Benefits

The Bound Angle pose,

• Stretches and expands your inner thigh, groin and knee muscles.
• Stretches your lower back and upper gluteal muscles, when you are in the forward bend variation.
• Massages your abdominal organs and improves digestive circulation.
• Helps reduces menstraul symptoms and discomfort.
• Can be terapeutic for those suffereing from sciatica.
• Aids in relieving fatigue, anxiety and mild depression.
• Is a beneficial pose during pregnancy to help ease the process of childbirth.

Cautions

Avoid the Bound Angle Pose if you have a

• Groin or knee injury.
• Lower back injury or a herniated vertebral disc
• Current or previous iliosacral instability condition.

Steps

Baddha Konasana (BAH-dah cone-AHS-anna)
baddha = bound
kona = angle

1. Begin sitting with your legs straight out in front of you.
2. Lightly move the flesh away from your sit bones. If your groin region is limited in flexibility, elevate you hips 2-3 inches on a cushion or folded blanket.
3. Bring the soles of your feet slowly together as you bend your knees. Your knees should feel no discomfort or pressure.
4. Bring your heels close to your groin with your hands. Inhale as you reach up through the top the of the head.
5. Then exhale as you release your knees towards the earth and gently press the soles of your feet together.
6. Adding support, hold onto the big toes with the middle and index fingers. Keeping the outer edges of your feet grounded on the floor and touching each other. If the toe-hold does not feel natural to you, hold onto the outer edges of your ankles or shins.
7. The initial stage of this pose is to find length from your sit bones, through your spine, and up through the crown. Find a balanced connection in your sit bones so that the pelvis is positioned in a neutral line with the floor.
8. By sitting in the center of your sit bones, you will find that the pelvic floor (perineum) is parallel to the floor and your spine is neutral like being in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).
9. Remaining tall, breathe slowly and relax your shoulders to bring space into your neck and into the base of your skull.
10. Lightly engage your shoulder blades as though they hug the back ribs, but at the same time, there isn’t any tightness between your shoulder blades.
11. Feel that your knees are not being forced to the ground by muscular contraction or gravity. Instead, visualize the top of your thigh-bones sliding away from your hip socket. This release in the hips transmits a release into your knees.
12. Remain in this pose comfortably and with breath for one to five minutes.
13. To exit, place your hands on your outer thighs or knees. Then inhale, as your hands help lift the knees and straighten the legs back to their forward position.
14. Shake and tap the legs lightly to release the energy from your knees and hips.

Modifications

• Sit on a higher support if your knees are very high and if your back rounds excessively through the lumbar region. Sitting higher will increase the mobility in the groin allowing your knees to settle more with gravity, which will help add lift and extension through your spine.
• To add a forward bend, insure your knees and pelvis are set. Inhale as you lift your heart center and lengthen the front of the torso. As you exhale, fold forward from your hips (not the lower back). Feel that you are shifting forward from the center of your sit bones to the front edge of the sit bones. The back should not round as to avoid compression or injury in your vertebral and iliosacral joints. As the belly and back remain long, feel your chest flow over the feet (chest bone away from pubic bone). Maintaining a light hold on your big toes, ankles, or shins, release the back of your neck and head. Relax into deep breathing into your belly and lower back. To exit, exhale while contracting muscles in your abdomen and core. Then inhale as you slowly lift your head and chest.