Corpse Pose
Corpse Pose Exercise Description
Corpse Pose (Savasana) is a supine relaxation posture used at the end of a session to allow full-body stillness, neutral alignment, and calm breathing. Lying on your back with the limbs comfortably extended encourages a natural resting position of the spine, hips, and shoulders while minimizing unnecessary muscle activity. The pose emphasizes diaphragmatic breathing and body awareness, helping you notice and release residual muscular tension without forcing a stretch. Arms rest slightly away from the ribcage with palms up to promote open shoulders and relaxed forearms; legs are comfortably apart with feet falling outward to avoid hip and knee bracing. The focus is on quiet posture, even breath, and gentle scanning of the body from head to toe. Corpse Pose is simple but precise: small adjustments to head, shoulder blade position, and pelvis help maintain a neutral neck and lumbar curve so the body can settle evenly into the floor.
- Muscle Groups: Core
- Target Muscles: Diaphragm
- Assisting Muscles: Intercostals
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Core, Torso
- Body Surface: Front
- Body Symmetry: Other
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Stretching
- Functional Grouping: Breathing Muscles
- Joint Involvement: Other
- Muscle Location: Breathing Muscle
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Anterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Corpse Pose Exercise
‘- Lie on your back with your head, spine, and pelvis in one line.
– Extend legs comfortably apart; allow feet to fall outward without effort.
– Lengthen your tailbone slightly toward your heels to find a neutral lumbar curve.
– Place arms 6–12 inches from your sides; palms face up, fingers naturally curled.
– Gently draw shoulder blades down and back so the chest is open without arching.
– Soften the jaw and forehead; let the tongue rest on the floor of the mouth.
– Breathe through the nose; allow the lower ribs and abdomen to expand on inhale and settle on exhale.
– Perform a slow body scan, releasing any gripping in the toes, hips, abdomen, and shoulders.
– If the low back feels tense, bend knees with feet flat, hip-width apart.
– To exit, deepen your breath, wiggle fingers and toes, roll onto one side, and press up to seated.
Corpse Pose Tips
‘- Align head, spine, and pelvis in one straight line as you lie on your back.
– Let legs rest comfortably apart and allow feet to fall outward without effort.
– Gently lengthen your tailbone toward your heels to settle into a neutral lumbar curve.
– Place arms 6–12 inches from your sides with palms facing up and fingers naturally curled.
– Draw shoulder blades slightly down and back so the chest opens without increasing the back arch.
– Soften your jaw and forehead and let your tongue rest on the floor of your mouth.
– Breathe through your nose, letting the lower ribs and abdomen expand on inhale and settle on exhale.
– Use a slow body scan to release gripping in the toes, hips, abdomen, and shoulders.
– If your low back feels tense, bend your knees with feet flat and hip-width apart.
Corpse Pose Beginner Introduction
Corpse Pose (Savasana) is a classic yoga rest position often placed at the end of a practice to encourage deep relaxation and quiet awareness. The body settles on the floor in a comfortable, face-up position, giving the spine, hips, and shoulders a chance to arrange themselves in an easy, balanced way with very little muscular effort. Gentle, unhurried breathing and mental attention to different areas of the body support a gradual release of lingering tightness rather than an active stretch, creating a meditative, grounding experience.
In this pose, the legs extend out with a natural amount of space between them, and the feet typically roll outward so the hips and knees can relax. The arms rest a short distance from the sides of the torso, palms turned upward so the chest and forearms feel open and at ease. Subtle refinements in head, neck, and pelvis position help maintain the spine’s natural curves, while softening the face, jaw, and tongue supports a sense of whole-body stillness from head to toe.