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Pose collection · 10 poses

Yoga poses lying down, on the mat or in bed

By the YogaPhilippines.com editorial teamUpdated 2 October 2026

Yoga poses lying down include Savasana, a lying twist, Happy Baby, Reclined Butterfly, Bridge and Legs Up the Wall on your back, and Sphinx, Cobra and Locust on your front. Most of the back-lying shapes also work in bed as gentle bed yoga before sleep, held for five to ten slow breaths each.

Beginner

A woman in a cream set rests in Savasana on her back, legs apart and arms open, head on a folded blanket, under palm-leaf shadows.

Corpse Pose

Savasana
Flat on your back, arms by your sides. A pillow under the knees if the lower back aches.
A woman in a cream set lies in a Supine Twist, knees dropped to one side and arms open wide, seen from above.

Supine Twist

Supta Matsyendrasana
Knees drop to one side, both shoulders stay down. Works well in bed.
A woman in a cream set lies on her back holding the outsides of her feet with knees wide in Happy Baby Pose.

Happy Baby Pose

Ananda Balasana
Hold the feet or the backs of the thighs, knees towards the armpits, and rock gently.
A woman reclines on a bolster in Reclined Butterfly, soles together and thighs resting on cork blocks, arms open.

Reclined Butterfly

Supta Baddha Konasana
Soles together, knees open onto pillows. One of the most comfortable bed yoga shapes.
A woman lies on her back with her legs resting up a plaster wall and a folded blanket under her hips, arms open.

Legs Up the Wall

Viparita Karani
Hips near a wall or the headboard, legs resting up it, for a few minutes.
A woman in an oat set lifts her hips into Bridge Pose, knees over ankles and arms flat beside her, on an oak floor beside a monstera.

Bridge Pose

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Feet flat, lift the hips a little. A block under the sacrum turns it into a rest.
A woman in a cream set lies in Fish Pose, legs straight and chest lifted on her forearms, crown of the head resting on the mat.

Fish Pose

Matsyasana
A gentle chest opener on the back, with a block or folded blanket under the upper back.
A woman in a stone set lies on her belly propped on her forearms in Sphinx Pose in an open-air Siargao shala.

Sphinx Pose

Salamba Bhujangasana
On your front, propped on the forearms. A gentle backbend with little effort.
A man lies on his belly with hands under his shoulders and elbows bent, lifting his chest into Cobra Pose in a sunlit studio.

Cobra Pose

Bhujangasana
On your front, hands under the shoulders, lift the chest a little with bent elbows.
A man lies on his belly and lifts his chest, arms and straight legs off the mat in Locust Pose, in a warm studio with palms.

Locust Pose

Salabhasana
On your front, lift the chest and legs together for a few breaths, then rest.

Yoga poses lying down are the shapes you do on your back or your front, with the floor holding most of your weight. They are where most classes end, and they are the easiest place to start if standing practice feels like too much today.

The back-lying shapes are gentle on balance and on the joints, which makes them a good fit for tired evenings, recovery days and older bodies. The front-lying ones, Sphinx, Cobra and Locust, are mild backbends that wake you up rather than wind you down.

How do you do bed yoga before sleep?

Use the back-lying shapes in this order: hug both knees in for a few breaths, then the lying twist on each side, Happy Baby, Reclined Butterfly with pillows under the knees, and finish flat in Savasana with the lights low. Five to ten slow breaths in each, longer in the last one. For the backs of the legs, add Reclined Hand to Big Toe Pose, a strapped hamstring stretch on your back, before the twist. If your bed has a headboard against a wall, Legs Up the Wall fits in before Savasana.

Skip the front-lying backbends in bed. The mattress is too soft for them, and backbends tend to energise. The bedtime yoga sequence gives you a ten-minute version with hold times, and yoga for sleep explains how to build an evening routine around it.

What should you know about lying flat for a long time?

Corpse Pose, Savasana, is the shape most people hold longest. A pillow under the knees takes pressure off the lower back, and a folded blanket under the head helps if your chin tips up. If lying on your back is uncomfortable, lie on your side with a pillow between the knees.

In pregnancy, check with your OB or midwife about lying on your back after the first trimester, and skip the front-lying shapes. Stop any pose that causes sharp pain, tingling or numbness.

For seated and kneeling shapes in the same gentle spirit, see the easy yoga poses for slow days, and for long, quiet holds on the floor, the yoga poses for flexibility include several that start lying down. When the belly feels uncomfortable, the yoga poses for bloating and gas start on all fours and finish on the back.

Safety noteYoga is not medical care. Stop if anything feels sharp, pinching or numb, and see a doctor or physiotherapist about pain or an injury before you practise. If you are pregnant or have recently given birth, check with your OB or midwife first. Read the health and safety note.

Questions

Can you do yoga in bed?

Yes, for the gentle shapes on your back: a knees-to-chest hug, a lying twist, Happy Baby, Reclined Butterfly and a long rest. A soft mattress makes the standing and balancing shapes wobbly, so save those for the floor.

Is lying-down yoga still yoga?

It is. Many classes spend their last ten or fifteen minutes on the back, and restorative and Yin practices are mostly lying down. Slow breathing and attention to the body are the practice, whatever shape you are in.

Which lying-down poses should you avoid in pregnancy?

After the first trimester, many OBs and midwives suggest avoiding long spells flat on your back and anything lying on the belly. Lie on your side with a pillow between the knees instead. Check with your OB or midwife.

Keep reading

Yoga before bed: a slow practice for sleepCorpse PoseSavasana