Don’t Skip Savasana: The Power of Rest and Integration
Savasana. Corpse Pose. The final resting pose at the end of most yoga classes—and often the first thing to get skipped when time is short or minds are busy. But here’s the truth: Savasana isn’t just lying down. It’s not a nap. It’s not the throwaway pose. It’s the heart of the practice.
Over the years, I’ve fielded many thoughtful questions from students:
“What am I supposed to do in Savasana?”
“Should my mind be quiet?”
“What’s the right way to lay?”
This posture can feel mysterious or even uncertain, especially in a culture that equates stillness with laziness. But in yogic philosophy, neuroscience, and my own lived experience, Savasana is a profound and essential part of yoga. Let’s explore why.
What Is Savasana?
In Sanskrit, shava means corpse and asana means pose. So yes, “corpse pose” literally refers to lying down like a body without a soul. But this isn’t meant to be morbid. Savasana symbolizes letting go—of the ego, of doing, of tension, of identity—and creates space for rebirth.
In the cycle of yogic philosophy, we move through phases of becoming: birth, life, death, and renewal. Savasana is that sacred pause after death, where the slate is cleared and the spirit is restored.
Physically, it’s simple: lying on your back, legs extended, arms at your sides, palms up. But Savasana is so much more than the shape. It’s a portal to presence, a reset, and a quiet revolution in our go-go-go world.
It’s Not Just Stillness—It’s Transformation
Savasana marks the shift from doing to being.
It draws us into Pratyahara, one of the eight limbs of yoga—a withdrawal of the senses. Not that we stop seeing or hearing, but we turn the volume down and redirect our attention inward. This inward focus becomes the bridge to meditation, or Samadhi, the state of complete absorption, union, and liberation.
Savasana also embodies the values of Santosha (contentment) and Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender). When we stop striving, stop fixing, and allow everything to be just as it is, we meet the present moment with grace. We release control and reconnect with something greater—whether that’s divine, energetic, cosmic, or simply quiet awareness.
The Small Self and the Big Self
In yogic language, there’s the small “s” self—the ego, the story we tell ourselves—and the big “S” Self—the soul, the essence, the constant.
Savasana gently dissolves the small self so we can touch the big Self. The breath slows. The chatter quiets. And for a moment, we remember who we are underneath it all. That’s why this pose is so sacred. Not because it’s fancy, but because it’s true.
What Modern Science Has to Say
Recent neuroscience backs up what yogis have long known. A 2019 NIH study on skill learning and rest found that participants who rested quietly after learning a new motor skill retained and integrated the learning significantly better than those who moved directly onto the next task.
Why? Because the default mode network in the brain—responsible for memory consolidation and reflection—activates during periods of quiet rest. You don’t even have to think about what you just learned. Your body and brain do the work for you.
So after your yoga flow, when your mind and nervous system are primed, Savasana is when that integration happens. Physically, neurologically, and energetically, rest makes your practice stick.
The Many Benefits of Savasana
• Physical: Lowers heart rate, reduces blood pressure, releases muscle tension.
• Mental: Calms the mind, supports focus, eases anxiety.
• Emotional: Offers space to process and feel.
• Energetic: Cultivates stillness and harmony.
• Neurological: Supports neuroplasticity and nervous system recovery.
Put simply: Savasana makes everything else work better.
How to Make Savasana Your Own
There’s no one way to take Savasana. Lying flat on your back is traditional, but feel free to make it supportive and comfortable. Use a blanket, an eye pillow, a bolster under your knees. Lie on your side if you’re pregnant or your back doesn’t love the floor. Try arms on your belly, arms wide—whatever feels restful.
A few tips:
Don’t rush it. If time allows, stay a little longer—beyond the typical 3–5 minutes.
Let your mind wander. No need to force stillness. The brain will do its work.
Try it off the mat. You don’t need a full practice to take Savasana. Try it before bed or during stressful days as a form of meditation.
Let it be imperfect. Busy mind? Twitchy body? It’s still working. Trust that.
Reflect: What Does Stillness Reveal?
Here are two journaling prompts to explore after your next Savasana:
1. What happens when I give myself full permission to rest?
2. What does stillness reveal to me?
Savasana may seem simple, but it’s one of yoga’s most radical, restorative, and revealing gifts. So next time you practice—don’t skip it. Treat it with the reverence it deserves.
To explore more about yoga philosophy, rest, embodiment, and spiritual practice, check out the Deepen Your Yoga Practice podcast or come visit us at True Love Yoga in Kansas City.
May you rest deeply and rise renewed.
Om Shanti, Om Peace.
