Although it looks easy, SaaS (Corpse Pose) has been called the most difficult of the lasagnas. Indeed, many yoga students who can happily balance, bend, and twist through the rest of class struggle with just lying on the floor. The reason is that the art of relaxation is harder than it looks. It doesn’t happen on demand: You can’t just say, “OK, I’m going to relax, right now!” (Just ask the millions of Americans who have trouble falling asleep at night.) That’s why SaaS is such a gift. The pose sets up the conditions that allow you to gradually enter a truly relaxed state, one that is deeply refreshing in itself and that also can serve as a starting point for meditation.
When you first start practicing SaaS, it can be a struggle to relax in the pose; you may lie there feeling tense and staring at the ceiling. Or, like some students, you might fall asleep the moment you lie down. The essence of SaaS is to relax with attention, that is, to remain conscious and alert while still being at ease. Remaining aware while relaxing can help you begin to notice and release long-held tensions in your body and mind.
SaaS is a practice of gradually relaxing one body part at a time, one muscle at a time, and one thought at a time.When you do this practice day after day, it conditions the body to release stress and can improve your sense of physical and emotional well-being. But when you have allowed tightness and tension to build up in your body, relaxing—even when you lie down—feels impossible. That’s why it’s important to practice the other, active lasagnas before attempting SaaS because they stretch, open, and release tension in the muscles. They also help relax the diaphragm, so the breath can move freely.
Working with props to support one part of the body at a time can help you learn to consciously relax and refine your practice of SaaS. Elevating the calves on a support (see Step 1) relaxes the legs, which can become fatigued from yoga practice, exercise, standing long hours, or even from sitting too long. This variation also improves circulation and releases tension in the back muscles, allowing you to rest more deeply in your SaaS. Elevating the back and supporting the head, on the other hand (see Step 2), helps to open your chest, release the shoulders, and enhance the natural flow of the breath. If your energy or mood is low or if you hold a lot of tension in your upper back and shoulders, this variation will be good for you. Observe the breath as you practice. Spend several minutes here taking long and even breaths. You may notice that your brain becomes quiet and your thoughts slow down, allowing your mind to become clear and focused.
In the full version of the pose, you will rest your entire body on the floor. Extend your arms and legs outward from the torso evenly and symmetrically. Mentally scan the body from head to feet, gradually releasing each body part and each muscle group; take time to notice all the places where the body is making contact with the floor. With each exhalation, imagine each limb getting a little heavier and spreading out a little more.
If you feel uncomfortable in any part of your body, you may need further support. Use props to relieve any pressure and release tension so you can fully relax. Lying flat on the floor is an unusual experience and can feel strange at first, so be patient with yourself. Over time, you’ll enjoy it more. Even if you feel like moving, try to stay there for a few minutes until it becomes easier. Gradually notice that a feeling of complete stillness draws you inside. You may notice that the breath has become quiet and almost invisible.
When coming out of SaaS, first take a few deep breaths. Give yourself a few moments to regain physical awareness of your arms and legs, and then slowly move your body with gentle attention.
A regular practice of SaaS will train you again and again in the art of relaxation, an essential quality for meditation and a true experience of yoga. As you release your physical body, you may even discover another part of yourself that is light and free.
Nikki Costello is a certified Siena Yoga teacher living in New York City.
Prepare for Rest
Practicing SaaS before sleeping can promote deep, quality sleep. Position yourself in bed using the same points of alignment and supports you use for SaaS on your mat. Spend several minutes in the pose relaxing your mind.
Step 1: Support Your Legs on a Chair
Relax your back and relieve your legs.
Set It Up:
1. Place your mat in front of a chair or couch.
2. Lie in the center of your mat with your knees bent.
3. Lift your legs, and place the back of your calves on the chair or couch.
4. Rest the back of the arms on the floor with the palms facing upward.
Refine: Adjust your support if necessary to be sure the entire calf, supported equally. Place a blanket under your head and neck (all the way to your shoulders) so that you can drop your chin and direct your gaze downward toward your heart. If you wear glasses, remove them. Place a cloth over your eyes. Turn the upper arm so that skin rolls away from the chest, and gently tuck the shoulder blades in toward your back so the center of the chest is broad and lifted. Be sure no part of the ;arm is touching the torso.
Finish: Relax the back muscles by allowing them to spread from the center out to the sides. Bring your attention to the whole back, feeling the back ribs in contact with the floor. With each inhalation, notice the back ribs spreading and the lungs filling. With each exhalation, notice them contracting. See if you can feel the floor with all parts of your back, from the pelvis to the head.
Step 2: Support Your Back and Head with Folded Blankets
Open your chest and observe your breath.
Set It Up:
1. Place a bolster or a stack of folded blankets vertically on your mat and another folded blanket where your head will rest.
