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As usual, after all of the physical exertion of the previous 90 minutes, we closed off last night’s yoga class with savasana - also known as “corpse pose”. For those unfamiliar with the pose, savasana is a culminating, resting pose where you lie on your back with your legs out straight in front of you and your hands relaxed and palms-up at your sides. You close your eyes, slow your breathing, and allow all of your physical and mental effort and energy to settle into your body.

Savasana feels different for me depending on the day. Most of the time, I gradually fall into a calm, pleasurable, restful pose after some minor adjustments to my hips or my neck. Other days I struggle to calm myself down or to find a comfortable way to lay there on my back, my body a bag of unhappy bones and nerves.

My savasana serenity has also been interrupted by the rumbling of hunger pangs or a nearby restaurant’s aromas wafting through an open studio window. There have also been moments where I’ve noticed myself slipping toward the edge of sleep - you know, that spot in your consciousness where you start to feel like you’re dreaming but you could twitch out of it at any second? And I know I’ve heard people snoring during savasana, which is a no-no, since you’re supposed to stay awake!

No matter how it goes, savasana always manages to clue me in to my current state of mind. Last night’s savasana was a doozy. One of the best ever. I found myself effortlessly sinking into a still, serene, supine pose with waves and waves of good, positive energy flowing inside of me. Afterwards, as I talked to a friend about it, I recalled a quote I read on YogaJournal.com:

via YJ: “You lie there and look dead, but as you relax and sink into the feeling of the very alive energy that is being you, it literally feels like you come to life again.”

That’s what I felt like - fully restful yet humming with new energy. I’ve often wondered what savasana feels like for other people. Any yoginis out there want to share their experience of savasana? I’d love to know what you feel when you’re in the pose of the dead?  Do you just lie there distracted by your to-do list? Or do you feel like you’re about to be reborn? Share your savasana stories in the comments below!