Pose Practice

Upavista Konasana (oo-pah-VEESH-tah cone-AHS-anna) - Upward Facing Angle


Benefits: Stretches the insides and backs of the legs, strengthens the spine, calms the brain, stimulates the abdominal organs and releases stress-related tension in the abdominal muscles.

Try It!





Sit in Dandasana.

Lean your torso back slightly on your hands, exhale and spread your legs as far apart as possible, not to exceed a 90 degree angle.

If it is difficult to sit comfortably on the floor, raise your torso by sitting on a block or folded blanket.

Rotate the legs if necessary so that the knee caps and toes point straight up toward the ceiling.

Keep the knee caps lifted and press them down onto the floor without lifting your heels.

Stretch each leg from the sit bones to the heels and press out through all four corners of the feet.

Press the sit bones to the floor as you lift your waist and both sides of the torso evenly.

Breathe evenly and comfortably, keeping the eyes soft.

To deepen the pose, walk your hands forward between your legs.

Increase the forward bend on each exhalation until you feel a comfortable stretch in the backs of your legs.

As with all forward bends, the emphasis is on moving from the hip joints and maintaining the length of the front torso.

As soon as you find yourself bending your spine, stop, re-establish the length from the pubis to the navel and the navel to the sternum to lengthen the spine, and continue forward if possible.

If you are able to reach your toes, wrap your index and middle fingers around the big toes, each pair of fingers secured in place with the thumb.

If not, you may lasso a strap around the feet, holding onto each end.

Bend your elbows out to the sides and lift them away from the floor as your torso descends.

Keep your shoulders down.

Stay in the pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then inhale and come up.



Pose Practice Archives:
Tree Pose
Half Moon
Forward Bend
Virabhadrasana I - Warrior I
Virabhadrasana II - Warrior II
Virabhadrasana III – Warrior III
Full Arm Balance
Upward Bow Pose or Backbend
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
Revolved Triangle pose
Powerful Mighty
Wide-Legged Forward Bend
Upward Facing Angle
Intense West - Back Stretch Pose
Extended Side-Angle Pose
Staff Pose
Upward Facing Dog Pose
Mountain Pose
Extended Hand to Foot Pose
Extended Angle Pose
Parighasana Gate Pose