restorative yoga, you may find the pose "legs up the wall" to be a most beneficial Śavāsana. This is a particularly nice way to do Śavāsana. The advantage here is that you can prop up a lot. Put some light weight such as a rolled up blanket or a bolster over your pelvic area. You may want to put some props under the arms and if you have someone with you, they can put some weighted sandbags or other safe type of weight on your feet. It all feels quite delicious.

In closing, the whole point of Śavāsana is to relax. No matter what method you choose or what duration, it should JUST FEEL GOOD!

Readings & Resources

Iyengar, B.K.S. (1966). Light on yoga. Schocken Books Inc. : New York.

Pandi-Perumal, S. R., Spence, D. W., Srivastava, N., Kanchibhotla, D., Kumar, K., Sharma, G. S., Gupta, R., & Batmanabane, G. (2022). The Origin and Clinical Relevance of Yoga Nidra. Sleep and vigilance, 6(1), 61–84. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7

Savasana with Candles Photo by Elina Fairytale: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-relaxing-in-yoga-mat-3822647/

Cheesecake Photo by Suzy Hazelwood: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cheesecake-1126359/

Photo by Anna Shvets: https://www.pexels.com/photo/toddlers-sitting-on-white-table-while-eating-green-grapes-3771667s