We are all familiar with the way that our bodies harden and tense when we are under stress, but we are less accustomed to the experience of easing and undoing. Deep Relaxation (Corpse Pose) teaches us quietness and surrender, and gives us an experience of being completely supported. We can see and feel our breath and become aware of the power of our attention. We discover the release that takes place spontaneously in our bodies when we are still and attentive.

Notice that your muscles soften and lengthen as they relax, and that this relaxation can radiate through your body. As you relax, you will feel heavier and more in contact with the floor. These sensations increase with time. You may think that eventually you will reach a point of complete relaxation from which there is no further release. In fact, the quieter you become and the longer you practice, the more you will be able to go on releasing further and further with your breath.

Deep Relaxation brings you into contact with the back of your body and gives you the experience of being completely supported from the back. Passive breathing, which you learn in Deep Relaxation, is the foundation of all of the poses. If your breathing is strained or stressed at any time, it is telling you that there is strain or undue force in the pose.

Deep Relaxation is an orientation to your entire practice. It is not simply a way of resting or a counterbalance to more active poses. It brings you to the passive release that is at the core of the work. It is a benchmark that shows us what it means to release with gravity, what a passive breath feels like. We see in Deep Relaxation that our bodies do release spontaneously and without effort on our part. Deep Relaxation shows us that something really can and does happen when we become quiet and surrender. There is a tremendous simplicity, integration, and wholeness to the pose.

As you learn to carry the ease of Deep Relaxation through into other poses, even strenuous or difficult ones, the distinction between easy and difficult dissolves. You will find ways of doing advanced poses with less and less effort.

Deep Relaxation (Corpse Pose, Savasana)

• Lie on your back with your legs straight and your arms at your side, palms up.

In addition to being comfortable, you must also be lying straight. Deep Relaxation is an excellent opportunity to observe your alignment. Lift your head and check to see if your spine is straight, your hip bones are level with each other, and your legs are hip-width apart. Your arms should be equal distances from the sides of your body.

To relax your neck, reach behind the back of your head and feel the muscles just under the rim of your skull. Gently massage them, then stretch the back of your neck away from your shoulders. As the back of your neck releases, your chin will drop. Center your chin in line with the notch between your collarbones as you let your head rest back.

As your lower back releases, imagine that your heels are being gently stretched away from the back of your waist.

If your upper back is stiff, place a folded towel or blanket behind your head to keep the back of your neck long.

If you have lower back problems, you will probably prefer to put a pillow or rolled blanket under your knees, or to do Lying Release Pose.

Lying Release Pose

• Lie on the floor with your knees bent, arms at your sides, palms up.
  Sink down into the floor with your exhalation to release and lengthen your lower back. You can also rest your hands on your belly to follow your breath.

Variations

• Lie with your legs resting against a wall or on the seat of a chair.
  These positions improve circulation in your legs and support your lower back.

How to Practice

Deep Relaxation Pose is difficult precisely because the position is so simple. Your eyes are closed and it is easy to be distracted. Concentration takes practice, and many people give up too soon. Like anything else worthwhile, you will need time, focus, and commitment to come to a state of quiet balance. And it takes many years of practice to be able to sustain it. But the value of this practice is inestimable. There are a number of simple techniques that you can use to help your concentration.

• Talk yourself through the relaxation.
  Start from your head and work down to your feet. Finish with a passive focus on the movement of your belly as you breathe. You may find a relaxation tape helpful.
• Mentally say “inhaling” while you are inhaling, and “exhaling” while you are exhaling.
• Count your breaths: inhale one, exhale two, inhale three. When you get to ten or lose the count, start again.
• Place your hands on your chest or belly, wherever you can feel your breath.
  As you become quiet, slowly move your hands lower until you can feel your breathing in the area between your pubic bone and your navel.
• Start with your hands on your lower abdomen, and wait for your breath to drop.
• Cover your eyes with a small towel or wrap a scarf or tensor bandage loosely around your head.
  Relaxing your eyes is soothing and helpful. Try using eye bags filled with rice or flaxseed or eye masks like the ones people use to help them sleep on airplanes.

You can start your practice with relaxation in order to give yourself time to shift your attention from your day-to-day concerns inward to your body and your breath. Quiet attention to your breath clears your mind, and your nervous system shifts to the passive relaxation response.

It is also important to take time to be quiet after doing the poses so that you can integrate your practice, physically and mentally. Observe the cumulative effects and benefits of your practice. Seeing these positive changes gives you encouragement, direction, and purpose. If your practice has gone well, you will be more in contact with the floor, and you will be able to feel continuing release without effort or intervention. Your mind will be quieter and your attention more focused. Gradually, you will find a place of inner quiet. The final relaxation also gives you time to make the transition back to the “outer” world.

We all go through periods of more intense stress when even a moment of quiet attention is elusive. However, if you are consistently tense and distracted at the end of your practice, you should think about why, and determine what changes you need to make. You may be forcing your breathing or pushing yourself in the poses, creating tension rather than releasing it. You may find that you need more time to practice, or that you need to make some other changes in your life to reduce the stress.

While most people love Deep Relaxation Pose, some people are frightened or threatened by the passivity and stillness. If it is a very difficult pose for you, and you keep finding reasons to avoid it, try sitting in a simple sitting pose instead.

On the other hand, some people fall asleep during the relaxation. You may fall asleep because you are tired, or because you cannot separate relaxation and sleep. At times, sleep is a form of resistance to the awareness that comes with deep and conscious relaxation.

When you are used to lying quietly, lengthen the period of relaxation from time to time. This deepens the experience and prepares you for more advanced breathing techniques. It is beneficial when you are tired, ill, or burned-out. A long Deep Relaxation Pose is cooling and you may want to cover yourself before you start. You may also want to lie on a folded blanket, so that your back can relax more easily.

Both Deep Relaxation Pose and pranayama (breathing practice) bring one’s attention to the mind and emotions. As you become quieter, you can observe your thoughts and feelings, which may have been pushed aside or repressed. Knowing that feelings may surface will reduce your guilt or confusion if it happens. You may sometimes burst into tears or have powerful dreams after a deep relaxation or breathing practice, but this is all part of the process, and is often a sign of opening or progress.