Bound Angle
BADDHA - BOUND
KONA - ANGLE
ASANA - POSE
Bound Angle (Baddha Konasana) is a seated symmetrical pose, often sequenced towards the end of a class, after you’ve prepared the body with movement and external hip rotation.
As with all forward bends, this is a stretch into the back body and it is important to initiate the forward bend from the hips (rather than rounding into the spine). It’s also a deep stretch into the inner thighs (adductors).
The instructions below describe how to get in to the pose from Dandasana.
How to get into the pose:
Begin in Dandasana with your legs out in front of you
Bring your feet together and inhale to bend your knees and draw the heels in towards the body
Try to get the heels and sitting bones close together, maybe hop yourself a bit closer in, if that is available.
Press the outer edges of the feet together and use your thumbs on the balls of the feet to turn the soles of the feet upwards (supination), as if you are opening your feet like a book
Exhale to externally rotate your leg bones out and lower your knees down towards the mat. Try to keep the knee joint closed as much as possible but without pain (a sign to come out of the pose)
Lengthen and stabilise through your spine (axial extension)
Engage uddiyana bandha (navel to spine) and optionally hinge forward from the hips, ultimately drawing the chin to the mat
Take deep breaths.
To come out of the pose, lift out of the fold on an inhale and exhale to release the pose
Return to Dandasana
Remember to create the balance between effort and ease in your pose.
How long to stay in the pose:
At least five to ten breaths
Gaze (Drishti)
Nose
Feet (option)
Modifications you can take to make this pose more accessible:
Sit on a blanket, block or bolster to elevate the hips if the knees are higher than your hips or if you find it a challenge to hinge forward from the hips
Bound Angle can be a difficult pose for the knees, especially if the feet are supinated (opened to face upwards) and you have tightness in the hips. Increasing the distance between heels and groin and closing the feet together may help.
Variations
Butterfly pose - take the heels away from the body to create a long diamond shape with the legs. Support the arms on the shins and gently round the back into a yin-style version of the pose.
Contraindications / Cautions
Be cautious with this pose if you have knee issues