This common forward fold is an intense hamstring stretch. Here’s how to approach it.

Yoga diary’The archive series is a curated collection of articles originally published in back issues beginning in 1975. This article first appeared in the July-August 1981 issue of Yoga diary.

Upavistha Konasana (also known as Seated Angle Pose or Wide-Angled Seated Forward Bend) is one of the most dramatic and difficult sitting poses. It requires flexibility of the adductor muscles (inner thigh), as well as the hamstrings (rear thigh) and the hip joint itself.

There are several variations of the pose. Initially, the student tries to grasp the toes with the index and middle fingers. As the student progresses they move forward until the chest rests on the floor, but this should only be attempted if the back can be kept straight, otherwise the posture tends to deform the spine.

Learning to perform this pose correctly is easier with the use of straps (image 2). This allows the student to keep the back straight, even with tense leg muscles. Concentration can then be given to the back and breathing so that proper extension of the spine is increased as the legs slowly adapt to the position.

In Figure 3 an additional tool is used. A sturdy mat is placed under the buttocks to facilitate forward rotation of the pelvis. Note that this allows the chest to move towards the ground. Sitting on the mat encourages the toned student to keep the posture alignment at the top in mind, not just the dramatic range of motion that can ever be achieved.

Using a wall in a wide angle seated forward bend

The wall can be useful in Upavistha Konasana. First lie down and spread your legs open against the wall, with your buttocks flat against the wall and your lower back flat on the floor. Then gravity does the work of pulling the feet toward the ground. (Make sure legs are evenly apart and knees are straight.)

You can also sit facing the wall, then open your legs and move against the wall so that the resistance is felt evenly against both feet. The hands can be placed behind the buttocks to provide a lift upward through the arms, stretching the spine. In any case, the posture should be practiced with the knees extended; breathing, even and slow. As you exhale, try to stretch upwards and make any adjustments or corrections from the pelvis through the spine.

Learning to let go of fear

According to some psychologists, the pelvic region is related to the regenerative functions – the ‘feminine’ functions of creating, nurturing and protecting. Some believe that opening the pelvis brings energy to this area and these functions. An interesting psychological aspect of Upavistha Konasana is the response many students have to opening the pelvic area. Some are reluctant, even fearful, when this type of attitude is attempted.

What is this fear and what is the place of fear in general in broader yoga philosophy? In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, fear is given the name abhinivesa. This is classically defined as ‘clinging to life’; it is the feeling you experience on the highway, for example, when a car swerves into your lane and swerves again. A flow of energy and adrenaline flows through your body.

That fear, the feeling that ‘I might be killed!’ is abhinivesa. A less important aspect of that fear is the fear of physical harm and pain. The discomfort of Upavistha Konasana can evoke such feelings. The only way to escape that fear is to enter the asana, using the breath and the will.

By pretending that the fear and/or anxiety does not exist, by trying to push through it, not only will the fear persist, but it is often proven to be ‘correct’ – injury does occur. The only way to get rid of the anxiety that an open stretch can cause is to move slowly in the asana and use the breath to release tension while watching the mind cling to the anxiety.

This process creates distance from fear; this distance is the measure of freedom. Freedom from fear does not mean that one does not experience fear, but rather that although fear may be present in the psycho-physical self, the inner being is not disturbed. It’s like being in the eye of a hurricane; silence exists in the midst of chaos.

This true freedom, which teaches you how to move unaffected yet engaged through the chaos of life, is the basis for the study and practice of yoga.

Each asana is a different way to experience and release our limitations. Fear has a lot to do with anticipation; one is afraid of the pain that might come. As with Upavistha Konasana, the actual pain, as opposed to the expected pain, is usually less than feared, once the asana has begun and breathing has been used to release tension in the legs.

Learning to channel the energy that represents discomfort is a crucial part of understanding what asana means.

How to practice Upavistha Konasana

For the beginner it is already a challenge to sit with the legs spread wide and the back straight. The pose can be attempted with the back against a wall, or along the edge of a door frame, so that the student can feel that the spine is straight.

The arms can be used to extend the spine by pushing up from the floor or by extending the arms up and holding the door frame. If you try this, make sure that the ribs on the lower back continue to move into the edges of the door frame.

Students with more experience can try lying on the floor near the wall or sitting on the wall, as discussed above. In all cases, the emphasis of the pose should be on allowing the spine to reach its full height by releasing it upwards on exhalation. In addition, the knees should be kept tight, with the kneecaps facing the ceiling.

Start by holding the pose for a short time; work up gradually to several minutes. Breathing should be even and quiet. Very flexible students can move forward as in a forward bend, provided the back is straight and the knees do not roll inward. Coming out of the pose can be achieved by placing the hands under the knees and gradually bringing the knees to the chest with an exhalation.

A note for teachers

Upavistha Konasana involves two major muscle groups in the stretch: the hamstrings on the back of the thigh and the adductor muscles on the inner thigh. If a student is tight in the hamstrings but loose in the adductors, he/she may do a fairly open Upavistha Konasana but still have difficulty with forward bends.

If the student is loose in the hamstrings and tight in the adductors, the reverse will be true. One way to observe this movement is to have the student first practice Upavistha Konasana, then bend the knees and bring the soles of the feet together in Baddha Konasana. If the student who is tight in Upavistha Konasana can do Baddha Konasana, with the knees almost or completely falling to the floor, then the hip joint itself is fine and it is only the adductor muscles that are tight.

This happens because bending the knees in Baddha Konasana takes away the extreme stretch of the adductor muscles, which need to stretch in Upavistha. Baddha Konasana also requires less stretching of the hamstrings. On the other hand, if Upavistha is quite free but Baddha Konasana is tight, the problem is probably in the hip joint and not the adductor muscles or the hamstrings.