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Also known as: Towel-assisted Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana.

Technique

  1. From a standing position, 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
  2. Grab the right foot with both hands and take the right knee out to the side to bring the hip into external rotation.
  3. Place the right foot on the left hip crease.
  4. Bind a towel or yoga strap around your right foot.
  5. Reach back with the right arm and grab the towel.
  6. Fold forward, placing the left hand outside of the left foot.
  7. To come out, push your left hand onto the floor and lift up. Slowly release the right leg.

Form tips

  • You can bend the standing leg knee slightly when reaching for the floor to help with the balance folding.
  • Straighten the knee once the hand is on the floor.
  • Focus on leveling the hips
  • The right shoulder has a tendency to remain higher and more forward than the left, focus on squaring the shoulders
  • Keep the standing leg strong.
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.

Muscles

Flexibility

Primary

  • Glutes
  • Hamstrings
  • Shoulders
  • Chest

Secondary

  • Hip adductors
  • Legs
  • Pelvis
  • Biceps

Equipment

Appears in

Other disciplines
Joint movements

Progressions

e186

Half Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend

Advanced

Regressions

e188

Block-assisted Half Bound Lotus Standing Forward Bend

Novice
e0fr

Half moon pose

Intermediate
e0wd

Standing front leg pull

Intermediate
e170

Hip airplane

Intermediate
e0w5

Standing side leg toe hold

Novice
e0w4

Standing front leg toe hold

Novice
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