Savasana: How To Relax Properly At The End Of Class

Savasana pose: the short version

The easiest-looking pose in yoga is lying still, so why do so many people find it the hardest? In savasana pose (Corpse Pose) you lie on your back at the end of class and let your body and mind settle. The word savasana means corpse pose, from sava (corpse) and asana (pose). Props make it easier: a bolster under the knees, a folded blanket under the head, a cover over the eyes, and sometimes sandbags. For most of us, the hard part is the mind, not the body.

This note in short form

• What it is: the resting pose at the end of a yoga class, lying on your back.
• Props: a bolster or chair for the legs, a blanket for the head, an eye cover, sandbags.
• How long: about 10 minutes is a good length.
• The hard part: a busy mind, so give it a job: your breath and your body.
• Breath: slow, and a little longer on the way out.
• Next step: try it in class, in the studio or LIVE online. Your first class is free if you’re new.

Back to our Stress And Sleep notes.

Why is the savasana pose so hard?

The savasana pose is hard because there is nothing to do, and the mind notices. When you lie down, you become aware of tight spots in the body. Then you become aware of thoughts you cannot put down. Then you notice that the two are connected: tension in the body feeds tension in the mind.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. In this tradition a class is sequenced so that the poses before savasana quieten the nervous system step by step. By the end you are ready to let go.

Chris Lalor once had a friend who came to morning classes and thought savasana was a total waste of time. After a workout he would rather use those 10 minutes to check his emails and get on with his day. That is a common view, and it is easy to see why. The pay-off from lying still is quiet, and quiet is easy to undervalue until you have felt it.

How do you set up the savasana pose?

Lie on your back with your legs resting on a bolster or a chair, a folded blanket under your head, and your arms out from your sides with the palms up. Resting the legs on a bolster or chair helps the lower back let go. Then work down this list:

1. Cover your eyes with an eye bag, or wrap a soft cloth around the eyes and ears, to draw the senses inward.
2. Close your eyes, let the outer ears soften and draw inward, and relax the skin and muscles of your face.
3. Let your breath become slow and smooth, and watch it.
4. If your chest feels tight, lie with one folded blanket along your spine to open it gently.

What can weights and props add to the savasana pose?

Sandbags are wonderfully comforting, and they bring a sense of security. Chris suggests trying weights on the arms, hands and legs. The steady pressure gives the muscles something to rest against, so they let go slowly, especially in the lower back. Chris finds the feeling of being earthed and grounded steadies an “airy” mind. A weight on the shoulders or arms can also help the face, jaw and throat soften. Chris says weights are a wonderful aid for anyone whose insomnia keeps the mind spinning (our yoga for sleep article covers the research on sleep).

Props are not a sign you are doing it wrong. They are how a body that has been busy all day finds its own way into stillness. Our note on what restorative yoga is goes further into how bolsters and blankets hold the body. If tired legs are part of the problem, our note on setting up legs up the wall is a good pose to do just before savasana.

How do you quieten the mind in the savasana pose?

Give your mind a job. Learning to let go takes practice and a steady habit of pulling your attention back to now whenever it drifts to the past or the future. At first, send your attention to different parts of the body and ask each one to relax. Then link each out-breath with letting the body soften. When your mind wanders, bring it back to watching the breath. Without strain, see if you can pause for a moment after each out-breath.

One student put it this way after 10 minutes of Savasana on blocks: “I feel alert but so relaxed. My mind was really quiet.”

Breath matters here. A 2022 review of 223 studies (Laborde and colleagues, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews) found that slow breathing raises heart rate variability (a sign the calming side of the nervous system is working). In the Iyengar tradition a long, slow out-breath is how you encourage the body to rest. Most research tests whole yoga programs rather than this one pose, so we offer this as what has been found for slow breathing, with savasana as the place to practise it.

At first you may feel restless, anxious or agitated as you try to relax. That is common, and Chris says it takes courage to let go. If it feels too much, open your eyes, bend your knees, and look at the room around you. Come back to it another day.

Why do we always finish with the savasana pose?

Because in yoga the mind and body have never been treated as separate, and savasana is where that shows. You cannot stretch your arms overhead, lie over a bolster or lift the chest without it changing the way you feel. Chris says we always finish a practice with savasana for that reason: with the senses quietened and the breath watched, the day’s strains can settle. It is also the bridge between poses and pranayama (breath meditation). If you want to learn the breathing practices, our note on what pranayama is shows how we begin lying down in supported savasana.

Try savasana with a teacher

Your first class is free if you’re new to Flametree. New students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can also get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. We teach in the studio at Woolner in Darwin and LIVE online. For the studio, just come along. For an online class, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.

See the half price pass or see the beginner timetable.

Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass for new students, and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.

Questions people ask about savasana

How long should you stay in the savasana pose?

About 10 minutes is a good length. It is the time Chris suggests, and it is enough for the body and mind to settle.

Why is the savasana pose so hard?

Because there is nothing to do, so the mind fills the gap. You notice tight spots in your body, then thoughts you cannot put down, then that the two feed each other. It takes practice, and props and a slow breath make it easier.

What does savasana mean, and is it Shavasana?

Savasana means corpse pose, from sava (corpse) and asana (pose). Shavasana is the same pose with another spelling. You may also see it called Corpse Pose or the relaxation pose.

What props help in savasana?

A bolster or chair under the legs, a folded blanket under the head, an eye bag, and sandbags on the arms, hands or legs. A bolster under the legs helps the lower back let go, and a weight on the shoulders can help the jaw and throat soften.

Why do I feel restless or anxious in savasana?

It is common at first. As you try to relax, tensions and thoughts that were busy all day come up, and it can feel uncomfortable. Open your eyes, bend your knees, and come back to it another day, or talk to your yoga teacher.

Is savasana a waste of time?

No. In the Iyengar tradition a class is sequenced to quieten the nervous system step by step, and savasana is where that work settles. One student described feeling alert but so relaxed after 10 minutes.

How do you relax your mind in savasana?

Give it a job. Send your attention to parts of the body one at a time and ask them to relax, link each out-breath with letting go, and when your mind wanders, bring it back to the breath. Pause for a moment after each out-breath without strain.

Where can I learn savasana in Darwin?

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches savasana at the end of classes in the studio at Woolner in Darwin and LIVE online. Your first class is free if you’re new to Flametree.

Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin NT, teaching Iyengar yoga in the studio and LIVE online. This note is general information, not medical advice.

Sources

• Laborde S and others. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: a systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104711
• Flametree teaching notes by Chris Lalor, Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Flametree Yoga Studio.