Savasana Challenge Day 1
A 1-minute guided audio practice for a quick rest
Welcome to Day 1 of the 12 Days of Relaxation Savasana Challenge. I want to share Day 1 with everyone as a gift to you. If you enjoy today’s challenge and want to continue with us for the next 11 days, please upgrade to a paid subscription. Thank you for supporting Yoga for Women’s Wellbeing!
Savasana, also known as Corpse Pose, is a simple posture that doesn’t require any special props. With that said, there are also plenty of ways to use props creatively to make Savasana feel extra luxurious. Savasana isn’t about luxury, though. It’s about doing nothing and deep rest.
For some people the idea of doing nothing is anathema to their entire existence (ahem, 🙋🏻♀️). Doing nothing is learned, just like all great skills in life. Let Savasana be the vehicle through which you learn how to do nothing 😎.
Before we get to today’s practice, I want to acknowledge that for some people lying down is very uncomfortable. It might hurt your back or your mind might feel like it’s going in a tailspin. Savasana is a vulnerable pose. Not to worry if it’s not for you. There are plenty of alternative body positions you can take that will still allow you to rest. By the way, there is no right way. Just the way that works best for you. 😉
Great Savasana Alternatives
First, if lying down on the floor feels cold and hard, lie in your bed, on the couch or on some blankets instead. You can always place a pillow under your head. It’s most likely not going to be an issue these first few days when we’re resting for very short periods of time, but as we start resting for longer periods you’ll want to make sure that you don’t make yourself so comfy you fall asleep. More on that another day.
If lying on your back doesn’t work for you, you can always try lying prone on your stomach or lying on your side. Supported side-lying is an especially nice option for pregnant women.
If you’re prone to cold, make sure you have a nice, cozy blanket to cover you while you’re resting.
If your back hurts when you lie down, bend your knees and place a pillow, rolled up blanket or towel, or bolster under your knees. You can also go spartan and just bend your knees without the accoutrement. It can feel nice to knock your knees together with your feet a little wider than your hips.
If lying down is out of the question completely you can always sit on the floor or in a chair. Find some back support so you don’t have to do the extra work of holding yourself up.
If you have props handy, I love a good Queen’s Chair. Place a block (or a thick book) at one of it’s three levels depending on how much of an angle you want. Place a bolster or long pillow over the block to create a ramp. Lie down on the bolster or pillow so that your head is resting about where the block is and your hips are resting on the floor. You can prop up your arms with additional blankets/blocks and you can choose from any variety of leg variations including 1) legs straight out in front of you like a traditional Savasana; 2) knees bent with the feet on the floor (maybe knocked together depending on what feels good in your body); 3) feet together, knees wide with the knees supported with blankets/pillows/blocks; 4) a rolled up blanket/towel or bolster underneath your knees.
My other favorite restorative posture that is great for Savasana is what I call Stonehenge. It’s a propped version of Legs up the Wall, which feels really nice and relaxing. Place two blocks about a foot or so apart from one another at the tall height. Lay a bolster across the blocks so that you’ve created a structure that looks like Stonehenge. Scoot up close to the props and swing your legs gently over the bolster. I find it most supportive if your legs rest about where the blocks are. You can play around with what part of the legs you want supported. I normally have my calves on the bolster so that my feet are hanging slightly off but my knees still feel relatively supported. Lie down on the floor and use any other additional props like a pillow under the head, a blanket over the body, etc.
Finally, some people really love their warm towels/eye pillows. If you’ve ever been to a yoga studio before that offers warm, scented towels at the end of class you’ll know what I’m talking about. If you’re super invested in making your Savasana challenge an “experience,” by all means go all out and get yourself a great eye pillow or soak some hand towels in warm water scented with your favorite essential oil. Lavender is a classic, but follow your heart’s desire! I’ve got a great lavender-scented eye pillow that feels absolutely fabulous when I use it. It just gives your Savasana that little extra bit of nourishing energy.
But remember, you don’t need anything to do this challenge!
Today’s Practice
Today, we’re going to rest for one minute. That’s it. If you have time to doom-scroll through Instagram, you have time to lie down and rest.
One minute isn’t much time for anything other than settling and taking a deep breath or two. I find when I rest for just one minute I’m wholly unsatisfied. It’s not nearly enough time for me to even get settled, so don't worry if you feel that way too. I promise you’ll still get something out of this practice even if you don’t feel like you’ve reached enlightenment after resting today for 60 seconds. This challenge is about habit-building, self-exploration, and, yes, rest. Resting for even one minute, even if it doesn’t feel restful, is better than not taking any intentional time out of your day for self-care.
Get yourself set up however you like. Choose the pose that is going to work best for you. Gather the props that will help you make this Savasana great.
And let’s begin.
Coming Up
How did today’s practice feel to you? Be sure to check out the chat to share your experience with me and the group.
Tomorrow we’ll rest for three minutes! Be on the lookout for another post in your inbox with tomorrow’s guided practice. And if you’re enjoying this time to rest, consider sharing this challenge with a friend. Thanks for being here and supporting Yoga for Women’s Wellbeing. I love this work and I love sharing it with you. 😊