Guide to Savasana | Benefits, Alternatives & More
Savasana is one of my favorite postures because it helps to facilitate a full reset after an active asana practice. However, as a yoga teacher, I know some students who would prefer to skip it and head straight out the door after a practice! Below, we’ll discuss the benefits of savasana and why it’s important as well as a few alternatives to savasana with prop support or different postures so you can absorb the reset properties of the pose. Let’s dive in.
Benefits of Savasana
Savasana means corpse pose in sanskrit. The root word of savasana is sava meaning “corpse.” In corpse pose, we allow anything that no longer serves us to release and die. When we transition onto our sides into a fetal position, it symbolizes a rebirth, a chance to begin anew. As we arrive back to a seat and take our final few breaths before the end of the practice, we transition away from our asana and prepare ourselves to move back into our lives in an intentional way.
Activates your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and calms your central nervous system (fight, flight and freeze)
Decreases stress and makes space in your body and mind for relaxation
Helps lower blood pressure and decrease fatigue
Aids your digestion and boosts your immunity
Balances, restores and resets your entire system — helps you transition from stimulation towards down regulation
Assimilate, integrate and release before a busy day
Savasana decreases stress in the body by activating your parasympathetic nervous system
Supported Savasana
To see these forms of support in video format, watch my reel on Instagram.
Neck roll
—> This is a great modification to try if your neck feels tight or you can’t find the proper angle for your head
Benefits: Supports your cervical spine and head
Fold your blanket into a rectangle
From the folded edge, roll your blanket roll a third of the way
Place the blanket roll underneath your neck and support your head with the unrolled portion of the blanket to create a cushion underneath your head
The head and neck should be aligned in a neutral position that feels comfortable so you can rest deeply
Knee support
—> This is a great modification to try if your lower back feels tight or it feels like you’re hyperextending through your knees
Benefits: Supports your lower back and legs
Fold your blanket into a rectangle
From the folded edge, roll your blanket all the way to the edge so you have a fully rolled blanket log
Lie onto your back and place the blanket roll underneath your knee creases
Allow your feet to widen out to the corners of your mat and breathe
* This can also be done with a bolster underneath your knees
Weighted blanket
—> This is a great modification to try if you can’t relax and tend to fidget around
Benefits: Decrease feelings of restlessness, stress, anxiety and tension
Fold your blanket into a rectangle
Lie onto your back and place the rectangle over your pelvis
For even more support, you can stack 1-3 blankets on top of one another to increase weight
Surrender your weight down and breathe into feelings of relaxation
Stay Warm
—> Use your blanket to stay warm for your final rest
Try one, a combination, or all of these for a deeply restorative savasana.
Alternatives to Savasana
If traditional savasana lying on your back doesn’t work for you, here are some great alternatives:
Lie on the left or right side of your body with a blanket or bolster between your knees
Lie on your belly with your head resting on stacked palms or forearms
Legs up the wall
Seated meditation
Why Savasana Can Be Challenging
If you’re constantly stimulated throughout the day, you may find it difficult to relax. When our bodies and mind are hardwired towards hyper-stimulation, our natural holding pattern is stuck in a state of constant activity. Our central nervous system governs our fight, flight and freeze response; if we’re perpetually stuck in this loop, stress adversely affects our wellbeing, immunity and more. Savasana like any pose is a practice. Use savasana as a way to connect deeper into your awareness and let go of tension, strain and stress. Resting is a productive form of self-care.