“Inhaling and exhaling deeply, lift your head and shoulders well above your heart center. Then bend your knees as you bring your hands to your heart center, palms and fingers touching. As you inhale, lengthen the legs behind you, lifting from the toes. Keep the elbows at shoulder length with the arms straight and the back flat.”
The name of this pose is “upavistha konasana” and it’s a backbend. It’s a yoga asana which can help to alleviate back pain and fight against the effects of aging. But how do you do it? In this article, we’ll look at the instructions for the pose, as well as the benefits of the pose. We’ll also see how you can start and then continue with the pose.
Some of you will look at this pose and think: What? King Arthur who? While this pose is not part of the typical repertoire of yoga poses (I don’t even think it has a Sanskrit name!), it is great for stretching your hips and flexors.
The sensations that arise in this posture can be intense, but you can imagine yourself as a valiant knight, fully present and calm in the face of adversity, reminding yourself that what you need most is strong, regular breathing to win the battle of the mind.
Table of Contents
Benefits of King Arthur’s position
The King Arthur Pose stretches the psoas and hip flexors and helps lengthen the front of the quadriceps. Stretching these muscles will help you open up your entire lower body and move more fully in the backbends.
King Arthur’s pose, step by step
- Start in a table position (hands and knees) facing the wall, toes retracted and soles of feet pressed against the wall.
- Bring your bent left knee to the base of the wall, where the wall rests on the floor, and bring your left shin vertically along the wall, with your left foot pointing straight up with your toes.
- Move your right foot forward so your right leg is in a lunge and your knee is straight above your ankle and bent at a 90 degree angle.
- Straighten your tailbone down and find a neutral pelvic position that counters the tendency to tilt your hips forward to prevent stretching. Continue to press your left thigh against the wall and look for height in your ribs.
- Place both hands on your right thigh or, to go one step further, hold both hands over your head.
- Hold for 5 to 20 breaths, depending on your comfort level. To come out of the pose, lower your hands to the floor and move your left shin away from the wall. When finished, repeat the process on the other side.
Tips
- If you feel uncomfortable with pressure on the back of your knee, roll up your mat or place a blanket or towel under your knee for extra support.
- If the feeling is very strong in this position, use blocks under the hands or keep the fingertips on the ground instead of moving the hands to the right hip. A more accessible variation for those working on the King Arthur pose is to do a deep lunge with the back knee down, then bend the back knee and bring the foot back to the body, while holding the back foot with your hand or a strap.
- To take it a step further, try pressing the entire back of the body flat against the wall and bring the left leg to the outside of the left thigh (as in Virasana).
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can I make my back bend stronger?
You can strengthen your back by doing exercises that target the muscles in your back.
How do you work in a backbend?
The backbend is a pose that requires you to bend backwards from the waist. It can be done in a variety of ways, but the most common way is to bend your knees and place your feet on the floor behind you. You then lean back and reach for your heels with your hands.
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