Day 11 of Yoga for Beginners: How to Get the Most Out of Savasana

Now that you have 9 basic yoga poses and information on how to practice safely, it’s time to start putting it all together!

You have enough poses to pull off 9–18 minutes of yoga practice.

But then what?

Photo by Anton Shuvalov on Unsplash

How To Do Corpse Pose, or Savasana

Savasana means “corpse pose,” so I think you can “play dead” properly. But there are some things to know:

• Lie on your back on your yoga mat with your arms at your sides
• Spread your shoulders and collarbone so your palms are facing up
• Spread your feet a distance apart that is comfortable for you and let your feet fall so your toes angle outward
• Relax and take some deep breaths as you feel the weight of your body sink into the floor. Stay still during the pose. Savasana is for integrating your yoga practice.

Stay for at least 90 seconds. Be mindful of your breath as you enter the pose, but let that effort go once you’ve established comfort in the pose and a few deep breaths.

Variations on Savasana

This isn’t one to do if you have a back injury, pneumonia, or other breathing problems.