If you are lying supine, you are facing up. In the supine position, a person lies horizontally with the face and front of the torso directed upward.
Supine is an anatomical and medical term commonly used to describe patient positioning during examinations, surgery, sleep studies, and emergency care. The opposite position is prone, in which the person lies face down with the front of the body directed toward the surface.
In anatomical language, the dorsal side of the body is down and the ventral side is up when someone is supine. This orientation can help clinicians describe where organs, injuries, or surgical access points are located without relying on a person’s ordinary sense of left, right, above, or below.
“Supine” does not necessarily mean standing or sitting perfectly flat in everyday use. Semi-supine describes a related position in which the upper body is tilted, often around 45 degrees, while the face still generally points upward.