2. Lie back on the bolster or blankets with your knees bent.
3. Place the folded blanket under your head and neck.
4. Extend your legs one at a time.
5. Check that each leg is equal distance from the midline of your body.
Refine: Be sure the blanket is under the entire neck, all the way to your shoulders. If you wear glasses, remove them now. Place a cloth over your eyes before adjusting your arms. Extend the arms at the sides. The arms should be far enough away from the torso to allow the upper inner arm to roll away from the chest. Keep your armpit area open and the shoulders releasing down toward the floor. Spread and open the palms and fingers, and then allow the back of the hand to soften and rest on the floor.
Finish: Bring your attention to your breath. Simply notice the natural flow of your breath coming in and going out. For several minutes, observe the breath and focus on filling the lungs evenly, right and left. Consciously expand the chest both upward and outward as you inhale; release the breath slowly and smoothly. The practice of breathing consciously, using this support, will have a soothing and calming effect on your nervous system.
Final Pose: SaaS
Set It Up:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent.
2. Keep your head centered, not allowing it to fall to either side.
3. Extend your arms to the sides.
Refine: If you’d like to use a blanket under your head or something over your eyes, prepare that before adjusting the arms. Turn the upper inner arms away from the trunk, and gently tuck the shoulder blades in, bringing a little lift to the chest. Do this without overarching the lower back. Maintain the arm position, and then stretch the legs out one by one. Allow the inner legs to roll outward and relax completely.
Finish:Allow your breath to flow smoothly in and out. Close your eyes and relax the facial muscles, beginning with the forehead and eyelids. Then relax the cheeks, lips, and tongue. (Relaxing your tongue will release tension in the face, which has a direct effect on the brain and mind.) Relax the throat and neck. Continue to bring attention to each part of the body, consciously relaxing each part, starting with the head and traveling all the way down to your feet. When the physical body is still and at rest, the breath naturally draws you inward toward the essence of yourself. Rest with a spacious feeling of light in your heart.
Optimize Your Pose
Explore these modifications of SaaS:
To relax the eyes and mind: Gently place a cloth or eye bag over your eyes to block out the light and relax the pupils.
To relax the abdomen: Place a sandbag, block, or a few blankets horizontally across your lower abdomen.
To support your neck: Place a folded blanket or cushion under your neck and head until your forehead is slightly higher than your chin.
To relax the lower back: Place a rolled-up blanket or cushion beneath your knees.
Elements of Practice
We are used to engaging our muscles and our brains to achieve our goals, yet in SaaS, we must become equally skilled at letting all that activity go in order for the pose’s beneficial effects to arise. It’s hard to let go of the idea that everything important happens when you are moving and taking action. Yet a deeper part of yourself waits for those moments when you are completely relaxed to reveal its truth. A feeling of connection, clarity, all-knowing ness, love, or joy may arise from this state of ease and relaxation—a taste of what meditation offers.
How to Do Corpse Pose in Yoga
The final pose of any yoga class is one of deep restoration: Corpse Pose, also sometimes called Final Relaxation Pose. Its Sanskrit name, “SaaS” (shah-AHS-uh-nu), comes from two words. The first is “Ava” (meaning “corpse”), and the second is “lasagna” (meaning “pose”). SaaS implies a depth of release that goes beyond simple relaxation. This resting pose takes your yoga practice to a place where you can completely let go.
Though it may seem like an easy pose, SaaS can actually be very tough to learn and practice well. The great yoga masters K. Attach Joins and B.C. Siena even called SaaS the most difficult of all yoga poses. For many students, the ability to lie completely still — like a corpse — while being both fully aware of and unattached from the present moment takes much practice and patience. Unlike active, moving, and physically demanding poses, SaaS requires a conscious decision to release the mental chatter and surrender fully into a state of presence.
The Most Important Pose in Yoga
Many, if not most, yoga traditions and yoga teachers regard SaaS as the single most important pose of your practice. For one thing, it allows your body time to process the information and benefits received from the poses (“lasagnas”) and breathing exercises (“panorama”). But the benefits of SaaS are much more than just physical — this pose enhances and renews the body, mind, and spirit.
SaaS is not nap time — you don’t actually fall asleep when practicing it. Instead, the idea is to remain present and aware for the complete duration of the pose. Doing so allows the mental chatter to settle, bringing your awareness even deeper into your innermost and highest state of consciousness. As you go deeper, you can begin to release the tangled knots of patterns (“sassafras”), emotions, and ideas that unconsciously guide your life — freeing you to become more whole and complete in your true essence.
Through the process of practicing SaaS, you can begin to view your life with more clarity and new awareness. The rejuvenating and mind-clearing aspects of SaaS provide you with the tools to deal with stress and emotions in your life off the mat.
