शवासन
Shavasana — the Resting Pose
śava = corpse — lying utterly still
The hardest pose of all: doing absolutely nothing, completely.
In the simplest words
Lie on your back like a starfish and pretend to be completely still — but don't fall asleep! Just feel your breath going in and out by itself. This is the pose where your body says "thank you" for all the others.
What it is
Every practice ends here: flat on the back, limbs released, eyes closed, the body as still as its name implies. Shavasana is where the work of the practice is absorbed — teachers refuse to skip it for good reason. The stillness is physical only: inside, attention stays softly awake, watching breath come and go on its own. Five honest minutes of it can restore more than an hour of scrolling ever will.
Before you practise — health first
In late pregnancy lie on the left side instead (a pillow between the knees). If the lower back complains, place a bolster under the knees.
Getting into it
Lie on the back, legs a little apart and rolling open, arms away from the body, palms up.
Tuck the shoulder blades slightly under; lengthen the back of the neck.
Close the eyes and release the body part by part, face included — jaw, tongue, brow.
Let the breath breathe itself; simply watch it.
To come out, deepen the breath, move fingers and toes, roll to the right, and rise slowly.
The breath
No technique at all — the natural breath, observed.
What it is kept for
Absorbing the practice, deep rest, the doorway into yoga nidra.