Corpse Pose
Author: Stuart K. Jackson | 
This is the ultimate relaxation posture. So much so that many people will fall asleep while practicing it for longer periods of time. If this happens to you don’t beat yourself up over it, rejoice in the fact that you
were able to relax so much that you got some needed sleep as well.
The Sanskrit name of this pose is Savasana, when you break that up into two words you get sava meaning “corpse” and asana.
Corpse pose is often the last position in a yoga routine or a resting transition pose. While doing yoga we are concentrating on relaxing into each posture, our breath and focusing our mind on thoughts of purification. We also build up internal heat from the postures as they stimulate our bodies into healing. By doing corpse pose you will encourage your body and mind to cool down and relax completely.
The Pose
- Start by lying down on your back with your hands and arms relaxed at your sides.
- Take the time to inventory your entire body, looking for areas that are tense or strained. Do your best to release and relax any tense areas you find.
- Slow your breathing down to a reasonably relaxed pace. Allow your mind to slow down as well, it is often helpful to think about the yoga routine you just finished and to re-inventory your body for any tense areas that you need to relax.
- You will find certain areas will automatically become tense again after some time has passed, spend sometime releasing the tension for these areas any time you feel it.
Depending on the amount of time you have, corpse pose can be done for a few minutes to a few hours. When you have completed doing corpse pose, please get up slowly and deliberately; you might get a head rush if you get up too fast.
Benefits
- Counteracts stress
- Relieves headaches
- Eliminates Fatigue
- Improves digestions
- Helps with insomnia