Restorative Yoga Poses: Grounded Savasana

The following is part of a series on Restorative Poses. Over the next weeks and months I will be posting some sketches highlighting restorative poses you can do at home. Each sketch will focus on a pose, action, or sensation. Please leave any questions below!

Grounded Savasana or Grounding Corpse or Final Relaxation Pose

Savasana literally means “Corpse Pose”. This pose is used at the end (or beginning!) of a yoga class or practice to relax deeply. By pausing at the end of your practice in savasana you enable the physical and subtle bodies to integrate the work you have done.

I love this variation of savasana. It is incredibly grounding and the sensation and experience it provides is most exquisite.

I discovered it accidentally after a practice where I had made heavy use of the wall. Once I finally lay down my body was too close to the wall. My legs were straight but the soles of my feet connected into the wall. My first instinct was to move away by pushing off, but the curiosity in my mind said “why not stay?”

So I did.

And let me tell you, this was the most incredible savasana. No, it’s not the same as the usual, no-wall-middle-of-the-room savasana. Its different. It has a different flavor. It tastes different. It’s like discovering a new blend of coffee or tea–familiar yet layers of complexity revealing themselves as you smell, taste, and sit with the warm cup in your hand and on your tongue.

There is a depth to this variation.

For me, the depth is not immediate. In fact, most times I use this grounded savasana variation I start out all excited about how great it’s going to be, only to be confused by how weird it feels at first. The first initial connection of my feet to the wall feel kind of strange. Your feet bones, ankles, femurs, pelvis all have to adjust–they’re standing on the floor, but not.

But once I settle and give it a bit of time, this savasana variation just feels so charged. It feels like you are charging up from the earth; it’s really connecting, really grounding. I feel super connected and integrated; solid and secure. And when we are grounded and integrated there is an incredible lightness and gaiety.

Basically, it feels amazing.

I encourage you to try it out. Give it a little time once you are in the pose. Let the complexity of sensation build up and play out. Try out subtle variations. Leave comments below–I’m curious how it goes for you!

Benefits of Grounded Savasana

Savasana is beneficial for everyone.

This grounded variation may be particularly beneficial when you are feeling:

anxiety
nervous
spacey
flakey
out of place
Vata-disorder (Ayurveda)
overwhelmed
pulled in many directions;
stressed
after lots of back bends
after lots of inversions

How to set up the pose

The illustrated drawing above should give you an idea of the basic setup and instructions of the pose.

There are many ways to prop and create a supported savasana. You can incorporate any of these additional variations, such as a blanket under the knees or head. The supported savasana variation of folded blanket over the tops of the thighs is particularly complementary to this grounded savasana since it also supports grounding.

Prepare

Props: Wall. Alternatives: solid baseboard on a bed; a chest or trunk that is solid and will not slide on the floor.

Optional props: A blanket (can be small or large) to place between your feet arches and the wall Alternatives: a towel roll; small pillow; uniform jacket or sweater;

Extras: A blanket to cover yourself up. (As you relax into the pose, your body temperature may drop. This is a sign that your body is relaxing. A blanket can be nice to stay warm.) A folded blanket to place over the tops of your thighs. (Extra grounding, as noted above.)

If using the optional foot blanket/towel, fold or roll it uniformly so that it can nestle into the arches of your feet.

To come into the pose

Sit or lie down close to the wall.
If using the optional foot blanket, nestle the blanket across the bottom arches of your feet. The blanket will fill the space made by the arches of your feet.
Lie down on your back with your feel towards the wall. Start a bit closer to the wall than you need.
Connect the soles of your feet into the wall.
Feel free to slide a bit towards or away from the wall. You can even push off the wall with your feet.
Ground the feet into the wall.
Charge up body from the earth.
“Charge up” from the ground/Earth
Imagine the earth as a reservoir of energy, electricity, capacity.
Ground into this; soak it up; get recharged from it.
(See Tips and Hints below for other notes)

Complete the setup as your usual savasana practice. For example:

Rest your hands where they are most comfortable. Some ideas:

traditional savasana position — on the floor, to either side of your waist (see Sketch above)

palms up (traditional)
palms down (more grounded variation)

out to the sides. Your arms will form an A- or T-position
on your low belly . Watch your low belly rise and fall with your breath.

