Most yoga students think of savasana as the reward at the end of practice.

A moment to rest.
A moment to integrate.

But a recent perspective article published in Frontiers in Public Health suggests that savasana may serve a far deeper purpose.

The authors propose that savasana may help address a growing public health issue:

Death Anxiety.

Death Anxiety in Modern Culture

Death anxiety is not simply philosophical, it has real consequences.

Research shows that fear of death contributes to:

• avoidance of advance care planning
• aggressive life-prolonging medical treatments
• increased healthcare costs
• decreased quality of life at the end of life

Ironically, many people report wanting to die at home surrounded by loved ones.

Yet most deaths occur in hospitals.

The authors argue that one reason is cultural: in modern society, death is often treated as something to avoid rather than something to understand.

Yoga Philosophy Recognized This Long Ago

Yoga philosophy describes the fear of death as abhinivesha, one of the five kleshas.

Abhinivesha is the instinctive clinging to life—the belief that existence must continue at all costs.

This instinct is deeply human.

But when it dominates our thinking, it can create suffering.

Rather than denying death, yoga philosophy encourages practitioners to recognize impermanence as a natural part of life.

Rethinking Savasana

The Sanskrit word savasana translates to corpse pose.

Yet in modern yoga classes, this translation is rarely emphasized.

Instead, savasana is framed primarily as relaxation.

The authors of the paper suggest that savasana may actually offer something more profound:

An embodied way to explore mortality.

In the posture, the body becomes still.

Effort stops.
The senses soften.
The mind quiets.

This moment of stillness can invite reflection on impermanence, not as something frightening, but as something inevitable.

A Salutogenic Perspective

The paper frames this discussion through a concept from public health called salutogenesis.

Rather than asking:

“What causes disease?”

Salutogenesis asks:

“What creates health?”

Central to this model is something called Sense of Coherence, which includes:

• comprehensibility (understanding life events)
• manageability (having resources to cope)
• meaningfulness (finding purpose in experience)

The authors suggest that consciously engaging with mortality may strengthen these qualities.

In other words, understanding that life is finite may actually help people live more intentionally.

Practicing Awareness Across the Lifespan

Importantly, the authors are not suggesting savasana should simulate death or replace medical or psychological care.

Instead, they propose that regular practice across the lifespan may help people develop familiarity with impermanence.

Over time this could:

• reduce fear of death
• encourage meaningful reflection
• support end-of-life planning
• improve emotional resilience

The Quiet Wisdom of the Pose

Yoga often teaches through experience rather than explanation.

Savasana may be one of those quiet teachings.

By lying still, releasing effort, and observing the breath, we practice something subtle but powerful:

letting go.

And perhaps this is one of the deepest lessons yoga offers.

Not simply how to relax.

But how to meet life—and eventually death—with awareness.

Reference

Rubenstein Fazzio, L., Pitman, A., & Prosko, S. (2026). Turning toward mortality: yoga’s savasana as a salutogenic practice for engaging with death anxiety. Frontiers in Public Health.