Savasana is one of the most challenging poses in our asana practice. It is also one of the most rewarding, and the most necessary. We lie down, our body relaxes, our breath slows, and our attention withdraws from the external world. It sounds so simple, and yet this beautiful, healing repose runs counter to everything that has come to characterise modern life. Our minds are busy and we fill our days with ever-growing to do lists. We are constantly climbing the dizzying heights of our expectations; each time we reach a summit, we seek out the next peak and begin our climb anew. What if, instead of always climbing to the sky, we lay down upon the earth and paused to welcome stillness? What if, instead of always ‘doing’, we embraced the present moment and took the time to simply be?
Savasana is Sanskrit for corpse pose. Visionary teacher BKS Iyengar often ended his classes with two words of instruction: be dead. To truly absorb and integrate all the benefits of our asana practice, we must surrender fully to stillness. We must let go of our need to be constantly in motion, to be always thinking and doing and moving forward towards something. In stillness lies profound beauty and healing, kindness and wisdom. In stillness we come home to ourselves; we recharge, refocus, and remember that we are already enough exactly as we are.
Savasana is one of the extraordinary gifts of our yoga practice, and it is one that we should invite off the mat and into our daily life. As autumn arrives, the natural world around us is in transition, letting go of summer blooms and preparing for a long winter’s sleep. Our physical and energetic bodies naturally crave this same sense of letting go and finding rest. However, our busy minds try to divert us from this course, continuing the climb to the sky. If we could release our attachment to those busy thoughts and let ourselves be guided by our intuition, we would find that what serves us best in fall is reconnecting to the peace and stillness of the earth.
As the temperature cools and the days grow shorter, attune to the innate wisdom that lies within you. Relax your grip on the busyness of your mind. Release yourself from doing and take time to simply be. Lie down, let go, and feel the earth support your weight. Sink into that nurturing support and let yourself find the sweet surrender of Savasana.