Learn Savasana Inside and Out

Help your students fully experience the benefits of Corpse Pose, through the exploration of their anatomy.

By Julie Gudmestad

Ahhhhh, Savasana. Our students so look forward to it. They just flop down on the floor, and deep relaxation overtakes them—right? This is the one pose, they hope, for which they don't have to process detailed instructions, or fuss with props other than a blanket for warmth.

Or do they?

Actually, with just a little attention to setting up the pose, our students' experience of rest and replenishment can be deepened. And who doesn't need to get maximum benefit from their rest time? So many of our students come to class exhausted and depleted that Savasana may be the most important pose we teach them. Not to mention the fact that if they leave class feeling relaxed and refreshed, they're more likely to make it a priority to get to class every week.

The Set-up Counts

First, let's take a look at the big picture: How do your students place themselves in the room? Ideally, as the muscles relax in Savasana, the body should have room to spread freely on the floor, like an ice cube melting, losing its hard edges and forming a puddle. Any sense of being crowded by objects on the floor, or especially by another person, results in a subtle pulling-in action—there won't be complete letting go. Similarly, any body part touching a wall limits the sense of room to expand and leaves a subtle sense of compression rather than expansion. You may have to scan the room and invite students to move from a crowded area to one with more open space.

Now that your students are evenly spaced around the room, how can you help them use props to deepen their relaxation? It's important to remember that any pain, or even discomfort, results in muscle guarding and tension. So students will greatly appreciate any positioning that will help relieve pain and lead to a deeper sense of letting go. Lower back pain associated with hyperextension (overarching) is usually eased by supported bent knees, whether by a rolled blanket under the knees or a chair under the calves. This strategy works by putting slack in shortened hip flexors, including iliopsoas, so they don't tip the pelvis to the anterior and pull the lumbar spine forward into hyperextension. The knee-flexed position also decompresses the lower back and lengthens the muscles there. Conversely, students with a flat back, or those with lower back strain due to forward-bending activities such as yard work or housecleaning, might feel best with a small roll under the lower back to support the normal curve.

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