New Moon Yoga - Savasana

Moon Phase Yoga – Savasana

Savasana – Final Resting Pose

Ahh – Savasana! The perfect end to any yoga practice. This pose is also known as Final Resting pose, but the Sanskrit is probably the most recognised Sanskrit pose name you will ever come across. It’s pronounced “Sha-va-sanna” and is very often the last pose for many yoga classes. It is also a pose that some people feel can be skipped, perhaps to head off to the rest of their day, or perhaps as it seems like a waste of time, or even perhaps because they feel unsettled by doing nothing. We’ll take a look here, though, at why it is actually a pose not to be missed, and at some of things we gain by taking it.

Savasana or Final Resting pose

This pose is probably the simplest to describe and requires the least physical effort to perform, but that doesn’t always make it “easy”. The front of the body is open, and usually the eyes are shut which can make it feel like quite a vulnerable place to be, so of course you should make adjustments, as you need, and we’ll cover some of these options, as always.

What the pose does bring is a place of rest, where the body can let go and relax, helping restore energy used either in our previous movements or in our everyday lives. It also gives a stable stillness where we can develop awareness of the breath. But what of the mind? When it is not occupied with worrying about where the arms go or how the legs should be, it has a habit of monkeying all over the place – and this can be one of the biggest challenges of Savasana. With practice, we can develop an awareness of the mind, of where our thoughts go, how they jump around, making connections and assumptions. Ultimately, yoga is about controlling these mental “fluctuations” – helping the monkey-mind to calm and find stillness, giving us access to inner peace and contentment, allowing us to live in the here and now, rather than perpetually fretting about the past or the future, and guiding us to understand the distinction and the relationship between what we experience and who we are.

The physical poses, or Asana in Sanskrit, are just part of the yogic philosophy, but they are nonetheless beneficial and often pave the way to deeper exploration of other aspects of the whole way of life we call yoga. Savasana is no exception.

How to find Savasana

Start by lying down on your back on the floor, taking time to roll down carefully, and using the hands to stabilise or support yourself as needed. If it feels like a good thing to do, then you can bring the knees into the chest and take a little hug and a little roll around on the back, giving the lower back a bit of self-massage, before lowering the feet back down to the floor.

Gradually straighten out the legs, stretching them away from you along the floor, and keeping the feet some distance apart, ideally around 10-12” or 30cm apart. Let the legs relax and allow the feet to flop outwards naturally.

Then snuggle the shoulder blades together under the back, opening up the chest and shoulder girdle, and take the arms out to the sides away from the body, again with a good bit of space between the arms and the body. With the snuggled shoulder blades and the distance from the body you will probably find that the arms gently rotate outwards and the palms face up towards the ceiling, backs of the hands resting on the floor.

Gently move the head and neck side to side until it naturally settles with the back of the head on the floor, and let the eyes softly close.

Once settled, it can really help the body to relax by taking a simple body scan. Either start at the top of the head and work downwards or start at the toes and work up, and without moving just become aware of each body part - on both sides and the back of the body as well as the front. As the awareness moves from part to part, see if you can let go of any tension or control that you can feel there. Then move on to the next body part. For example, consider the toes, the feet, the ankles, the calves and shins, the knees, the thighs (quads and hamstrings) etc. Try to check out the jaw, the tongue, the cheeks and the tiny muscles round the eyes as part of your scan, too. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Take your time, seeing if you can release just a tiny bit more, particularly the shoulders, around the hip creases and in the belly.

You can stay in Savasana for a few minutes or as long as 15minutes or more. If you’ve done a physical practice just before, then a good rule of thumb is at least a minute of Savasana for every 10 minutes of the previous practice.

Once you are there, if you notice that you are thinking, don’t berate yourself but just gently try to let go of the thought and come back to the awareness of the body on the floor, and the breath moving in and out of the lungs. Just you, here and now, just lying on the floor, just breathing. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, just BE.

Other options

There are of course some options and adaptations of this pose that we can take.

The first option is to place a blanket over the top of the body, predominantly so you don’t cool down too quickly, but sometimes the weightiness of a folded heavier blanket can also feel very soothing and help you to settle if it is placed on the belly.

A folded blanket can also be used under the back of the head to cushion the head and to provide comfort in the neck, particularly if there is any neck problems or kyphosis (curvature) in the upper spine.

