Śavāsana
Lie flat, fully awake and fully still; the hardest pose in the book and the one every practice ends with; conscious, deliberate rest.
How to practice
No technique at all, natural breath, watched but unguided; that is the whole practice.
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Lie on the back, legs falling naturally apart, arms beside the body, palms up.
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Let the shoulder blades settle evenly; tuck the chin slightly to lengthen the neck.
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Close the eyes (or soften the gaze); take one deliberate, sighing exhale.
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Scan from feet to face, releasing each part; then let the breath breathe itself.
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Rest 5–15 minutes; to finish, wiggle the fingers and toes, roll to the right side, and rise slowly.
Benefits
- Releases tension systematically from every part of the body
- Settles the nervous system, tridoshic by reputation, the great balancer
- Prepares the mind for meditation and deepens the integration of practice
- Teaches the difference between relaxation and collapse
Contraindications & cautions
- Late pregnancy, rest on the left side instead
- Back discomfort, place a cushion under the knees or a rolled blanket under the thighs
- Low mood or dissociation, keep the eyes softly open until settled
Skip or modify the pose on days a caution applies to you, and work with a qualified teacher for injuries, pregnancy or health conditions.
Watch a free guide
A free video walkthrough from a public teacher, loaded only when you scroll to it, via YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
In the tradition
Śavāsana looks like sleep and asks for its opposite: attention without effort. The Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā lists it almost casually among the four chief sitting-and-lying poses, then credits it with destroying fatigue, every teacher since has ended class with it for the same reason. For every dosha, the instruction is identical: stay, and let go a little more.
Sources & further reading
- Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā , Svātmārāma (chapter 1, verse 32; lying like a corpse, the pose that removes fatigue and rests the mind)
- Corpse Pose (video guide) (opens in a new tab) , Yoga With Adriene
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books and videos are shared as further guidance, not as prescriptions.