Corpse Pose
the 12 Basic asanas
Corpse Pose: The classic relaxation pose.
Savasana is practised before each session, between asanas and in Final Relaxation. It looks deceptively simple, but is is in fact one of the most difficult asanas to do well and one which changes and develops with practice. At the end of an asana session, your Corpse Pose will be more complete than at the beginning because the other asanas will have progressively stretched and relaxed your muscles.
Many important physiological changes take place in Savasana, reducing the body’s energy loss, removing stress, lowering respiration and pulse rate, and resting the whole system. As you enter deep relaxation, you will feel your mind grow clear and detached.
To progressively achieve deep relaxation.
Lie on your back, feet spread about 18 inches apart and hands about 6 inches from your sides, palms up.
Ease yourself into the pose, making sure the body is symmetrical.
Rotate your legs in and out, then let them fall gently out to the sides. Do the same with your arms. Rotate the spine by turning your head from side to side to centre it.
Then start stretching yourself out, as though someone were pulling your head away from your feet, your shoulders down and away from your neck, your legs down and away from your pelvis.
Close your eyes and feel your weight pulling you deeper into relaxation, melting your body into the floor. Breathe deeply and slowly from the abdomen, riding up and down on the breath, sinking deeper with each exhalation. Feel how your abdomen swells and falls.
To check that you are breathing correctly, exhale and place your hands on your abdomen, fingers loosely interlocked. When you inhale, your abdomen should rise up, separating your hands.
Lie down on your front, legs slightly apart, toes touching, and allow your heels to fall out to the sides. Make a pillow with your hands. Lengthen the body, tense and relax the muscles. Feel your body sinking into the floor as you exhale.
Use this pose after any asana performed on the abdomen (such as the Cobra or Bow), alternating on which side you place your head.
Swami Vishnudevananda
Sivananda Yoga Centres
