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Also known as: Block-assisted Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana.

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Technique

  1. From a standing position, place the blocks on each side of the feet aligning the back of the blocks with your toes
  2. Bring the right knee to your chest and draw the right heel towards the sit bone to close the knee joint. This allows you to perform the half lotus safely
  3. Grab the right foot with both hands and take the right knee out to the side to bring the hip into lateral rotation.
  4. Place the right foot on the left hip crease.
  5. Fold forward, placing hands on the blocks
  6. To come out, push your hands onto the blocks and lift up. Slowly release the right leg.

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Form tips

  • You can bend the standing leg knee slightly when reaching for the blocks to help with the balance folding.
  • Straighten the knee once the hand is on the floor.
  • If half lotus is not accessible, this pose can be performed with the bent leg in a figure 4 position to work on the external hip rotation.
Logging: Work each side for the time indicated.
Risks
  • Half lotus poses require a significant degree of external rotation in the hip joints. If the hips are tight, the body may attempt to compensate by putting pressure on the knee joints, which can lead to meniscus tears and ligament strains.

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Muscles

Flexibility

Primary

  • Glutes
  • Hamstrings
  • Shoulders
  • Chest

Secondary

  • Hip adductors
  • Legs
  • Pelvis
  • Biceps

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Equipment

Yoga block
Yoga block

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Appears in

Other disciplines
Joint movements

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Progressions

e187

Towel-assisted Half Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend

Intermediate
e0wa

Supported half moon pose

Novice
e186

Half Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend

Advanced
e0w5

Standing side leg toe hold

Novice
e0w4

Standing front leg toe hold

Novice
e0wd

Standing front leg pull

Intermediate
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