The final pose of any yoga class is one of deep restoration: Savasana, the relaxation pose.  Its Sanskrit name, “Savasana” (shah-VAHS-uh-nuh), comes from two words. The first is “Sava” (meaning “corpse”), and the second is “asana” (meaning “pose”).

I have thought many times (hopefully, after the class, as I’m also practicing letting go of thoughts during Savasana), the pose feels like a practice or rehearsal for death.  I find such peace within the pose and sometimes the sensation of floating.  Ancient wisdom is that we should think about death for a few minutes every day. Since I practice yoga at least several times a week, I’m grateful for those built in opportunities to rehearse what it might feel like to let go of life with peace and grace in my final moments.