Whilst from the outside, Savasana might look like the easiest posture in yoga – after all, you simply lie down, close your eyes and relax – it is often referred to as the most difficult. This is usually because as soon as the body is still, the mind no longer has anything to focus on, so it decides to have a party with hundreds of thoughts gate crashing!
In this blog, I answer some of the questions you might be pondering about Savasana, and offer some little meditation techniques at the end.
1. What does Savasana actually mean?
The word Savasana comes from the Sanskrit words śava, meaning corpse, and āsana, meaning posture, so Savasana literally means Corpse Pose. The name might sound a little dramatic, but it refers to the stillness of the body rather than anything morbid. In Savasana, we allow the body to become completely still and release the effort of the physical practice. Traditionally, it is practiced lying on your back, but there is no rule that says you have to lie completely flat on the floor.
2. How long should Savasana be?
There isn’t one magic number and this will differ teacher to teacher, but I like to allow at least 5–6 minutes for Savasana in a one-hour class. I think this is important because Savasana isn’t simply the bit we squeeze in if there’s time left at the end. After moving, stretching, strengthening and concentrating for an hour, the body and mind need time to absorb the practice. Think of it as the pause that allows everything you’ve just done to settle.
3. What should Savasana look like?
However you feel comfortable. Yes, traditionally Savasana is practiced lying on your back, but there is no ‘right’ posture. You might lie completely flat, put a bolster underneath your knees (this is lovely for the lower back), place a cushion under your head, lie on your side or even be seated. The aim is to find a position where you can be as comfortable and supported as possible, so that you can let go of physical effort.
4. Why is Savasana often called the hardest posture in yoga?
Because we’re so used to doing – moving, stretching, strengthening and achieving something. Then suddenly the teacher says, “Now just relax in your Savasana” – and that’s when you realise how busy your mind actually is. Did I remember to reply to that email? What am I having for dinner? Why is that person breathing so loudly? How long have we been here? I really need to scratch my nose!
Savasana asks us to practice something that can feel very unfamiliar: doing nothing. We’re not trying to improve our flexibility, we’re not balancing and we’re not strengthening anything. We’re simply noticing what is happening, without needing to act on every thought or sensation. And that in itself can be very challenging.
5. What is the point of Savasana?
Savasana gives us an opportunity to pause, integrate and simply be. The physical practice has finished, but we don’t immediately jump up and get on with the next thing. Instead, we give ourselves permission to stop, notice the sensations in the body after movement, observe the breath and become aware of the state of the mind. And perhaps most importantly, it gives us the opportunity to practice letting go.
A thought appears – we notice it, but we don’t need to follow it. A sound distracts us – we notice it, but we don’t need to become annoyed by it. A sensation appears – we notice it, but we don’t necessarily need to do anything about it. All great skills for life off the mat too!
6. What if I need to cough / sneeze / move?
Cough, sneeze, scratch your nose, move if you need to – you don’t need to lie there suffering because you think you’re ‘supposed’ to be completely still or you’re worried about annoying the people around you. I’ve been there myself many times – I can feel a cough coming on and I’m doing my best to supress it as I don’t want to spoil everyone’s Savasana, but that makes it worse and in the end I’m just going to have to cough…yikes!
But let’s change how we think about it. For the other people in the room, it’s actually a chance to practice a key skill for on and off the mat. When I hear a noise in Savasana – a dog barks, someone is snoring or coughing – instead of feeling irritated, I try to think of it as a little opportunity to practice how I respond to distractions. Notice it, maybe label it, and then bring the mind back to my breath or sensations in the body.
I used to get so frustrated when the dog next door would bark, but now I try to see it as a little training ground – sometimes his bark even brings my mind back to the present if it was off wandering – so now he’s doing me a favour LOL! I’m not saying this always works, sometimes I just remain annoyed at the dog for the whole of my Savasana!
7. Why do some people leave before Savasana?
I’ve never actually seen this in the cabin but sometimes in big studios, you might see people sneaking out before Savasana, and we might be quick to judge. Perhaps they have somewhere they need to be, perhaps they don’t feel comfortable lying still or perhaps they’re going through a particularly challenging time and they know they will get upset in Savasana and don’t want to be around people if that happens.
Although I would always encourage you to stay for Savasana, yoga isn’t about forcing yourself to do something because everyone else is. Sometimes looking after yourself means staying, sometimes it might mean leaving and both are OK.
8. What if my mind won’t switch off?
First of all, don’t worry — you haven’t failed at Savasana! A busy mind is a mind doing what minds do – you don’t need to empty your mind completely, instead you can give it something to focus on. Here are a few techniques we’ve been practicing in the cabin lately that you can try:
- Name that thought – When you notice your mind wandering, simply label it: planning, remembering, worrying, thinking. Then return your attention to the present moment (this works great for me!)
- Choose an anchor word – Pick a word such as calm, breathe, soften etc (I really like the word ‘later’). Silently repeat it whenever you notice your thoughts drifting.
- Count your breaths – Count each inhale or exhale from 1 to 10, then start again. If you lose count, simply begin again at 1.
- Notice the breath – Rather than changing your breathing, simply notice where you feel it most clearly: your nose, chest or belly. You could also notice the little pauses at the top and the bottom of the breath.
- Listen – Instead of trying to block out sounds, notice them: hear the nearest sound, then the furthest sound – just let the sounds come and go.
- Body scan – Slowly bring your attention from your feet towards the top of your head, noticing sensations without needing to change anything.
- Come back to one sensation – The weight of your body against the floor, the feeling of your hands or the rise and fall of your belly can all become an anchor.
And remember: the wandering isn’t the problem. Noticing that your mind has wandered and bringing it back is the practice, and we might do this 10, 20, 50 times in one Savasana!
You don’t have to be good at Savasana
Perhaps this is the biggest misconception of all. You don’t have to have a completely empty mind or remain perfectly still or lie in the ‘correct’ position. You don’t even have to feel wonderfully relaxed.
Savasana isn’t about achieving a particular state – it’s about giving yourself the opportunity to stop doing and simply notice. When you think we are constantly encouraged to be productive, connected, entertained and busy, choosing to lie down for a few quiet minutes and do absolutely nothing is actually quite a radical thing to do.
So next time you you head into Savasana, try not to think of it as ‘the bit at the end of your yoga class where I’m supposed to find total bliss and relaxation’ – instead think of it as a continued part of the practice.
Got any other questions about Savasana?
Drop them in the comments below 👇 and I’ll do my best to help.
Michelle x
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