How To Do Savasana

Chloe Freytag demonstrating Savasana Yoga Pose

Savasana is a pose of relaxation and meditation. Savasana is the perfect ending to a yoga practice or the perfect position to use for practicing quiet time and meditation. Savasana, also known as “corpse pose”, puts the body at complete rest and allows you to open yourself up for deeper breathing and a slower heart rate. According to Mayo Clinic, relaxation and meditation have been shown to help people manage symptoms of conditions such as:

  • Anxiety disorders
  • Asthma
  • Cancer
  • Depression
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • Pain
  • Sleep problems

Savasana is traditionally practiced at the end of a yoga practice, but the benefits can be used at any time of day. In the morning you can start the day with Savansana to put your mindset into a calm place and to prepare you to take on the hustle and challenges of a new day. In the midday Savasana can be used to break up the cycle of a stressful, busy day to slow your heart rate and give you a few moments to regroup. Before bed, Savasana can calm you and prepare you more thoroughly for a restful night’s sleep.

A few tips for proper positioning in your Savasana: if your neck feels out of alignment, be sure to prop your head with a small pillow or roll up a towel to put under your neck for support. If it puts strain on your low back to lie flat, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor, or pull the soles of your feet together letting the knees open to the side in a frog-like position. If lying on your back doesn’t work for you, modify in a fetal position by lying on your side with knees bent and one arm resting under your head.

Here are the steps to practicing Savasana:

1) Lay on your back with legs long, feet hip width apart and arms relaxed by your side with palms up.

2) Let your feet fall into their natural position either outward or inward.

3) Relax your hand and let your fingers curl naturally.

4) Focus on your breath as you relax each and every part of your body.

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