Shavasana

The Gheranda Samhita is brief and precise: lie on the ground like a corpse, face upward; this posture removes fatigue and gives rest to the mind. It is the only classical asana whose entire content is the absence of effort. In hatha practice it closes a session and is used between strong practices, and it is the posture in which yoga nidra and many withdrawal practices are done. The tradition's image is deliberate — practising death, letting the body be entirely set down — and it belongs with pratyahara, where attention is drawn inward because nothing outward is being managed.

• Lowers physiological arousal, easing heart rate and muscle tension through complete stillness
• Consolidates the effects of a preceding practice by giving the nervous system time to settle
• Trains conscious relaxation of every muscle group in turn
• Provides the entry posture for yoga nidra and other withdrawal (pratyahara) practices
• Offers a rest position accessible regardless of strength or flexibility

1. Lie on the back on a mat or blanket, legs a comfortable distance apart.
2. Place a thin cushion under the head and, if the lower back is uncomfortable, a bolster under the knees.
3. Turn the palms upward, arms slightly away from the body.
4. Close the eyes and let the whole weight of the body settle into the floor.
5. Let the breath find its own rhythm; do not lengthen or control it.
6. Pass attention slowly through the body, releasing each part.
7. Stay ten to twenty minutes. Come out by deepening the breath, moving the fingers and toes, then rolling to one side before sitting up.

Falling fully asleep. Savasana is meant to be alert stillness, not sleep — a light external cue such as a timer helps keep awareness present.

Forcing the lower back flat. Pressing the spine into the floor creates tension rather than releasing it; let the natural curve be supported by a bolster under the knees instead.

Fidgeting through minor discomfort. Settle the body fully before beginning, since small adjustments mid-practice interrupt the release that gives the pose its value.

Rushing back to activity. Coming up too quickly, especially rolling straight to standing, can cause light-headedness — roll to one side and pause before rising.

Easier: Support the knees with a bolster to release lower-back tension, or place a rolled blanket under the ankles.

Easier: For late pregnancy or back discomfort, lie on the left side with a cushion between the knees instead of on the back.

Harder (deepening): Extend the hold to fifteen or twenty minutes with a recorded body scan or yoga nidra script.

Variation: Legs-up-the-wall (viparita karani) offers a related resting shape when lying flat is uncomfortable.

Classically this is the posture of complete surrender of effort: nothing is held, nothing is worked, and attention turns entirely inward. It is grouped with pratyahara because there is no outward task left to manage, only the breath and the mind to observe.

Breath in savasana is left to find its own rhythm rather than being directed, and the stillness of the body is meant to mirror a corresponding stillness of thought — the tradition frames this as practising death, letting the body be set down completely.

Supine rest with slow breathing reliably shifts autonomic balance: heart rate and blood pressure fall, heart-rate variability rises, and measures of muscle tension drop, typically within five to ten minutes. Trials of guided relaxation in this position show reductions in perceived stress and improvements in sleep quality. Comfort is what allows the physiology to happen: a thin support under the head keeps the neck neutral, and a bolster under the knees reduces lumbar extension, which is the most common reason people cannot settle. In later pregnancy, lying flat on the back can compress the vena cava and cause dizziness — side-lying is the appropriate alternative.