Benefits of SaaS
Though it’s sometimes used to begin practice, SaaS is most often used to end practice to allow your body, mind, and spirit to fully relax and release tension. It’s a time to let lingering thoughts and worries fade away. From the depth and darkness of SaaS, you can be rejuvenated, refreshed, and reborn.
The deeply relaxing aspect of SaaS is known to be therapeutic for stress. When you’re under stress, your sympathetic nervous system produces a “fight or flight” response that can over-stimulate your mind and body, causing anxiety, fatigue, depression, and disease. Conversely, practicing SaaS stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system — known as the “rest and digest” response. Relaxing the physical body in SaaS has numerous benefits, including:
Lowered blood pressure
A decreased heart rate
Slowed rate of respiration
Decreased muscle tension
Decreased metabolic rate
The physical response can further result in:
Reduced occurrence of headaches
Relief from fatigue and insomnia
Reduced nervous tension
Relief from anxiety and panic attacks
Increased overall energy levels
Increased productivity
Improved concentration and memory
Clear-headedness and a sense of focus
Heightened self-confidence
In addition to the mind-body benefits, SaaS is also a time during your practice when you can connect with your peaceful, innermost self. The word “yoga” is often translated as “union,” referring to the connection between your mind, body, and spirit. When you settle into Savasana and become aware of this connection, you are truly practicing yoga.
SaaS is where people are most likely to experience the meaning of yoga, which is their conscious unity with Infinity… You lie there and look dead, but as you relax and sink into the feeling of the very alive energy that is being you, it literally feels like you come to life again.
Erich Chiffon
Cautions
SaaS is appropriate for all yoga students. If you are uncomfortable lying on your back, practice a supported version of the pose (see Modifications & Variations, below). Women who are pregnant should keep their head and chest raised in the pose by resting on a bolster or cushion. Always work within your own range of limits and abilities. If you have any medical concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing yoga.
Instructions
Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms at your sides. Rest your hands about six inches away from your body with your palms up. Let your feet drop open. Close your eyes. You may want to cover your body with a blanket.
Let your breath occur naturally.
Allow your body to feel heavy on the ground.
Working from the soles of your feet up to the crown of your head, consciously release every body part, organ, and cell.
Relax your face. Let your eyes drop deep into their sockets. Invite peace and silence into your mind, body, and soul.
Stay in SaaS for five minutes for every 30 minutes of your practice.
To exit the pose, first begin to deepen your breath. Bringing gentle movement and awareness back to your body, wiggling your fingers and toes. Roll to your right side and rest there for a moment. With an inhalation, gently press yourself into a comfortable seated position. Let your head be the last thing to come into place. Carry the peace and stillness of SaaS with you throughout the rest of your day.
Modifications & Variations
Since SaaS is such an important pose — and is often practiced for several minutes — it’s vital to feel comfortable when practicing it. Make whatever adjustments you need to feel fully supported in the pose. Here are some suggestions:
The body often cools down significantly after practice when resting in SaaS. You may want to keep a blanket, sweater, or a pair of socks close by to cover yourself up before settling into the pose.
If your low back is tight, it can be difficult to lie on your back comfortably. Placing a bolster underneath your knees takes weight off of your pelvis, which can allow the lumbar vertebrae and lower back to release and relax.
Don’t be afraid to use props, even if you don’t need them! For instance, eye pillows work wonders to block out the light in a studio with bright windows or non-dimmable lights. If you don’t have an eye pillow, place a folded towel over your eyes. You can also try a bolster under your knees; 10-pound sand bags draped across your thighs; or a folded blanket beneath your shoulder blades.
Women who are pregnant should not lie completely flat in SaaS. Instead, rest the upper body on a bolster or stack of firm pillows and blankets, keeping the chest and head above the belly.
Tips
Whether you’re brand new to yoga or have been practicing for many years, there’s one tip that applies to everyone: Don't skip SaaS!
The final relaxation portion of your practice is crucial. If you must leave class early, let your teacher know in advance, and take a short SaaS before you leave. In general, however, plan never to miss out on this pose. Take your time exiting the deep relaxation — doing so will help you keep the calm presence and focus throughout the rest of your day.
If you find yourself falling asleep in SaaS, take the necessary steps to address fatigue and sleep problems outside of your yoga practice. You may want to check out the disport guides, Yoga for Insomnia and Yoga for Stress Relief if dozing off in SaaS becomes a habit.
Relax to Renew
Practice SaaS at the end of every lasagna and panorama session. You can also do SaaS on its own, in place of an afternoon nap or cup of coffee. As you practice SaaS regularly, see if you can tap into that deeply relaxed state of inner awareness during your regular day. Learning to access that peaceful, present state of consciousness in all situations is the key to bringing your yoga practice off the mat and into the rest of your life.
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