Yoga Pose: Baddha Konasana

This is Baddha Konasana, pronounced (BAH-dah cone-AHS-anna), also known as Cobbler's Pose, is a gentle hip opening posture that can be practiced by yogis of all levels. It's a great pose to include in your practice if you're looking to improve your hip flexibility, inner thigh strength, and spinal alignment.

It's philosophy and origin

This pose is believed to have origins in the typical sitting positions of the Indian Cobblers, lending to its alternative name, The Cobbler Pose.

How to do Baddha Konasana

1. Begin by sitting on the floor with your legs extended straight out in front of you.

2. Bend your knees and draw your feet in towards your groin. The soles of your feet should be facing each other.

3. Gently lower your knees towards the ground. If your knees don't comfortably touch the ground, you can place a rolled-up blanket or yoga block underneath them for support.

4. Lengthen your spine by sitting up tall and engaging your core muscles.

5. Hold the pose for 5-10 breaths, or for as long as is comfortable.

Restrictions

• If you have any injuries to your knees, hips, or groin, it's best to avoid this pose.

• If you're pregnant, you may want to modify the pose by sitting on a chair or block to keep your hips higher than your knees.

Modifications

• If your knees don't comfortably touch the ground, you can place a rolled-up blanket or yoga block underneath them for support.

• If you find it difficult to keep your feet together, you can separate them slightly.

• To deepen the stretch in your inner thighs, you can gently press your knees down towards the ground with your hands.

Benefits of Baddha Konasana

• Improves hip flexibility

• Strengthens the inner thighs

• Improves spinal alignment

• Can help to relieve sciatica pain

• Can help to improve digestion

• Can help to reduce stress and anxiety

Additional Tips

• To get the most out of Baddha Konasana, it's important to focus on keeping your spine long and your core engaged.

• If you find that your back is rounding, you can sit on a folded blanket or yoga block to help you maintain a proper posture.

• Breathe deeply and slowly throughout the pose.