# Unleash the Action and Master the Skill of Surrendering
## At the Beginning of Your Yoga Journey, Savasana Feels Luxurious
Reclining on a soft mat enveloped by fragrant incense and the gentle sounds of a Tibetan singing bowl? Count me in!
## The Significance of Savasana
The wonderful aspect of savasana is that the time spent reclining, supported by bolsters, is crucial for your body to assimilate all the insights from your yoga session. Just as your body processes the nourishment you consume to strengthen your muscles, organs, and tissues, lying flat on your back at the conclusion of the class provides your body with the time and space to fully embrace the advantages of yoga asana (positions). Many instructors may not allocate as much attention to the anatomical details of savasana as they do to other poses. This is partly because creating an open space is where the enchantment of savasana begins.
## Why Savasana is the Most Challenging Pose
In English, savasana translates to corpse pose. And when we are lying down, eyes shut, palms directed toward the ceiling, we couldn’t be engaging in less unless we were one. This presents the challenge. In Buddhism, a restless mind is referred to as a monkey mind. If you have ever paid attention to your thoughts, you might have observed that it enjoys leaping from idea to idea like a monkey moving through branches. When you lie or sit in stillness, it often feels as if you are doing nothing. There is a pull to resist being present with all those thoughts vying for your focus. In this manner, savasana may require more effort than other yoga positions. It is worthwhile to persist.
## The Physical Advantages of Savasana
Savasana stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (your ‘rest and digest mode’). The advantages of spending time in the parasympathetic nervous system (as opposed to the sympathetic nervous system, your ‘fight or flight’ response) consist of enhanced sleep, lowered blood pressure, reduced stress, and diminished fatigue. Furthermore, when your body decelerates, your mind follows suit.
## Savasana as a Form of Meditation
Savasana aids in soothing the mind. And although you may not be concentrating on your breath as you do in conventional meditation, allowing yourself the time (whether one minute or twenty) at the end of your yoga practice to release ‘the action’ is a way of relinquishing. And relinquishing is the essence of meditation. Letting go of attachment to thoughts starts with permitting your body to unwind. So if the urge to bypass savasana emerges, remind yourself that there’s equal potential for yoga magic in both savasana and handstand. Both positions demand practice.