Savasana (Corpse Pose)
The quintessential yoga pose of relaxation and restoration for body and mind, Savasana is vital to help us integrate our practice.
How to do it
Lie down on the ground on your back with your feet apart at a distance of a couple of feet from each other and your arms relaxed well away from your sides.
Align your spine so that there are no excessive arches in the lower back and neck (although you want to preserve the natural curves of the spine). You can do this by pressing your lower back into the floor to flatten it, and then relaxing it, and by tucking your chin in slightly to lengthen the neck. Your chin and forehead should be level with each other on a horizontal plane. Completely relax your body, mind and breath. Stay here for 5 to 10 minutes. Practice tipsSavasana (Corpse Pose) is often said to be the most important asana in our practice. It is at once the simplest and the most difficult. What could be simpler than lying down on your back and completely relaxing? However, when we come to try it, we find that this is much more easily said than done.
The mental side of Savasana is what makes it a truly challenging pose. When your body and breathing are relaxed, with nothing to do, your mind will either want to fall asleep or keep busy thinking up stuff. The challenge is in finding the place between these two. We have to lead the mind into a place where it can be relaxed but alert, unthinking but clear. There are various techniques commonly taught to aid us in physical and mental relaxation during Savasana.
Savasana is usually practised at the end of every yoga session and often at the beginning as well, and in between many poses. Don't forget that it can also be practised by itself as a rejuvenating break from your day. Unlike most yoga poses, you don't have to wait until your stomach has finished digesting a meal. As a general rule of thumb, stay in Savasana for 5 minutes per 30 minutes of other yoga you do. So, if you do half an hour of asanas, do Savasana for five minutes, if you do one hour, Savasana is 10 minutes, if you do 45 miniutes, Savasana is about 7 or 8 minutes. How will you know when the time is up? You could set an alarm. You could count your breaths and after 50 or 100 breaths see how many minutes have passed, then use this as a rough guide. You could ask someone to time you and gently tell you when the time has passed. |
Variations
If the traditional Savasana is brutally uncomfortable, there are many modifications and variations. The important thing is to be comfortable enough that your body can relax.
Why is Savasana so important?
You might wonder why Savasana is so important. After all, many other asanas can give you deeply relaxing benefits, both mentally and physically.
There is something uniquely neutralizing and rejuvenating about Savasana, both for the body and the mind and emotions. In this pose the spine is in a neutral position after all the many wonderful directions it has moved during the asana practice, with its natural gentle curves in all the right places. Most importantly, it is held in this neutral position by the weight of the body sinking into the floor, not by the muscles. All of the muscles in the spine can be relaxed in Savasana, while the spine is able to lengthen as it is not bearing any weight. I believe that this is the key to the physical importance of the pose. In any other position, some of the muscles are working, however easy it may feel. In Savasana, too, many people find that their breathing is easier and fuller. In a sitting position, unless we are very experienced, we have to constantly adjust the spine to make sure we are sitting straight and tall. The movement of the exhalation tends to allow the thoracic spine to droop inwards and the chest to move downwards. Meanwhile, the inhalation may feel constricted due to small stiffnesses and tensions in the belly, hips, back, shoulders or neck. The spine may not be completely upright, and may not be holding its natural curves. Many people have stiff hips, which tends to flatten the sacral spine when they sit in any kind of cross-legged pose. In Savasana, on the other hand, every small muscle can be completely relaxed and the spine is effortlessly held in a neutral position as the breath moves in and out. In addition, whilst in Savasana we are able to access a special state of mind which gives us many of the benefits of sleep whilst not actually being asleep. We do not feel groggy or disorientated when we get up from Savasana, but rather we feel extra clear, calm, present in the moment and energized. It is certainly possible to access this state of mind whilst doing other yoga poses, sitting in a meditation pose, or even for very advanced practitioners, whilst they are going about their daily business. However, Savasana is the easiest place to start, as the body and breath can be completely relaxed. |
Disclaimer: The contents of this website and blog are provided for information only and do not provide medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, therapy or treatment. EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique or “tapping”) is not intended to diagnose or treat any particular individual or condition. Do not use any information whatsoever on this website and blog without first consulting your licensed medical and mental health professional. The techniques and suggestions presented on this website are not intended to substitute for proper medical and/or psychological advice. Do not start any new exercise program, such as yoga, without the permission of your physician. If you have any medical conditions, health problems, or mental health issues, including but not limited to pregnancy, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, etc., seek your physician’s advice before acting on any of the information in this website and blog. Do not discontinue or change the dosage of any medication without the express permission of your physician or mental health professional.