Pose Name: Cobbler Pose or Bound Angle Pose
Sanskrit Name: Baddha Konasana
Steps:
- Begin by sitting up straight in a cross-legged position.
- Press the soles of the feet together and bring the heels close to the body.
- Sit up tall on your sitting bones and use your hands to pull any flesh away from the sitting bones.
- Make a basket with your hands and clasp them around your feet.
- Sit up nice and tall. If that’s as far as your hips can work today, that’s okay – just focus on sitting up nice and tall and opening up the hips.
- If your body allows, bend forward over the feet while keeping a flat back. Don’t hunch your back to get your head to your feet – your goal should be to bring the navel towards the feet.
- Engage the mula bandha, the muscles of the pelvic floor, to move deeper into the pose.
- As you inhale, lengthen the spine; as you exhale, bend a little deeper. Walk your hands forward on the ground if you wish.
- Relax and let gravity pull you forward. Take several slow, deep breaths.
- Come up slowly and return to a comfortable cross-legged position.
Benefits:
Cobbler pose opens the hips and promotes greater flexibility in the hips. It increases blood flow to the pelvis and opens the root chakra, which helps to energize and cleanse the sexual organs.
Contraindications:
Those with hip problems should work gently in this pose. Pregnant students should take care in any forward bend and modify as needed.
My Experience of Cobbler Pose:
This month, working on my presentation about yoga and sex, I learned a lot about cobbler pose, so I thought I’d feature it as a Pose of the Month. Practicing this pose can really pay off in the bedroom, since it opens the hips and really engages the pelvic floor muscles.
I’ve always liked this pose, and over the years I’ve made a lot of progress with how far I can bend forward. Still, some days I can’t get very far, so this pose always reminds me to work gently with wherever my body is today.
Rox Does Yoga 