Right Bend

How to do Right Bend

1. 1Stand tall in Mountain Pose with your big toes touching or feet hip-width apart and arms resting at your sides.
2. 2Inhale and sweep both arms overhead, interlacing your fingers and extending your index fingers toward the ceiling.
3. 3Root down firmly through both feet, engaging your thighs and drawing your lower belly gently in and up.
4. 4Exhale and slowly curve your torso over to the right side, keeping both hips level and squared forward.
5. 5Press down actively into your left heel to amplify the stretch along your entire left side body from hip to fingertips.
6. 6Keep your chest broad and facing forward, preventing your left shoulder or collarbone from collapsing downward.
7. 7Hold the posture for several calm breaths, feeling the space between your left ribs expand on every inhale.
8. 8Inhale to draw your torso smoothly back up to center, release your arms down, and pause before switching sides.

Benefits

• Lengthens the intercostal muscles between the ribs to support fuller breathing.
• Stretches the obliques, latissimus dorsi, and quadratus lumborum on the left side.
• Gently stimulates abdominal organs through lateral compression and elongation.
• Improves lateral spinal mobility and increases postural awareness.
• Strengthens the stabilizing muscles of the feet, ankles, and core.

Common mistakes and cues

• Collapsing forward

  Keep your shoulders stacked and your chest open forward rather than rotating down toward the floor.

• Shifting hips sideways

  Avoid jutting your left hip heavily out to the side; maintain even weight across both feet.

• Compressing the right waist

  Focus on lifting up and over along both sides of your waist rather than crunching into your right flank.

• Straining the neck

  Keep your neck in line with the curve of your spine instead of dropping your right ear heavily to your shoulder.

• Holding the breath

  Maintain continuous, steady breathing into the expanded left rib cage throughout the hold.

Modifications and props

• Hand on hip

  Rest your right hand on your right hip for extra support while reaching only the left arm overhead.

• Wider stance

  Separate your feet hip-distance apart or slightly wider to create a more grounded and stable base.

• Wall alignment

  Stand with your back lightly touching a wall to help keep your spine and shoulders moving in a single plane.

• Strap between hands

  Hold a yoga strap shoulder-width apart overhead if tight shoulders make interlacing your fingers uncomfortable.

Cautions

• Acute lower back pain

  Avoid deep side bends if you are experiencing sharp sacroiliac joint discomfort or active disc issues.

• Shoulder impingement

  Lower your arms or bend your elbows into a cactus shape if overhead reaching pinches the shoulders.

• Balance instability or vertigo

  Practice with a wide foot stance or stand close to a wall for steadying support if you feel unsteady.

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

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