When you first start yoga, savasana seems indulgent.

Lying down on a plush mat surrounded by swirls of incense and the soft sounds of a Tibetan singing bowl?

Yes, please!

Why Savasana is Important

The great thing about savasana is that the time spent lying down, propped up on bolsters is essential for your body to integrate all the information from your yoga practice.

Much like your body absorbs the food you eat to build your muscles, organs, and tissues, lying flat on your back at the end of class gives your body space and time to embody the benefits of yoga asana (postures).

Many teachers might not dedicate half as much time to the anatomical nuances of savasana as other poses. This is in part because creating an empty space is where the magic of savasana starts to happen.

Why Savasana Is the Hardest Pose

Translated to English, savasana means corpse pose. And when we’re lying down, eyes closed, palms facing the ceiling, we couldn’t be doing much less unless we were one.

This is where the challenge lies.

In Buddism, a busy mind is known as a monkey mind. If you’ve ever paid attention to your mind, you may have noticed it likes to jump from thought to thought like a monkey swinging through the trees.

When you lie or sit still, it often feels like you’re doing nothing. There’s a temptation to resist being with all those thoughts begging for your attention.

In this way, savasana can take more practice than other yoga poses.

It’s worth persevering.

The Physical Benefits of Savasana

Savasana activates the parasympathetic nervous system (your ‘rest and digest mode).

The benefits of spending time in the parasympathetic nervous system (as opposed to the sympathetic nervous system, your ‘fight or flight’ response) include improved sleep, decreased blood pressure, lowered stress, and less fatigue.

Plus, when your body slows down, your mind will too.

Savasana as Meditation

Savasana helps calm the mind. And while you may not be following your breath as you do in traditional meditation, giving yourself the time (whether one minute or twenty) at the end of your yoga practice to release ‘the doing’ is a form of letting go.

And letting go is what meditation is all about. Letting go of attachment to thoughts begins with allowing your body to relax.

So if the temptation to skip savasana arises, remind yourself there’s equal opportunity for yoga magic in both savasana and handstand.

Both postures take practice.