If you only have time for one stretch, this is the one
Baddha Konasana, Bound Angle pose
Through my almost 30 years of practicing and teaching yoga, there have been many poses that I’ve “hated.” You know those poses. The teacher mentions it in class and you let out a groan, either internally or externally. We all have poses that we dread and that we try to avoid. For me, those were Utkatasana/Awkward pose, Gomukhasana/Cow Face pose, and Natarajasana/Dancer’s pose to name a few.
However, through years of practice, I have found that my least favorite poses became some of my most favorite poses, simply by giving them a chance. I let go of the mental struggle and allowed myself to be in the pose, just as I was. Over time, I was able to surrender to the poses, and they gave my body what I needed (which is what I was resisting initially). Eventually they become more comfortable and I actually looked forward to these previously “horrible” poses.
For a long time I struggled with tight hip flexors. This didn’t help my dancing and really hindered me when attempting today’s pose: Baddha Konasana/Bound Angle pose. In this pose, if your hip flexors are tight, your knees will be up by your shoulders or ears, making it challenging to forward bend. It can be a struggle to feel a stretch or even move into the pose in a useful way when you fight yourself.
When you understand the mechanics and alignment of this pose, and can let go of fighting by giving yourself support, it’s a truly wonderful pose. That’s why it has become one of my favorites.
Let’s explore it together.
What’s so good about it?
There are myriad benefits to this pose. When it comes to stretching, it has so much to offer your body.
As a forward bend, you’ll get a little bit of hamstring stretch. The knees are bent, so you won’t get as much hamstring stretch as you do when your leg(s) are straight, but if your hamstrings are tight, you will feel them stretching in this pose.
Because the legs are abducted (moving away from the midline) you get a stretch in the adductors/inner thighs. I love this aspect of this pose, as it’s a sneaky stretch for the inner thighs, which often get ignored, and tend to be tight.
Keeping the spine straight and tipping the pelvis forward (hip flexion) will stretch the glutes (hip extensors), and allowing the spine to round will stretch the lower back due to spinal flexion.
There’s a lot of good stuff here. If you are only going to do one stretch, this one is comprehensive, and wonderful for after a walk or any other type of repetitive activity.
The basics
Baddha Konasana/Bound Angle pose is done seated on the floor. Bring the soles of the feet together as close to the hips as is available to your body. Grasp your ankles (not your feet) to bring the pelvis to vertical, sitting directly on top of your sit bones. Inhale.
As you exhale, stay just as you are, or tip forward, keeping the spine straight. You want to rock to the front edge of your sit bones. This tipping action will give you the majority of the stretch that you are looking for. Try not to pull yourself toward your legs, think about moving the pelvis.
If the pelvis was a bowl full of water, try to pour the water onto your heels. If you move forward by trying to touch your head to your feet, you’ll bypass the hip and hamstring stretch and only feel the lower back stretch. There will also be more struggle and strain. Think of aiming your navel for your feet and your head toward the floor beyond your feet (someday if not today).
Making it more doable
If you find that your knees are up by your ears, there are ways to make this pose more doable. First, raise your hips. You can sit on a blanket, a block, or a mountain of blocks. When your hips are higher than your feet, it creates less struggle and strain for the hip flexors and you will find your knees can drop a bit.
Bringing your pelvis to vertical might be all you need to do to feel the stretch. If that’s you, stay there and breathe, no need to do anything else. If you are not feeling a stretch, then you can tip the pelvis forward (pouring the water toward your feet) keeping the spine straight.
If your knees are by your elbows, instead of your ears, you might find more ease by placing blocks/blankets under your thighs. This will also take the pressure off your hip flexors and allow you to tip the pelvis forward.
If you have bony ankles and you practice on a floor, place some cushioning under your feet. Sometimes you have the range of motion in your hips, but your bones need a bit of support.
Give it a try, see how it goes. Ask questions or share your experience in the comments! What’s your favorite pose for stretching?
Join me on the mat!
Starting December 9 I’ll be teaching some special classes to help make the chaos of the holiday season feel less chaotic. Get on the mat for 15 minutes and take back control over your sanity.
End of Year Yoga Launch gives you a little self care without feeling overwhelming. Mindful Core, Movement and Meditation, Stretch Out, Strength for Life, and Better Balance. You might even get in a little Baddha Konasana!
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The third pose does not fit me, I need to lose some weight. But I find it nice.
The last pose is the easiest one which about place two blocks.