This looks like a nap, but is a leadership must-do

Savasana – also called corpse pose — is deceptively simple.

You lie on your back, arms and legs spread at 45 degrees, with eyes shut and breath long and deep. Easy, right?

Nope.

Savasana might look like a nap. But it’s actually a fully conscious pose aimed at being awake, yet completely relaxed. And as any yogi knows, savasana can be the most difficult pose of the practice.

It’s tough because the mind and body tend to resist this conscious surrender. During savasana, practitioners can experience mind chatter, or agitation, or deep revelations, or aches and pains, or sensations of uncomfortable hot and cold. The list goes on and on.

But practicing savasana is beneficial because it helps us learn how to surrender to the moment and make space for peace and rest to fill the soul when it’s time for peace and rest to fill the soul.

Fostering a savasana-friendly mindset is critical for leaders — whether or not you do the pose or not. Recognizing moments of rest and actually resting is what allows your body and mind to re-energize so that you’re operating at your best self when you become active again.

I’ve recently taken this insight to heart by:

• Centering myself before every meeting and call by taking three deep breaths and doing a quick body scan.
• Avoiding filling 5 minute gaps in my day with distractions on the Internet. Instead, I look out the window and breath.
• Walking my dog each morning without listening to a podcast or the news. Just walking and being present.

These three small practices have radically changed my perspective.  I’ve noticed that I’ve become gentler during meetings and more creative with my work — even though this time of year is my busiest.

How can you incorporate a savasana-friendly mindset into your life? It doesn’t have to be big — just meaningful.