The importance of Savasana or corpse posture

No matter what style you practice, Vinyasa, Yin Yoga, Ashtanga or any other, Hatha Yoga practices always close with a rest called Savasana in which the students are lying on their back.

Before talking about the importance and necessity of Savasana or corpse posture, we explain how it is performed: lying on your back, legs and arms slightly open; the feet are dropped to the sides; the palms of the hands face upwards to absorb energy and finally the face is relaxed: the forehead is soft, the eyes and lips are closed, but the teeth do not collide: the jaw is slack. Breathing, so important in the classes and which in many styles is done in a controlled manner, is released and allowed to flow naturally.

Normally to Savasana one arrives a little agitated, after all, one is culminating a physical practice, whether it is more or less demanding and it is difficult to relax the mind and body, but this is precisely what is sought. The purpose of Savasana is to return to reality in a calm manner, to go out into what is left of the day prepared for what is to come.

Not doing Savasana or doing one too short leaves you with an agitated body and thinking. Like a child who consumed too much sugar, too fast. And as it happens with children, after the state of euphoria, comes one of exacerbated tiredness. On the contrary, a good Savasana leaves the student balanced, with controlled energy and not overflowing.

Contrary to what many people believe: Savasana is not a nap. There is a reason why it is the posture of the corpse and not of the sleeping person. In Savasana, besides relaxing the body and releasing the tensions accumulated in the practice, it is important to relax the mind: it is not about "putting the mind in blank" as many people think. It is about not focusing on any thoughts, letting them come and go, as when we change channels on TV looking for something to watch, only in this case, the goal is not to find anything.

Finally: remember that it is good to experience first-hand. Everything you experience is better learned. Try for yourself how you feel if you don't do Savasana or if you do a short one or a long one. Although the recommended time is 5 minutes for a 1 hour practice and 10 minutes for an hour and a half, it is best to discover for yourself what suits you best.

Learn more about our Conscious Television Yoga Asanas course.