Our trusty blanket can also be rolled up into a fat sausage (or you can use a bolster if you have one) to be placed under the back of the knees. This allows the knees to be bent whilst still keeping the legs relaxed, and may feel better for you in the lower back or hamstrings. Another version of this, without the need for props, is to walk the feet in towards the hips a bit, but take the feet wide apart from each other, and then let the knees rest against each other, steepling like a pyramid. That way you also have the release in the back of the legs and can completely relax the legs without needing to hold them up.

If lying on the back is not possible for any reason, you can simply curl on one side, with the head supported if needed. Alternatively you can sit with the legs out straight but with the back supported against a wall behind you.

If you have been taking your practice based in a chair then ensure that the feet are firmly on the floor directly under the knees, the shin bones supporting the legs so no effort is required, and place props on the lap to rest the arms on, so you can relax arms and shoulders, too.

[Image: Chair-based Savasana or Final Resting pose]

You can choose how to place the hands depending on what feels most restful for you.

[Image: Alternative hand options in chair-based Savasana]

Breathing in the pose

This pose allows us to rest, but with room for the breath to be as effortless as possible. Ideally, we don’t want to control the breath in Savasana; it can be allowed to just flow in and out of its own volition. The breath is there as an anchor we can come back to if we find the mind wandering. Practice “watching” the breath with the mind’s eye – feeling the movement of the air as it passes in through the nose and down the throat, and again as it passes back out of the nose. You can maybe take time to notice the quality of the breath, or even the temperature of the air as it enters the body, noticing any difference as it leaves – a little warmer perhaps? Can you feel the tiny hairs on the lip or in the nose moving as air passes over them? Do you notice the complete stillness for even just a micro-second between the inhale and exhale, between the exhale and inhale? No control of the breath is required, just observation.

Moving on

A delicious development of this pose is to take it into a full Yoga Nidra, so if you have time you can listen to a recording which may take you deeper into the Yoga Nidra state – and that might well be a good subject for another blog. In an ideal world see if you can find an in-person Yoga Nidra session to attend, as it can be a truly magical or even transformational experience.

However long you have been in the pose, the way out of this pose is a kind of awakening or re-birth. First gradually become aware again that you are lying on the floor. No need to move yet, just become aware. Notice the places where the body and the floor connect. Feel the support of the earth beneath you. Then notice the breath, and the way the body minutely moves with each inhale and each exhale. Take time to deepen the breath, regaining control and feeling the nourishing air bring energy back to your body. Notice how the bigger breaths cause bigger movements in the ribs and belly. Don’t worry if a yawn or sigh escapes; in fact, it can be really lovely to deliberately take a breath in through the nose, and sigh it out through the mouth. Start small movements in the fingers and toes, little wiggles and curls and uncurls. Then gradually re-awaken the wrists and ankles with rotations and gentle movements, before allowing the rest of the limbs and body to join in, stretching and moving however it feels good to you. When you are ready, have a big stretch along the floor, sending arms overhead stretching the hands as far away from the feet as possible, and then curl everything in, knees to chest. Have a hug and a rock side to side, keeping the eyes still closed if possible. When you are ready roll the body over to one side, into a curled position and take as long as you like there, coming back into yourself and finding gratitude for the time you have given to yourself today. Then gradually make your way back to seated, using the hands to help you up if needed. From here you can sit a while longer in Easy Seated pose or simply move on to the rest of your day

However you choose to end your practice, may the blessings of the season go with you, and may you always move with compassion in your thoughts, kindness in your words, and love and joy in your heart. Om shanti shanti shanti 🕉😊💜

Make sure you always look after yourself when doing yoga.
It’s important to always listen to your body and only work within your personal limitations. You are fully responsible for your own safety and wellbeing. Make sure your surroundings and your practices are safe. Do not attempt to take a physical posture that is outside of the scope of your practice. If you have any specific medical conditions, injuries, surgeries or are pregnant you should check with your GP or appropriate medical professional before starting any exercise. Keep in mind that yoga might be challenging at times, but it should never be painful. You must stop if you experience any pain, and you should consult your GP if you experience anything untoward such as dizziness or feeling faint. Rest or leave anything out that you need to avoid or that does not feel right.