(Instructions at the end)
While yoga practices vary in content, they almost always conclude with Savasana—Corpse Pose. Lying still.
It is said that Savasana is the most important posture of the practice. Some people find it the most difficult. To them, maybe it's boring or an afterthought. Maybe they are distracted by other things to do. Maybe they haven’t positioned themselves to be fully comfortable. Maybe they are uneasy in stillness and quiet.
On rare occasions, someone will walk out before or during Savasana. By doing so, they have missed the most beneficial opportunity of the session. Perhaps the idea of “playing dead” is scary. But if we don’t face that fear of death, it hovers over our lives like a storm cloud. If we don’t manage our discomfort with quiet, then we are forever avoiding our own selves. If we always succumb to the distractions of the day, then we never know peace.
The inability to be still is a disadvantage, for stillness offers more than all the activity in the world can provide. It’s a chance to look, listen, and feel what’s happening inside--where life occurs. It's a chance to check in, and allow everything to be as it is. For it is. There is nothing to do, fix, manage, or change. Just watch the thoughts, smells, sounds, and sensations flit in and out. It's safe, comfortable, and healing to watch the thoughts without an agenda, reaction, or judgement. And when there are agendas, reactions, and judgements, allow that too. There is nothing to do, as we practice being.
Having a rest in our busy lives is beneficial. Stress depletes us and puts us at risk of illness, injury, and fretting. Relaxing Savasana calms the nerves, helps lower blood pressure, supports the immune system, and reduces anxiety, among many benefits.
In the yogic tradition, lying still after practice lets the efforts settle into the nervous system and muscle memory. The deep sense of relaxation throughout the entire body is a valuable reward for all the moments leading up to it.
In corpse pose, we fully and finally succumb to gravity. The body surrenders to the ground’s steadfast support. Gravity firmly and gently hugs us as a weighted blanket or a loving parent. We can practice relaxing so deeply that the skin can quit clinging to the muscles and the muscles can quit clinging to the bone. We have no responsibilities but to rest.
A Kabbalah rabbi taught that we are metaphorically building ourselves a glorious temple through chanting. Upon concluding the chant, we sit in silence. In that stillness, we enter and enjoy the magnificent temple of our own creation.
That is the sense of Savasana. After all the poses and adjustments and breath work and self-study, we’re done. Free. We enter our temple and indulge ourselves in relaxation, as a blessing to ourselves. When we finally venture off the mat, the blessings remain.
In this stillness and surrender, the experience of life is healed.
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How to do it:
Savasana can be practiced any time, as a meditation--especially if you'd like a nap! Sleeping is a valuable meditation!
Find a comfortable supine (lying down) position. That may take some wiggling around, maybe even a lot of wiggling around.
Check in with the neck, spine, and skeleton, to make sure your parts are aligned so that the body doesn’t have to work to maintain an unbalanced position. Arms are down by the side, palms up. Legs are separated, with feet flopping open.
If there is lower back discomfort, support the knees with a pillow or blanket. For severe low back discomfort, bend the knees so the feet are flat on the floor, and let the knees flop together so they hold each other up. Or elevate the knees, calves, and feet up on a chair.
Support any uncomfortable part, using rolled up towels, blankets, pillows. Listen to what the body needs to be fully comfortable. If it's too uncomfortable on the floor, Savasana can be done on a bed, recliner chair, etc.
Scan the body for tension. If the ankles refuse to release the feet, flip them around a bit.
Breathe into the tight or engaged parts. Tell those parts it’s okay, they’ve done their job, they can rest. If the tight parts are relentless, then allow them to be what they are.
Watch your thoughts and allow them to be what they are. Watch the senses, and allow the noises, smells, and feelings to be as they are. They are just passing through life, like interesting and temporary clouds passing across the sky.
As you find yourself distracted, return your attention to the breath, the body, the mat.
If this is a struggle, start with just two minutes. Increase as tolerated. Five to ten minutes is the goal, and longer is fine.
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