Greetings yogis! In this week’s fun pose friday we’ll break down butterfly pose; known as baddha konasana in Sanskrit. This pose is a deep hip opener… yay! or nay? I say YAY!
From a seated position on your mat, bring the bottoms of your feet in towards each other and let your knees splay out to the sides.
Draw heels in as close as you can bring them to your pelvis without feeling pain in the knees. Push the outer edges of your feet down toward the floor and wrap hands around your feet or ankles.
Wow! Our Mindful Meditation teacher, Linda is demonstrating her butterfly pose among hundreds of lotus flowers… beautiful (the flowers are pretty too 😉 )! ***special event plug*** don’t forget to catch Linda at her donation based meditation class on July 26! check it out: mindfulness-meditation-fundraiser-w-linda-naini
Inhale and press the hips down and reach the crown of the head up towards the sky. Drop the shoulders down and back. Press the knees down towards the floor to open the hips.
If where you are feels like a pretty good stretch, stay there. If you’d like to take the pose deeper, start to move your torso forward, keeping the spine elongated by bending from the hips as opposed to the waistline.
Hold the pose for anywhere from one to five minutes. To exit the pose, draw your knees towards one another and then extend your legs long.
Check out the pic above: Daisy aka Yoga Nag rockin’ her baddha konasana on vacation. A sweet photo bomb from her pup Charlie. If you’re looking for a different strech (I think it’s a little more intense), you can put a block (or in this case box of sidewalk chalk! #beingresourceful) in between your feet.
Benefits of butterfly include:
• Stretches the inner thighs, groins, and knees
• Stimulates the heart, abdominal organs, ovaries and prostate gland, bladder, and kidneys
• Can improve circulation, and ease menstrual discomfort, sciatica pain, mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue
• Therapeutic for flat feet, high blood pressure, infertility, and asthma
This pose is not recommended for anyone with an injury to their groin, knee or lower back.
There are a few modifications you can try if butterfly is uncomfortable for your body. If knees or hip joints are the source of discomfort, try placing blocks or a blanket under the knees to offer support. If groin or hips feel uncomfortable in butterfly, try elevating the hips by sitting on a blanket.
Have a great weekend yogis! See you on the mat!