Kona = Angle; Split
Asana = Pose; Posture
B = Intermediate Version
Baddha Konasana B at a Glance
Baddha Konasana B or Bound Angle Pose, is the twenty-fourth Pose of Ashtanga yoga. This gives your Hips and groins more strength and flexibility. It improves the flexibility of your inner thighs and lower back. This helps to relax both your body and mind.
Benefits:
- Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) stretches the hips, groin, and inner thighs.
- Strengthens the pelvic floor muscles and improves your inner thighs and back flexibility.
- It stimulates the organs in your lower body part and increases blood circulation.
- This helps you to be stable and calm and to balance your emotions.
Who can do it?
Baddha Konasana B (Bound Angle Pose) is an intermediate pose and can be done by anyone who is healthy and has no significant injuries. Baddha Konasana B is just a variation, so it could be done by people already practicing Baddha Konasana A. People with desk jobs can do to improve their stiff body parts.
Who should not do it?
People having knee injuries or any recent surgeries should avoid doing it. Pregnant women should avoid doing it or consult their doctor. People with severe back pain should avoid it and consult their doctor.
How to Do Baddha Konasana B?
Follow the Step-by-Step Instructions
- Baddha Konasana B (Bound Angle Pose) is about deep stretch, stability, strength, balance and concentration, calmness, and focus.
- Start with the Dandasana or staff seated position pose. While in this Pose, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax your mind and body.
- First, position yourself in Bound Angle Pose A for 2 min, or 10 Breaths in this Pose or according to your comfort.
- From this position, relax for a few breaths and see that your spine and neck are straight.
- Inhale and lengthen your spine and chest forward, and slowly, by exhaling, start to bend forward.
- As you fold forward, engage your core, bring your head to the ground or touch your toes.
- Here, your back should not be rounded and touch your feet.
- Feel the stretch in your back, neck, and thighs and the engagement of your core muscles.
- Stay in the Baddha Konasana B variation for a few slow and gentle breaths.
- Close your eyes or look down and when you come out of the Pose, inhale and come to the upright position of Baddha Konasana pose, slowly leave your feet, straighten it, and relax in the staff pose.
What are the Benefits of Baddha Konasana?
- The Baddha Konasana B, being the variation for the Cobbler’s Pose, offers you deeper added benefits to the Cobbler’s Pose.
- This forward fold helps give you a more powerful stretch than in the Baddha Konasana to your groin and hip muscles.
- This Pose also helps with your stiff hips and hip joints by improving flexibility and mobility with regular practice of the Baddha Konasana B.
- This forward bend to the ground helps with better posture and relieves lower back pain. It helps stretch and strengthen your spine and improve your posture.
- Here, this also helps your inner thighs to give a deeper stretch, which helps to provide you with balance and stability in your other physical activities.
- Baddha Konasana B also has the qualities that calm and relax your body and mind. This yoga pose gives you a deep stretch and breath awareness when you bend and helps you with stress and anxiety.
- Bound Angle Pose B (Throne Pose) also relaxes and helps you to connect with your body and mind.
There are many benefits from the Baddha Konasana B. Still, some people may not be able to do this due to severe pain, injury, or any surgery and should consult their healthcare professional before opting for this Pose.
Health Conditions that Might Benefit from Baddha Konasana B
Eases Childbirth
You can do this in your exercise routine to help ease your childbirth process and support a smoother delivery process.
Improve Reproductive Health and Ease Childbirth
Bound Angle Pose B helps with better blood circulation to the pelvic area and helps with discomfort during the menstrual cycle.
High Blood Pressure
This asana helps you relax and soothes your mind, which could help control the high BP.
Lower Back Pain
It helps to reduce your lower back pain, as this helps give your back a deeper stretch -stretching and strengthening the back muscles and helps with better posture.
People with Stiff Hips
This is helpful to people with very stiff hips and difficulty in mobility, as this Pose adds intense (powerful stretch) Stretch to your hip muscles and releases the tension.
Digestive Issues
In this Pose, bending forward can improve blood circulation, gently stimulate the abdominal organs, and help with mild digestion issues.
Stress and Anxiety
As the Bound Angle pose, when Baddha Konasana B is done with mindful breathing, it also calms your mind, which helps relieve your stress and anxiety.
Safety and Precautions
- This is a safe pose, wherein any beginner can do it, but this being a variation for the Bound angle pose A, it’s always better to consider the safety and precautions to get the benefits out of it.
- If you are a beginner and your hip or thigh area is too stiff, don’t force it too much. Go slow. With regular practice, you will gradually get into the Pose.
- If you have a groin or knee injury, be aware of the pressure you put on your knee or consult your doctor.
- Do the Baddha Konasana A before doing the Baddha Konasana B pose.
- Use props for comfort under the guidance of your yoga teacher.
Common Mistakes
- Mistakes can happen with advanced or straightforward yoga practice, so always go through the step-by-step procedure to perform this asana.
- Never do any yoga poses without a warm-up pose. For this asana, you can do a warm-up pose like the Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle) pose for a variation pose.
- When you bend down, keep a straight spine (don’t hunch) and head in a neutral position.
- Don’t forcefully bend your legs. Don’t try to force your knees to touch the ground. Take it slow and listen to your body.
- Don’t try to bend or touch the ground out of your comfort; do it slowly.
- Breath is very important and gives you a sense of calmness and should go hand in hand with this Pose too.
Tips for Butterfly Pose B
- Always use a yoga mat or do it on any soft surface.
- Initially, start doing it under the guidance of a professional yoga trainer.
- Keep your spine straight. Listen to your body and proceed accordingly.
- Breathe gently and deeply to support the Pose.
- Uses props like a blanket, bolster, soft pillow, or blocks that can be placed under the thighs or knees for better support.
The Physical Alignment Principles for Baddha Konasana
- While you bend forward, keep your back straight (don’t hunch).
- Relax your shoulder blades and arms.
- Get hold of your feet with your ten fingers and get hold of it firmly.
- Bring your soles to the pelvic area and both soles of the feet should touch each other.
- Your knees should point outward.
- Be grounded on your sitting bones and lengthen your spine to get a balanced posture.
- Don’t forget to engage your core muscles to get better back support.
- Exhale while you bend forward. Touch the floor if possible or turn till you reach comfortably.
- After forward folding, you can close or keep your eyes open per your comfort.
- Keep your breath engaged throughout the Butterfly pose. You can hold the Pose for 1 to 2 minutes and increase it according to your comfort and flexibility.
Baddha Konasana B and Breath
In this Pose, breath is very important. You inhale deeply while you fold forward (head to ground), gently exhale and tuck your tummy in. Be mindful of your breath and keep breathing gently when your forehead is bent down by keeping your eyes open or closed and relaxed.
Baddha Konasana B and Variations
- Baddha Konasana A.
- Supported with props under your forehead and knees.
- Bound Angle poses B with wall support.
Take Away
This Baddha Konasana B or throne pose (forward folds), gives a deep and powerful stretch to your hips, thighs, and back. It is mainly practiced in modern yoga and helps with a deep stretch in abdominal muscles and groin flexibility. When you practice it regularly, this helps you to relax and calm both body and mind.
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