I remember what a friend of mine told me when she started teaching yoga. She taught a gentle, relaxing class, and when it came to the end for savasana (corpse pose, final relaxation), it didn’t happen... For some reason, the class started chatting amongst themselves, and somehow the session fizzled out and finished. She was quite upset.
You might have seen people sneaking off at the end of class, skipping savasana. Maybe it’s a one-off, with a good excuse. But you may also know some people who always sneak off—it’s just not their thing!
For many, though, savasana is the best part of the class.
Many years ago, a trainee yoga teacher told me that it’s the most important yoga pose. I don’t 100% agree, but I understand what she meant. In the early days of yoga (I’m talking about 2,000 years ago), asanas (postures) were simply a preparation for meditation. Asana, pranayama... everything was for the mind.
From about the 5th century onwards, classical yoga started to be influenced by Tantra, a system that used the body to achieve the divinity within (this is a super quick explanation), and eventually developed into Hatha yoga. Centuries passed, transforming yoga throughout... and we now have what many call the ‘modern yoga practice’.
Despite all the transformation and the shift towards asana-focused practice, the original purpose still holds true for modern yoga. No matter how flexible or strong yoga makes your body, it will eventually age and decay. Ultimately, the only thing that matters is what’s inside, not the body.
In my own practice, I do Ashtanga yoga. It’s a wonderful practice that always makes me feel better, even on days when I don’t feel like practising. And I find the most profound tranquillity in savasana after Ashtanga. I often think, "Shame, I have to do all that jumping and bending just to get 10 minutes of bliss at the end!"
There’s something transformative about asana practice and how it influences the brain and mind. Enjoy savasana—you’ve earned it!
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