Seated
Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)
Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsanaउपविष्ट कोणासन· oo-pah-VEESH-tah koh-NAH-suh-nuhseated wide-angle posture
Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend is a seated pose with the legs spread wide, folding forward from the hips. It stretches the hamstrings, inner thighs and hips — the emphasis is on a comfortable stretch rather than how far down you go.
Step by step
- 1
Open the legs wide
From a comfortable seat, take the legs wide apart, back as straight as you can, feet gently flexed and toes pointing up.
- 2
Lengthen the spine
Place the hands behind your hips and press down to lift and lengthen the spine; then bring the palms in front of you on the floor.
- 3
Hinge from the hips
Tilt the pelvis forward and slowly walk the hands out, hinging from the hips rather than rounding the back.
Breath: Exhale as you fold
- 4
Go to your comfortable edge
Bring the chest forward and down toward the floor only as far as feels good. It doesn't matter how far you go — only that the stretch is comfortable.
- 5
Rise and release
Stay for several breaths, then walk the hands back, rise, and bring the legs together to release.
Benefits
- Stretches the hamstrings, inner thighs and hips
- Lengthens the spine and back body
- Calming and grounding when held with the breath
- Improves flexibility for other seated and standing poses
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back to reach further forward
- Rolling onto the back of the sitting bones
- Letting the knees and toes roll inward
- Chasing depth instead of a comfortable stretch
Modifications & variations
- Sit on a folded blanket to tilt the pelvis forward
- Keep the torso upright and just press the hands down
- Bend the knees slightly or narrow the legs
Related poses
Video transcriptIn this session, Shakti Shilpa guides you step by step through Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana, cueing leg placement, spinal alignment, and a gradual forward stretch with breathing.
Hi, this is Shakti Shilpa from Yoga & You, and today we are going to do Upaviṣṭha Koṇāsana, or Wide-Angle Forward Bend. Well, like always, in my yoga lessons, I try and go to the extent you can and do not push yourself beyond your body's limits. So you can always modify the pose according to your body's limits. I hope you enjoyed the video.
Starting from cross leg position, move your legs wider apart, back as straight as you can, feet slightly flexed. You can take your hands behind your back to slightly lengthen your spine and reach your legs comfortably on the mat.
Begin with your palms in front of you, bending from the hip by slightly tilting your pelvis, slowly try to bring your palms down. Bend your elbows down as much as you can to bring your chest forward and down towards the floor. Check with your body as to how you feel and slowly stretch forward if comfortable. Always remember that each one's body is different, it's not important how far you go down but how comfortable your stretch is.
So if you feel this is giving you a good enough stretch for your hamstrings and hips, you can stay right here. But if you feel your body allows you to go a bit further, you can reach far down as you can. And if you're here all the way down with your arms stretched out, try to lift your head up and bring your chin and chest down with your thigh being pushed back and down.
Stay in this pose with normal breathing. Try to breathe into those areas where you feel the stretch. To come out of the pose, press the palms into the floor and walk them back using your chest to lift up.
Frequently asked questions
- How wide should my legs be in Upavistha Konasana?
- Take them as wide as you comfortably can while keeping the toes pointing up and the back straight. Everyone's range differs — go to your own comfortable edge, not a fixed angle.
- I can't fold forward much. Am I doing it wrong?
- No — how far you fold matters far less than the quality of the stretch. Sit on a blanket, hinge from the hips, and stay where you feel a good, comfortable stretch.
References
- Light on Yoga — B.K.S. Iyengar on Upavistha Konasana. · Classical text — Traditional reference for the wide-angle seated forward bend.