(1).png)
The Corpse Pose can be done by:
1. Start out lying on your back and rest your arms alongside the body with the palms facing upwards. Extend your legs straight out in front of you and allow your feet to drop out to the side to relax the legs completely. Close your eyes softly.
2. Take slow deep breaths through your nose, if possible. Slowly inhale, hold the breath for a second or two, and then slowly exhale, again pause and holding the breath for a second or two – keep repeating and find a natural flow to your breath. Allow every muscle in the body to rest. Keep bringing your attention back to your body, feeling every muscle and trying to relax them.
3. Start relaxing the muscles in the tips of your toes then move towards your feet and legs. Work your way up to your legs, towards your hips - and then from your lower back - up towards the upper back and back of your shoulders. - Bring your attention then back towards your hips and this time scan up the front of the body from the lower belly up towards your chest and armpits. - Allow the front of your body to melt down into the back of your body. – Then bring your attention to your fingertips and scan up both arms, keeping them heavy until you reach your shoulders again. - Drop the back of your neck down towards the ground, soften your jaw, muscles around your mouth and eyes and the space between your eyebrows. - Relax the muscles in your forehead, drop the back of the head down completely into the ground and finally bring the attention to the crown of your head, while keeping an expressionless face.
4. You can even go a level deeper and focus on your core and heartbeat. Keep breathing slowly and steadily.
5. Release all control of your breath and go deeper into releasing the tension. If thoughts arise - as they probably will - keep bringing your attention towards observing your breath.
6. Stay in this position for about 10 minutes or whatever feels right.
7. Once you are ready to come out of the pose starts to slowly bring some movement back into the body again, by wiggling your fingers and your toes. From here, roll over onto your right side and slowly come back towards a sitting position allowing your head to come up last.
OPTIONS
• If you are uncomfortable in this lying position. You can try it out with a rolled-up blanket or firm pillow under your lower back or knees.
• If you have pain in your neck you can support your head with a blanket.
CAUTIONS
Read the following cautions to stay safe:
• This pose is, most of the time, performed for a longer period of time (more than 10 minutes). Because of this and the passiveness of the pose, your body will cool off. So it can be useful to keep a blanket close by, to pull over yourself once you start the pose.
• If you are in a late-term pregnancy it should be better to avoid this lying position or modify it by lying on your side perhaps with a cushion or bolster between your knees.