Savasana — Supported Knees

Quick Intro

Savasana — Bolster Under Knees (Savasana — Supported Knees in English) is a yoga exercise performed lying flat on the back with a bolster or rolled blanket placed under both knees, releasing the lower back into a more neutral position than lying completely flat allows.

Equipment Needed

Savasana — Bolster Under Knees needs a bolster or a tightly rolled blanket under the knees. A yoga mat is optional underneath.

Why Savasana — Bolster Under Knees Matters

The lower back (erector spinae), hip flexors (iliopsoas) and back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) aren’t being trained here any more than in the unsupported version. What changes is that the support under the knees lets the pelvis settle into neutral without the lower back having to hold itself there, which is the entire point of adding it.

Flexibility is the only physical quality involved, as the passive length the body rests in.

When to Do It

Savasana — Bolster Under Knees works well whenever lying completely flat leaves the lower back feeling unsettled rather than released, since the support removes that specific discomfort without changing anything else about the pose’s purpose. Most sessions can close with this version instead whenever the standard flat-legged version doesn’t feel restful.

A lower back that feels arched or tense lying completely flat. The bolster tilts the pelvis just enough to let that tension release.
Tight hip flexors that pull the lower back into an uncomfortable arch when the legs lie straight. Supporting the knees takes that pull away.
A session that ended with backbend-heavy work, where the lower back needs active support to fully let go. This version is built for exactly that moment.

For most people whose lower back doesn’t settle lying completely flat, this supported version is the more comfortable choice, and it exists to make full release available regardless of what a flat-legged position asks of the back.

Getting Ready

There is no physical warm-up for this pose, since the entire task is releasing what is already there. Placing the bolster under the knees before lying back saves the need to adjust it once settled.

Let the support fully take the weight of the legs so the lower back can flatten naturally toward the floor without any active effort.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. The setup. Lie flat on the back, then bend the knees briefly to slide a bolster underneath them.

2. The rest. Let the knees settle onto the bolster, legs falling naturally open at the width it allows.

3. The palms. Rest the arms a short distance from the body, palms facing up.

4. The scan. Move attention slowly through the body, noticing the lower back settle toward the floor.

5. The exit. Wiggle the fingers and toes, then roll gently onto one side before slowly coming up to sit.

How Many, How Often

Savasana — Bolster Under Knees is dosed by time held, since there is no active shape to sustain through a breath cycle here, only a supported stillness to hold for a set duration.

Level	Where you’re at	What to do
Beginner	New to a supported version of this pose	Hold for 3 to 5 minutes, adjusting the bolster height until the lower back settles.
Intermediate	The support feels helpful	Hold for 8 to 10 minutes, letting the breath slow further with the back fully released.
Advanced	The lower back settles just as well without support	Try Savasana flat, using the bolster only on sessions that call for it.

Letting the lower back fully release onto the floor matters more here than any particular bolster height, since the support only helps if the back stops holding itself.

Modifications and Variations

Savasana — Bolster Under Knees sits at the accessible end of its own progression, with one clear next step and no easier version below it.

For more difficulty, Savasana removes the support entirely, letting the legs rest flat and asking the lower back to settle on its own.

Progression path: Savasana — Bolster Under Knees → Savasana → Savasana — Open Gaze

Use the bolster on any session where the lower back doesn’t settle without it. Flat legs are not the only correct version of this pose.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using a bolster that’s too low to change the pelvis angle. This leaves the same unsettled lower back the support was meant to fix. Raising the height until the back flattens is the fix.

Assuming needing the support means something is wrong. A lower back that needs help settling is extremely common and not a sign of poor flexibility or bad practice. Using the tool that makes rest available is simply practical.

Fidgeting with the bolster position throughout the hold. Frequent adjustments keep the nervous system from ever fully settling, the same as in the unsupported version. Setting the height once, before lying back, avoids this entirely.

Sitting up quickly right after removing the bolster. Rushing the exit right after such a settled state cancels out some of what the hold just built. Taking a moment on one side before rising keeps that release intact.

After Your Set

Nothing here was actively held or loaded, so no counter-stretch is needed. Sliding the bolster out and taking one or two settled breaths before rising is the only transition this version asks for.

Going Deeper

This version is usually trained by anyone whose lower back doesn’t fully release lying flat, whether from tight hip flexors, a backbend-heavy session or simply an anatomy that prefers a slight bend in the knees. The most common way it stalls isn’t discomfort itself, but skipping the support out of a sense that the flat-legged version is the “real” one, which just leaves rest on the table for no reason. Reaching for the bolster whenever the back asks for it, every time, is what makes this closing pose restful rather than something to get through.

Someone new to this version generally notices the lower back settling within the first session, and stops needing the support most sessions somewhere in the four to six week range, if hip flexor tightness resolves elsewhere in the practice.

How to Know You’re Improving

A 5-minute hold with the lower back visibly flattening toward the floor
A bolster height that needs less adjustment to feel right each session
A comfortable 10-minute hold with no tension held in the back
Fewer sessions where the support feels necessary at all

A lower back that releases, not how long the hold lasts, is what progress looks like here.

Muscles Worked

This pose has no active muscular target, the same as its unsupported base pose. The lower back (erector spinae), hip flexors (iliopsoas) and back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) are simply what the bolster is helping settle, not what the pose is training.

FAQ

Do I need this version every single time, or only sometimes? Only when the lower back doesn’t settle lying flat. Many people alternate between this version and the unsupported one depending on what came earlier in the session.

What can I use if I don’t have a bolster? A tightly rolled blanket, a firm pillow or even a rolled-up towel under the knees all work as reasonable substitutes.

Is it a bad sign if my lower back needs support to relax? No, a lower back that stays tense lying flat is extremely common, often tied to tight hip flexors rather than anything wrong with the practice itself.

Can this version replace the standard Savasana entirely? For anyone whose back consistently needs it, yes. There’s no requirement to eventually “graduate” to lying completely flat if the supported version is what feels restful.

Next in this series: Savasana, the flat-legged version this supported entry can build toward whenever the lower back settles on its own.