Corpse Pose (Savasana)

Steps

Lie on your back. Let the feet fall open and the arms rest a little away from the sides.
Support the head with a thin fold of blanket if the chin pokes up. A bolster under the knees is welcome.
Soften the jaw, the tongue, and the hands.
Stay for a few minutes if you can. Roll to one side before you sit up.

What this pose may help with

These lines describe why people practice the shape. A pose may help with ordinary stiffness or with settling your attention. They are not claims that the pose treats or cures a condition.

Gives the nervous system a chance to settle after movement.
A practice of doing less, which is harder than it sounds.
The natural ending of the routines on this site.

Common mistakes

Skipping it because it does not look like exercise.
Fidgeting into a stretch you meant to finish earlier.
Getting up quickly and feeling lightheaded.

Modifications

Knees bent, feet on the floor, if the lower back prefers that.
Side-lying with a pillow between the knees, especially in pregnancy or if lying flat is uncomfortable.

Practicing Corpse Pose at home

Corpse Pose, or Savasana, is simple on the outside and often surprisingly active on the inside. You’re lying on your back with your feet falling open and your arms a little away from your sides, but the real practice is letting go of the urge to keep adjusting. Many people find it helps to think of this as the moment when the rest of practice settles in. If your chin tips up, place a thin folded blanket under your head. If your lower back wants more ease, try a bolster under your knees, or keep your knees bent with your feet on the floor.

What you’re looking for is not perfect stillness. It’s a gradual softening in the jaw, tongue, hands, and belly. Let your breath move through your nose if that’s comfortable, without trying to deepen it. If you notice yourself planning dinner or replaying the day, that’s normal. Gently come back to the feeling of the floor holding you. If you feel fidgety, see if the urge passes before you move. That can be the work here.

This pose fits well at the end of any home practice, even a short one. Stay for a few minutes if you can, then roll to one side before sitting up. If lying flat makes you feel breathless or uneasy, lie on your side with a pillow between your knees or come to a seated position instead. You’ll know it’s working for you if you get up feeling a little less rushed and more settled, rather than groggy or strained.

Safety

If lying flat makes you breathless or anxious, bend the knees, lie on your side, or sit.
Get up slowly. Dizziness on standing is a reason to pause.
This pose is rest, not a treatment for insomnia or anxiety. If those are ongoing, talk with a clinician.

If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.

Corpse Pose (Savasana, said shah-VAHS-uh-nuh) is listed here as a Beginner Restorative pose. The body area it emphasizes is Full body. Stillness on your back. Nothing to fix. This is the part of practice where you let the work settle.

Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: Skipping it because it does not look like exercise. That line is there because the usual error is doing too much, not because a tighter shape is a better practice. The modifications keep the same idea when the full shape does not fit today. Use them on purpose. They are part of the pose, not a demotion.

People practice Corpse Pose for a plain reason: Gives the nervous system a chance to settle after movement. That “may help” is a description of why the shape is in a beginner library. It is not a claim that the pose treats, cures, or prevents a condition. If lying flat makes you breathless or anxious, bend the knees, lie on your side, or sit.

If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Corpse Pose. A safety note on a website is education. It is not clearance. Sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or pain that runs down a leg is a reason to stop and get care, not a reason to hold the shape longer. The medical disclaimer on this site says the same thing in more detail.

When you are done, come out slowly. One calm repetition you can repeat tomorrow is the point of the page. Pair Corpse Pose with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.

Routines that use this pose

Corpse Pose: common questions

How long should you stay in Corpse Pose?

A few minutes is enough for many beginners, especially at the end of a short practice. If you have the time and it feels comfortable, you can stay a bit longer. The aim is to rest without forcing stillness or drifting into discomfort.

What if your lower back hurts in Savasana?

Try placing a bolster under your knees, or bend your knees with your feet on the floor. Some people are more comfortable lying on one side with a pillow between the knees. If something pinches or feels strained, change the setup rather than pushing through it.

What should you do if lying flat in Corpse Pose feels uncomfortable?

If lying flat makes you feel breathless, anxious, or simply not at ease, choose a different version. Bend your knees, lie on your side, or sit instead. Corpse Pose is rest, so the shape should support that quiet feeling rather than make the body brace.