Bound Angle Pose

How to do Bound Angle Pose

1. 1Begin seated in Staff Pose with your legs extended straight in front of you on your mat.
2. 2Bend both knees and draw your heels in toward your pelvis, allowing your knees to fall open to the sides.
3. 3Bring the soles of your feet together and interlace your fingers around your toes, ankles, or shins.
4. 4Press the outer edges of your feet firmly together while allowing the inner arches to gently fan open.
5. 5Root down evenly through both sit bones and lift upward through your chest to lengthen your spine.
6. 6Draw your shoulder blades softly down your back, keeping your neck relaxed and collarbones broad.
7. 7Hold the posture for five to ten deep breaths, staying upright or slowly hinging forward from your hips with a flat back.

Benefits

• Stretches the adductors, groin, and inner thighs
• Improves mobility in the hip joints and pelvic girdle
• Lengthens the spine and encourages balanced seated posture
• Stimulates circulation to the abdominal and pelvic organs
• Relieves physical tension caused by long periods of sitting

Common mistakes and cues

• Forcing knees down

  Avoid pushing down aggressively on your knees with your hands, which places unnecessary stress on the knee joints.

• Rounding the lower back

  Keep your pelvis upright rather than collapsing backward onto your tailbone; elevate your hips if rounding occurs.

• Yanking on the feet

  Use your hand grip to stabilize your upright posture rather than wrenching your toes upward.

• Hunching the shoulders

  Broaden across your chest and keep your shoulders relaxed away from your ears throughout the hold.

Modifications and props

• Elevated seat on a blanket

  Sit on the edge of a folded blanket to tilt the pelvis forward and ease strain on tight hips.

• Blocks under knees

  Place yoga blocks or rolled blankets beneath your outer thighs to support the legs and protect sensitive groins.

• Wall support

  Sit with your back against a wall to help sustain vertical alignment without tiring your spinal muscles.

• Extended diamond shape

  Slide your feet further forward away from your pelvis to reduce the angle of knee flexion and lower-groin tension.

Cautions

• Knee injuries

  Avoid pulling your heels close to the pelvis or forcing the knees toward the floor if you have meniscus or ligament issues.

• Groin strains

  Back off the depth of the stretch and prop both thighs if you experience any acute pain in the inner thighs.

• Lower back disc herniation

  Stay completely upright with spinal support rather than folding forward at the hips.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

Practise this for

Classes that teach this pose

Upcoming Hatha classes where this shape shows up.

Teachers and studios for this practice

Related poses