The Post Therapy Savasana in a Virtual World

Before the pandemic many of us had a host of little rituals we engaged in daily. The coffee shop we went to in the morning, the crossing guard or train conductor we exchanged verbal or non verbal pleasantries with on our morning commute, or the playlist we would put on as we were packing up our desk or office at the end of the day. These rituals were instantly sacrificed during the Covid-19 lock down. However, it was quickly realized that these rituals were far more important than we may have known at the time. People began creating new rituals like mid-day walks or weekly zoom game nights with friends or family. 

In the same way, in person therapy prior to Covid-19 had its hosts of mini rituals. Perhaps it was the route you too to get to your therapist's office, the exchange you had with the receptionist, or the way your therapist would greet you or bid you goodbye in the waiting room. For many, these smalls moments were important parts of the therapeutic experience. 

I think many of us can agree that telehealth therapy has been an amazing addition to the field. It has allowed people more access and flexibility to incorporate therapy into their lives by removing barriers such as transportation, work schedules, child care, and more. However, that flexibility can come with the loss of ritual if we are not mindful. Cue the Post Therapy Savasana. 

The Savasana Pose is a yoga pose, often referred to as “the final rest” or “dead body pose.” You are invited to lay on your back and allow your body to sink into a comfortable position. I remember one of the first yoga classes I ever participated in, the instructor invited us into our final rest or savasana. I welcomed the opportunity to lay down, motionless on my mat - as the class had admittedly kicked my ass. But as I was laying there, the instructor began to talk about the pose itself and claimed it to be the most important pose of the entire class. I respectfully called bull shit in my head, thinking about all the poses throughout the class where my body shook to the core. However, the instructor began to disclose exactly why savasana was so important, and it all made sense. This is where the body bakes in all the hard work the practice required. It is an opportunity for the parasympathetic nervous system to activate, achieving a true state of restoration. 

Therapy can feel like emotional yoga. Cathartic, uncomfortable, unfamiliar, and empowering. In the same way we dont want to run out of our yoga class before we have a chance to cool down, we don’t want to jump onto our next zoom call seconds after ending the call with our therapist. 

The 50 minutes you spend in session deserves to be honored with a Savasna, whatever that might look like for you, to bake in all the hard emotional work and mark the end of your session with intention. Over the years, I have had clients light a candle in the beginning of a session and blow it out at the end. Clients who listen to a song to mark the end of the session, take a walk, make a cup of tea, journal, or stretch. Practices that allow the work of the therapy to be honored and give you a nice moment of pause before entering back into the flow of your day.