Savasana is not without its challenges. It seems a simple pose, just lying on the floor. But the word Sava means corpse. At the end of every class, we do corpse pose. In simulating death, one has to endure the problems of existence in the form of aches and pains, difficulty in breathing and heaviness in the limbs. Fear and anxiety arise unexpectedly and the mind gets agitated. In order to be able to enjoy Savasana, it is necessary to address the various problems in the body and mind.
In order to be able to do Savasana the body has to be made comfortable. If the body is not comfortable, the mind cannot relax and then instead of having a restful and spacious experience the student suffers the pose for the duration of the asana. In this chapter, Mr. Iyengar shows a couple of variations to help the student rest at ease in this pose. These are not the only variations, however. Helping students achieve comfort in this pose, as well as others, is part of the extensive training an Iyengar teacher receives.
Back supported Savasana with a bolster on the thighs as a weight.
If the legs are restless, it can be helpful to place a weight across the thighs. This can be done with a bolster or a blanket. Plate weights or sandbags, if you have them, can be a nice addition to weigh the legs down. The thighs can also be belted. This pacifies the muscles in the legs, which in turns quietens the brain.
Here I placed a 25 lb. plate weight on my thighs to pacify the legs. The blanket is under one end to make the weight level.
If the back hurts when lying flat on the floor, placing a support under the knees can be helpful.
For back pain in general, it is best to lie down with the shins supported on enough height, like the seat of a chair, so that the thighs are perpendicular to the floor. In this position the low back is in full contact with the floor. This rests the lower back muscles and diminishes backache.
Savasana for back pain
Supporting the back on a bolster with a blanket under the head is good for relieving heart palpitations, breathlessness, heaviness in the chest, heartburn or irregular heartbeat. In this position, the head should be slightly elevated so that the head, chest, abdomen and thighs are arranged in descending order.
The eyes can be covered with an eye pillow or other light covering if it is hard to keep the eyelids from fluttering, or if the eyes, ears or head is hot. This cools the eyes, reduces headache and lower blood pressure.
During pregnancy, or menses it can be nice to lie back over a bolster. Later in pregnancy there should be more height. Crossing the legs and supporting the knees rests the uterus, takes excess weight off of the spine and reduces blood pressure.
If your hands and feet get cold in Savasana and you do not have a blanket to cover yourself, it can be more comfortable to rest the hands on the torso and loosely cross the legs. There are many reasons for cold hands and feet, but stress is one of them. Deep breathing for a few minutes can warm and relax the body.
Sometimes it may not be comfortable to lie on your back. In prone Savasana you lie on your abdomen with the quadriceps and toes turned inward and the heels turned out. This position allows the spinal muscles to spread from the center to the sides, releasing strain on the back.
There are many other variations on Savasana that can be tailored to the individual needs of the student.
Once you are in Savasana it is important to make the body limp and light. The idea is to be as inert as a pile of laundry. Learning to stay in Savasana requires a good deal of discipline. The body and mind want to move. But the more you move the body, the more restless the mind becomes. If you can manage to stay still, the body and mind can eventually settle down, like the snowflakes in a snow globe.
The arms and legs are considered to be two of the five organs of action. (The other three are the tongue, reproductive organs and excretory organs.) The position of the arms and legs in Savasana is very specific. The arms are placed at about a 20 degree angle from the body with the palms facing up, resting on the back of the knuckle of the middle finger and the fingers gently curled towards the palms. The legs start together and are released on an exhalation with the feet turning out. The adjustment of the legs and arms must be made without disturbing the symmetry of the torso or distorting the median line of the body. Asymmetry of the limbs disturbs the flow of energy throughout the body, which is why it is so important to position oneself evenly in Savasana. Lying down in a haphazard manner may not interfere with the relaxation of the body, but it can impede the flow of prana, adversely affecting the body and mind.
Of the five organs of perception, the skin is an important part of relaxation. The skin covers the body like a protective wrapper. When stress on the muscles is reduced and the nerves are prevented from transmitting impulses, the skin, too, relaxes. By pacifying the nervous system and minimizing sensory inputs to the eyes, ears, tongue, nose and skin, we can relax the skin. The very texture of the skin is altered when it becomes loose, free and light.
The position of the head is specific in Savasana. The head should be placed on the back of the skull. But the head tends to move from its place when the thought process begins . Thoughts are like fuel for the brain. The brain cells quiver and expand with the onset of thoughts. If the head rolls back, the mind takes flight into the future. If the chin tilts down, the mind becomes lost in the past. If it drops to the side, the mind disconnects from reality and one falls asleep. It is only in the centered position that the mind remains in the present.
Keeping the head correctly positioned can be an impediment to relaxing in Savasana. Not only does the head need to be positioned just so, but the mind must be trained to change its narrow perspective. The mind has a predisopostion for clinging whether to thoughts, ideas or objects. Clinging makes the mind insular, while detaching makes it free and expansive, and thus more capable of relaxing. It is worth remembering at all times that we are born with nothing and we will leave with nothing; and therefore, there is nothing to which we can cling. Even that which is necessary or worthy of being cherished, must eventually be relinquished.
After a few minutes in Savasana, the nerves become pacified and the breathing becomes deeper and longer. As the breath goes deeper, it seems to connect to the navel which is the womb or wellspring of lifegiving energy. The breath connecting with the energ source is the yielding of the individual desire to a greater will. It is the merging of the self with the Cosmic Spirit.
This blog is paraphrased from Chapter 45 in Arogya Yoga. If you’d like to read the chapter in its entirety, you can find it here.