Corpse

shavasana

Level: Basic
Pronunciation: (shah-VAHS-anah)

Instructions

1. Lying on your back, let the arms and legs drop open, with the arms about 45 degrees from the side of your body. Make sure you are warm and comfortable, if you need to place blankets under or over your body.

2. Close the eyes, and take slow deep breaths through the nose. Allow your whole body to become soft and heavy, letting it relax into the floor. As the body relaxes, feel the whole body rising and falling with each breath.

3. Scan the body from the toes to the fingers to the crown of the head, looking for tension, tightness and contracted muscles. Consciously release and relax any areas that you find. If you need to, rock or wiggle parts of your body from side to side to encourage further release.

4. Release all control of the breath, the mind, and the body. Let your body move deeper and deeper into a state of total relaxation.

5. Stay in Shavasana for 5 to 15 minutes.

6. To release: slowly deepen the breath, wiggle the fingers and toes, reach the arms over your head and stretch the whole body, exhale bend the knees into the chest and roll over to one side coming into a fetal position. When you are ready, slowly inhale up to a seated position.

Benefits + Contraindications

Benefits: Corpse pose is essential to practice at the end of every yoga practice. This posture rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit while reducing stress and tension.

Contraindications: Third trimester of pregnancy.

Modifications + Variations

Modifications: Place a bolster or blankets under the low back and/or knees.

Vinyasa

Corpse pose is traditionally practiced at the end of a yoga sequence. It can however be used at the beginning to calm the body before practice or in the middle of a sequence to rest. When used at the end of a yoga practice it is traditionally followed by a seated meditation period to re-integrate the body-mind-spirit back into the world.

Share with

Friends & Students

Explore More

Grounding Poses
  • utkata konasana • goddess Squat

    Goddess Squat

  • Half Wind Relieving Pose

    Half Wind Relieving Pose

  • sukhasana • easy pose

    Easy Pose

  • Wind Relieving Pose / pavana muktasana

    Wind Relieving Pose

  • Hero pose / Virasana

    Hero

  • Corpse pose / shavasana savasana

    Corpse

  • Crocodile Pose • makarasana

    Crocodile

  • Tadasana • Mountain

    Mountain Pose

Remove Ads with a

Premium Membership

Viewing ads supports YogaBasics, which allows us to continue bringing you quality yoga content. Sign up for a premium membership to remove all ads and enjoy uninterrupted access to the best yoga resources on the web.

Categories for Corpse

Asana Type

Focus

Chakras

Elements

Explore More

Yoga TipsAdviceArticlesPracticesBasicsTechniques

  • daily yoga practice

    The Importance of a Daily Yoga Practice

  • Best Yoga Products for Beginners

    The Best Yoga Essentials for Beginners

  • yoga pose symbol

    5 Popular Yoga Poses And What They Symbolize

  • Home Yoga Studio

    15 Tips for Creating an Amazing Home Yoga Studio

  • Equilibrium Tranquility Yoga Pose

    8 Ways to Create Equilibrium and Tranquility in Yoga

  • Five Vayus

    The Five Vayus

  • Yoga Affects Body Image

    The Powerful Link Between Yoga and Body Satisfaction

  • Equanimity Through mantra meditation

    7 Ways to Find Equanimity Through Yoga

  • Yoga for Flexibility: Top Tips and Best Poses

    Yoga for Flexibility: Top Tips and Best Poses

10 responses to “Corpse”

  1. Tyrone Cranford Avatar
    Tyrone Cranford

    I am a 69 year old man, when I do this pose for 5 minutes or so I feel good. When I get up my body spasms inside, especially my kidney area. Is that normal? It take me about 15 minutes to be able to get up off the floor and the pain is almost unbearable.

    1. Timothy Burgin Avatar
      Timothy Burgin

      No this is not normal. You need to see a doctor.

  2. jeff Avatar
    jeff

    Tyrone, what was the out come of your spasms inside and are you still doing that pose?

  3. janny crocket Avatar
    janny crocket

    This is my favorite yoga pose!

  4. johhny Avatar
    johhny

    I love this pose…so very relaxing and makes me ready for the day ahead!

  5. Rachael Littler Avatar
    Rachael Littler

    when you learn to relax into this position, you’ll find yourself feeling more at ease than ever before.

  6. Happy Avatar
    Happy

    I’m 50 years and this pose energise my whole body and keeps my mind relaxed the whole day

  7. Lucy Johs Avatar
    Lucy Johs

    I’m loving the Corpse Pose! The calming effects are amazing and I can definitely feel the benefits in my body and mind. It’s amazing how something as simple as the Corpse Pose can have such a strong impact.

  8. Fiona Anderson Avatar
    Fiona Anderson

    I’m so grateful for the mindful moments I get to experience while doing Corpse Pose. it’s a great way to re-energize and recenter.

  9. Katarina Novak Avatar
    Katarina Novak

    I am relatively new to yoga, but I have already found the Corpse Pose to be one of my favorite postures. It is a great way to quiet the mind and release tension from the body. I always feel like a new person after practicing this pose.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Yoga Basics