** Posture: Shava-asana The Corpse Pose ** Translation: The term shava in Sanskrit means corpse, hence this is the Corpse. The mrta-asana is another name for the shava-asana. **Pronunciation: sha-vah-sa-na ** Difficulty: (1) ** Instructions: 1- Lie flat on your back with your legs together but not touching and your arms close to your body, palms up. 2- Gently shut your eyes and relax your face muscles while breathing deeply and slowly through your nose. 3- Bring your focus to each area of your body, starting at the top of your head and working your way down to your feet, intentionally relaxing it before moving on to the next. 4- Hold the shava-asana pose for 3 to 5 minutes, or longer. If you start to feel drowsy in shava-asana, start breathing quicker and deeper. ** Benefits While many people think this is a simple stance at first, its simplicity is misleading. The shava-asana aims to bring the body and mind to a state of absolute stillness and relaxation. Not only should the body remain immobile and at rest, but the mind should be as silent as a still lake's surface. The ultimate consequence will be a deep and stable calm that will carry over into your meditation or be felt while you go about your regular activities. It goes without saying that perfecting shava-asana will take time. This position will benefit greatly from the simple practice of concentrating your attention on each region of your body and intentionally directing your breath there. Sleepiness and a restless mind are two major hurdles that might hinder you from completely benefiting from this posture. If you start to feel sleepy in shava-asana, increase the rate and depth of your breathing. Focus your attention on all of the physiological sensations you're having if your mind is restless or wandering. Bring your attention to the feel of the ground under you or the rhythm of your breath. You should always begin and conclude each session with shavaasana when practicing your Yoga-asana program. ** Duration/Repetitions: Beginning your yoga-asana practice with at least 3-5 minutes of shavaasana is recommended. Return to it during your posture practice to rest and re-energize your body/mind, and then finish with at least 3-5 minutes longer.