Savasana  is the final resting pose at the end of almost every yoga practice. It literally means Corpse pose. Savasana offers the body rest after a yoga practice. 

How to do Savasana

Lying down on your back on the mat, relax the whole body, with legs slightly apart, arms relaxed by the body with palms up facing the ceiling or sky. Close your eyes and let go of the control of the breath, body and mind. Let go. Relax.

This complete stillness in mind and body is the goal of savasana, which for most people makes it both the easiest pose physically, and the most challenging pose mentally and/or emotionally.

The benefits of Savasana

During Savasana our musculo-skeletal and nervous systems integrate the practice we just finished;  the fight-flight-or-freeze states that typify the majority of our daily lives take a back seat and the rest-and-digest mechanisms in our parasympathetic nervous systems take the driver’s seat;  our digestive and immune systems function best; and our minds become more calm and clear.

On the mental level, Savasana provides the opportunity to take a break from active thinking and be present in the moment with the sensations of the body: the sweat trickling down our foreheads and ribcages, the rise and fall of our bellies as we breathe, the support of our mats beneath us. 

Moreover, Savasana is a time when we are able to let go of emotions that have been trapped in our bodies, or to feel connected to something larger than ourselves.