Release the shoulder blades down the back. Allow the shoulders to rest on the floor. Let your chest expand with breath
Rest your head so you neck is most comfortable

Tips and Hints:

The feet really connect into the wall.
try sliding slightly closer to the wall and then pressing the whole foot into the wall so the femur bones integrate into the pelvis.
Experiment with the strength of the connection between feet and wall. If you’ve never done this before, you may be surprised at how solidly you can make the foot-wall connection.

Experiment with the distance of the body from the wall
Experiment with the strength you press the feet into the wall
It should feel like you are standing on the wall.

Experiment with the distance between the feet on the wall.

This is also a quick way to adjust the pressure/strength of foot-wall contact.

The feet do not need to connect into the wall completely

For example, if your Achilles tendons and calves are tight, your heels may not comfortably reach the wall.

try sliding towards the wall to stretch the calves and tendons comfortably.
try placing a rolled up blanket or towel beneath the arches of your feet and heels. Build up the blanket/towel enough so that the entire foot feels connected and in contact with solid support.
Even if the heels do not connect with the wall, connect the balls of the feet solidly into the wall

The feet can angle slightly outward on the wall.

Experiment with the angle of the foot.
Alternately, you can angle the feet straight up or even inward. This depends on the structure of your bones and connective tissue. Each will have a different quality. Do what feels most natural.

Alternative: try placing a rolled up blanket or towel beneath the arches of your feet and heels. Build up the blanket/towel enough so that the entire foot feels connected and in contact with solid support.

This variation may feel awkward, weird, even wrong at first. Give it time to develop (so long as you are not in pain). Stay in the posture and watch the sensations in your body. It may take a few seconds or a few minutes for the body to adjust to the sensation of the feet grounding. Stay present and observe the body and breath. Continue to focus on charging and connecting into the earth via the feet.

While in the Pose

Close your eyes if this is comfortable. Allow the skin of your face to relax.

Focus on grounding. As stated above and in the drawing:
Imagine that you are standing on the wall.
Ground the feet into the wall.
Charge up body from the earth.
“Charge up” from the ground/Earth.
Imagine the earth as a reservoir of energy, electricity, capacity.
Ground into this; soak it up; get recharged from it.

Let the quality of charging and earth develop over time. Observe your body and breath.

Your attention may wander. That’s okay. Keep returning to the sensation of your feet grounding into the wall. Keep returning your attention to your breath.

You can stay in this pose as long as your usual savasana. For example, 5 – 20 minutes. Start with shorter times and build as you feel comfortable.

Stay as long as you feel comfortable sweetness.

To come out of the pose

As always, move slowly. First bringing awareness through the feet, legs, and hips. Then become aware of the low back, mid back, shoulders, arms and hands.

Gently press the feet into the wall and push off towards the center of the room. Take a few moments with the feet free. Observe the sensations through the feet, legs, pelvis, sacrum, spine, and head.

Choose:

Take a “regular”, feet free savasana for a few minutes, or
Come straight to seated, as follows

When you are ready, you can roll over to one side.

Rest here a few moments to let your body adjust to the change in position.

Find the ground beneath your hands and gently press up to seated.

Sit quietly for a few moments, allowing your body to adjust to gravity.

Smile.

Disclaimer: Consult with your doctor before trying these postures or those of any exercise program. Yoga In The Sky, this website, this website’s owners and this website’s contributors are not responsible for any injury, pain, harm, or distress that may result from the information contained herein. You are responsible for your own health.

Please use common sense. Pain is NEVER good.

Previously in the restorative yoga poses series:

This entry was posted on Monday, October 31st, 2011 at 5:20 pm. It is filed under Restorative yoga, Sketches, Yoga, Yoga Art, Yoga Poses and tagged with Anxiety, Asana, Feet, Grounding, Restorative, Restorative yoga, Savasana, Stress, Yoga, Yoga art, Yoga poses, Yoga sketches. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

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Bethania Bacigalupe