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Begin seated with your legs extended in front of you.
Allow the feet to roll away from each other. Grasping the inner thighs or shins, slowly
draw the heels towards the pelvis, bringing the soles of the feet to touch.
Place your palms on the floor behind you and press down through the fingertips to scoot
your seat back. This helps remove the fleshier parts of the buttocks to be more directly
seated on the sitz bones* Without force, allow the knees to extend out
to the sides and down towards the floor. Either grasp the ankles or shins, or interlace
the hands around the outer edges of the feet. Ground down through the sitz bones as you
extend the spine upward. Gaze forward with your chin slightly tucked
to maintain openness and length through the back of the neck.
Rather than forcing the knees down, relax the inner groin muscles to allow the knees
to open. If you are feeling too much strain in the
hips, knees, or lower back, you can still gain the hip and groin opening benefits of
this pose with a slight modification. Bring the palms flat to the floor behind you
with arms extended. Lean slightly back and press down through the palms.
In either variation, breathe slowly and deeply through the nose, and rest in this pose as
long as it is comfortable.