Enter
- Sit with your legs extended in Daṇḍāsana.
- Separate your legs and place your palms in front.
- Point your kneecaps upward and flex both feet.
- Lengthen your torso; the full pose aligns both legs sideways.
Steps
Support
Both sitting bones, backs of the legs, heels, and palms.
Hold
- Ground both sitting bones.
- Keep your knees extended, with your kneecaps pointing upward.
- Keep your heels supported and your feet flexed.
- Maintain your spine's natural curves and keep your chest lifted.
Exit
- Support yourself with your hands and narrow the gap.
- Bring your legs together in front, returning to Daṇḍāsana.
- Breathing
- Breathe through your nose without holding your breath.
- Gaze
- Eyes open while learning the pose.
- Duration
- A few seconds.
Adapt
Adaptations
- Partial openingReduce the leg separation and keep your torso upright.
- Raised seatWith a partial opening, sit on a blanket; keep heels supported.
- Supported kneesWith a partial opening, bend your knees slightly over blankets.
- Reclining at the wallLie on your back; support your open legs against the wall.
Variations
- Palms-together variation: palms together at your chest, without arm support.
- Fold forward from your hips, maintaining the leg separation.
Signals of effort
- Wide abduction of both hips.
- Knees extended throughout the opening.
- Some body weight supported by your hands.