A student once wore a t-shirt to my yoga class that read, "I'm just here for savasana." I had to laugh, because I could sooo relate. Savasana is the sweet time of rest that comes at the end of each class. We lie on our backs, usually with eyes closed, and marinate in the beautiful energy of our practice. Don't you wish you could get more of that goodness in your life? Well, you can, and you don't have to roll out your mat to do it.

What Is Savasana?

Like so much of yoga, savasana is a simple yet profound practice. It is a bite-sized snack of physical and mental rest. Savasana can take many forms, big and small--from a hiatus to a few breaths. When done regularly, savasana can help reduce physical strain and exhaustion, reduce stress, and improve focus and clarity.

Savasana Savvy

Here are a few simple ways you can get more of that savasana goodness into your life:

1. Eye Yoga.
   Take a break from screens. Remove any glasses. Look up. Look down. Gaze into the distance. Close your eyes and rub the inside points of your eyes, near the bridge of the nose, and the outside edges, where your laugh lines hide. Use the blue light filter on your screens to reduce eye strain or have a blue light coating added to lenses.
   
2. Tap It Out.
   EFT tapping can offer relaxation by stimulating acupressure points.* Tap your fingers in a rainfall-like motion at: the crown of your head, eyebrow ridge, the ridge of bone under your closed eyes, under your nose just above your lip, your chin, and your collarbones. Flap your arms like you're doing the chicken to tap the underarm area, and lastly gently karate chop your hands together to stimulate the outside edges of your hands. Repeat as many times as desired.
   
3. Time Your Rest.
   Banish endless stretches of work without a break by using a timer. During your workday, set a timer for 45 minutes to an hour. Commit to focusing for that time. When the timer goes off, set another timer for 15 minutes. Use those 15 minutes to stand, stretch, lie down, and otherwise take a break. When the timer goes off, set it for another 45 minutes to an hour. Repeat for the remainder of your workday.
   
4. Breath Breaks.
   Focusing on our breath helps slow the mind. Draw the breath by tracing a line up a blank page on the inhale and back down on an exhale. Work left to right, until the entire page is filled. You can also draw small spirals. Spiral out and to the right on the inhale. On an exhale, draw a spiral moving toward the left. Repeat the cycle 10 times.
   
5. Sabbaticals.
   Longer savasanas may be hard to come by, depending on your lifestyle. If you can, commit to taking a week or a month off of any activity that drains your energy. That might mean giving up social media (or any media really) for a month. Or taking a break from volunteering your time, for a season.
   

Personally, I build savasana into my schedule, because it helps me avoid burnout. I schedule the majority of my focused work time for specific days and times. I clear my calendar each July, so I have energy for things like branding and planning, and through the Christmas season so I can be with my family. I also follow my body's cues. Instead of pushing through a 3 p.m. slump with caffeine, I'll do a Yoga Nidra or take a short walk to re-energize.

Your body and life look different than mine, and so will your savasanas. Find what works for you and watch your energy transform.

* Full disclosure, EFT has an entire protocol with it that I'm not trained in. I have anecdotally found tapping to be helpful for insomnia and stress relief. Learn more about EFT here.