Savasana

May 2023

Have you ever heard your teacher say “savasana is the most important pose”?  Some people translate savasana (pronounced shavasana) to mean corpse pose, which can be misleading.  The Sanskrit root sav means to transform or alter.  This isn’t about decay of the physical body, rather it is a reference to the death of the small self, the ego-clinging self.  If we can let go completely in this pose, we will enter into a vast boundary-free field where we can experience deep rest.  There’s a beautiful passage by Lama Shabkar that evokes this state:

By virtue of its all-penetrating freedom,
This total presence has no center or circumference,
No inside or outside,
Is innocent of all partiality and
Knows no blocks or barriers.
This all-penetrating intrinsic awareness
Is a vast expanse of space.
All experience of samsara and nirvana
Arise in it like rainbows in the sky. 

Complete serenity and peace can be found when awareness is as vast as space.  We could say that the goal of yoga is to embody this total presence, and in reaching this goal the singular, divisive self “dies.”  This profound letting go simply won’t happen if we are still trying to control our experience.  In savasana, some outward attempts to maintain control are often seen when students are tapping their toes, looking around, or continuing to practice asana.

In a more practical sense, savasana enables regeneration of the physical body.  Especially in these days of constant doing, achieving, and striving to be more productive, resting in stillness with no distractions is critical.  (Sorry, your Netflix binge isn’t effective rest).  To quote my teacher Tias Little, “…in deep rest, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated to facilitate metabolic function: glandular rhythms reset, blood pressure is regulated, the heart rate slows, and intestinal activity increases.”

As usual, science is realizing what yogis have known and practiced for centuries.  Restful practices, including getting enough quality sleep, meditation, savasana and yoga nidra, are critical for repair, restoration, rejuvenation, and healing of mind and body.  Savasana need not be limited to ten minutes at the end of class.  I like to sprinkle it liberally throughout practice between postures, and whenever I can, I make time for the luxury of a stand-alone twenty minute savasana every day.  Most importantly, remember that you don’t need to do anything to earn this type of rest.  Think of it as sacred medicine, as a gift you can give to yourself regularly, and then notice how it changes your interactions, perspective, energy levels, and life in general.