Savasana

Shavasana, Savasana (shah-VAH-sah-nah; (pronounced /ˌʃəˈvaˌsəˌnə/); Sanskrit: शवासन; IAST: śavāsana), or Corpse Pose is an asana. Shavasana is a pose usually done at the end of a yoga practice in which practitioners lay flat on their backs with the heels spread as wide as the yoga mat and the arms at the sides of the body, palms facing upward.

The name comes from the Sanskrit words Shava (शव, Śava) meaning "corpse" and Asana (आसन, Āsana) meaning "posture" or "seat". Although it is difficult to find information on the history of shavasana, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika contains the earliest mention of this pose. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika states “lying full length on the back like a corpse is called Savasana. With this asana, tiredness caused by other asanas is eliminated; it also promotes calmness of the mind.”

Yoga is a system of mental and physical training. It consists of postures, breathing exercises, and meditations that give knowledge of reality to many practitioners. Shavasana and other sitting postures maintain the balance between relaxation and meditation (two key components of yoga) by their equal input of physical stimuli.

According to many yoga students and instructors, Shavasana is said to be the most important part of a yoga practice. This pose is achieved by lying on the back with the arms legs spread as wide as the yoga mat and arms relaxed to the side. The eyes are closed and the breath is deep with the use deergha (long) pranayama. The whole body is relaxed on the floor with an awareness of the chest and abdomen rising and falling with each breath. During Shavasana, all parts of the body are scanned for muscular tension of any kind. Any muscular tension the body finds is consciously released as it is found. All control of the breath, the mind, and the body is then released for the duration of the asana, typically 20–30 minutes.

The asana is released by slowly deepening the breath, flexing the fingers and toes, reaching the arms above the head, stretching the whole body, and exhaling while bringing the knees to the chest and rolling over to the side in a fetal position.

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