Bound Angle
BADDHA KONĀSANA (बद्ध कोणासन)
(BAH-dah koh-NAH-sah-nah)
‘Baddha’= bound, caught, or held, ‘Kona’= angle, ‘āsana’= posture
Alternate Names
Cobbler Pose
Butterfly Pose
Diamond Pose
Fixed Angle Pose
Tailor Pose
Bhadrasana (The Posture of the Throne)
Difficulty Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Pose Type: Seated / Stretch / Hip Opener / Forward Bend
Drsti
• Straight ahead – Eye level
• Forward – Slightly Upward
1. Start in Staff Pose (Dandasana), seated with your legs extended straight. Make sure to bring your shoulder blades back so that your shoulders are down and under your ears with your spine extended.
2. Bend your knees and rotate your thighs out, so that you can bring the soles of your feet together. With the outer edge of your feet firmly on the ground, grab the top of your feet, or your ankles and pull your heels toward your pelvis. Continue to rotate your upper thighs out.
3. Firmly press into your sit bones to evenly distribute your weight. Rotate your pelvis forward and straighten the lower back. Let the knees gently fall open to either side, allowing the knees to move comfortably towards the mat. Do not force your knees down.
4. Sit up straight and lengthen your spine up through the crown of your head. Keep your chest broad and open. Lengthen your neck by drawing the shoulder blades down the back as you continue to lengthen your spine. Lift the lower back and sternum and relax the shoulders, throat, and neck.
5. Relax into the pose and hold for several breaths, letting your knees further drop to the mat while keeping your back straight.
6. When ready, slowly release the pose by extending one leg at a time. You can either come back to Staff Pose (Dandasana), keeping your back straight and legs extended, or release into Corpse Pose (Savasana).
Common Adjustments
• Neck strained
• Shoulders up by the ears
• Neck and shoulders not in alignment with the spine
• Rounded spine
• Collapsed chest
• Knees forced to the ground
• Soles of feet are not together, with the outer edges to the ground
• Not grounded through the sit bones
Modifications
• For students with a hip, knee, or groin injury, use a folded blanket, block, pillow, and/or bolster under the knees for support. This modification can also be used for pregnant students.
• For beginners, place a blanket, a block, and/or a bolster under the buttock to elevate and support the hips. This gives the spine extra height and allows the knees to comfortably come towards the mat.
• For students with tight hamstrings, use a strap under the outer edges of the feet (above the heels) and gently pull the strap toward you. This puts less stress on the hips and knees and keeps the back straight. Alternatively, you can also place the strap around the lower back (on the sacrum) and bring it around the front over the thighs. Wrap around under the outer edges of the feet and gently tighten the strap.
• For students with back problems, have them sit with their back against a wall for support, or sit with buttock and legs up against the wall.
• For advanced students who would like to get a deeper stretch, they can try to open the soles of their feet like a book and bend forward.
Counter Poses
• Cat (Marjaryasana)
• Corpse (Savasana)
• Knees to Chest (Apanasana)
• Hero (Virasana) or Supine Hero (Supta Virasana)
• Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Anatomy
• Neck • Shoulders and Chest (Pectoralis Minor)
• Upper (Cervical), Middle (Thoracic), and Lower Back (Lumbar) and Spine • Abdomen (Core) and Obliques
• Hips (Psoas and Iliopsoas) • Gluteus Maximus
• Quadriceps and Hamstrings • Calf muscles
• Knees • Ankles and Feet
Benefits
• Stretches and stretches the neck, shoulders, chest, hips, groin, throughout the entire spine and back, abdomen, inner and outer thighs, quadriceps, hamstrings, calf muscles, ankles, and knees.
• Lengthens the inner and outer thighs and improves flexibility.
• Opens the chest and is therapeutic for students with asthma.
• Helps soothe menstrual discomfort and can correct irregular menstruation.
• Helps women preparing for birth by strengthening the muscles so they feel less pain during delivery and helps with reproductive health.
• Keeps internal organs like the bladder, liver, kidneys, spleen, prostate, and urinary track healthy as well as helps with digestion and improves circulation.
• Can help relieve sciatica pain through the legs.
• Reduces fatigue and relieves headaches.
• Relieves mild depression, stress and anxiety.
• Helps ease menopausal discomfort.
• Can be therapeutic for tired feet and high blood pressure.
• Prepares the body for seated meditation.
Contraindications
1. Students with severe knee and hip injuries/inflammation, lower back pain, or a groin injury should avoid this pose. If a student does want to do this posture, they should do one of the modifications and use props.
2. Do not push or force the knees down to the mat.
3. Students with sciatica should avoid this pose without access to props.
4. Students with a displaced or prolapsed uterus should not practice this pose.
Bandha
• Uddiyana Bandha
Chakras
Chakra One: Root or Muladhara (root support) Chakra. This is the survival and gravity chakra. Its goals are stability, grounding, prosperity, right livelihood, and physical health. Its location is the base of the spine, coccygeal plexus, legs, feet, and large intestines.
Chakra Two: Sacral or Svadhisthana (sweetness) Chakra. This is the chakra for emotion, sexuality, and attraction of opposites. Its goals are fluidity, pleasure, and relaxation. Its location is the abdomen, genitals, lower back, and hips.
Additional information on this asana can be found in your textbooks
- In “THE ART OF VINYASA: Awakening Body and Mind through the Practice of Ashtanga Yoga” textbook by Richard Freeman & Mary Taylor textbook.
- In PART TWO: Āsana: Movements and Poses Strung Together Like Jewels on the Thread of the Breath in Chapter 7 “Forward Bends”, this asana can be found as “BADDHA KOṆĀSANA A, B, AND C – Bound Angle Pose“. You can also see variations called “UPAVIṢṬHA KOṆĀSANA A AND B – SEATED ANGLE POSE” and “SUPTA KOṆĀSANA – Reclining Angle Pose”.
- In “Yoga Anatomy – Second Edition” by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthew textbook.
- CHAPTER 7 – SITTING POSES, this asana can be found as “”Baddha Konasana – Bound Angle Pose“. You can also see a variation called “Supta Baddha Konasana – Reclining Bound Angle Pose“.