Supta: Lying Down, Reclining, Baddha: Bound or Restrained, Kona: Angle, Asana: Pose or Posture
This pose is pronounced as SOUP-tah BAH-dah cone-AHS-ana
This pose instills a deep state of relaxation and is an amazing posture for stretching the hip and groin region. It is exactly like the Baddha Konasana or Butterfly pose. The only difference is that it is done lying on the back. It can be done by beginners and experts, and is generally done towards the end of a yoga session before meditation.
How to do Supta Baddha Konasana
- Start with a sitting dandasana, i.e., sit with your spine erect and legs stretched out, feet touching each other and toes pointing upwards
- Now bend your knees and bring your feet towards the pelvis. The soles of your feet should touch each other, making a diamond shape with legs
- Grab your feet with your hands. You may place the hands underneath the feet for support and make an effort to bring the heels as close to the genitals as possible
- Gently breathe in and make a gentle effort to make the chest and the spine erect
- Once you feel comfortable, you may gently lie down and rest your back on the floor. Your arms can rest on your inner thighs
- Relax your muscles and take 5-10 deep breaths in this position
- To come out, you can either stretch your legs and relax for a few minutes. Then roll onto your right side and with the help of your hands gently sit up
Benefits
- A good stretch for inner thighs, groin and knees, improving flexibility in these regions
- Offers relief from menstrual discomfort and menopause symptoms
- A very relaxing posture done towards the end of the session
Contraindications
If you are suffering from groin or knee injury, make sure you keep a blanket under the outer thighs for support. Do not perform this pose without blanket support. Also, sciatica patients should either completely avoid the pose or sit on a cushion to raise the hips. If you have any lower-back disorders, do the posture only while keeping the spine erect. Avoid rounding up the spine by bending forward.
