Upaviṣṭa Koṇāsana

The name of the pose is from the Sanskrit उपविष्ट (upaviṣṭa) meaning "open", कोण (koṇa) meaning "angle", and आस (āsana), meaning "seat" or "pose".[3]

The pose is not found in medieval hatha yoga, but is described in the 1966 Light on Yoga.[4] It is independently described under a different name, Hastapadasana ("Hand-to-Foot Pose"[lower-alpha 1]) in Swami Vishnudevananda's 1960 Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, suggesting an older origin.[5]

Before leaning forward

The pose may be entered from dandasana (staff pose) by moving the legs apart as far as possible. The big toes may then be grasped with the hands, or with a belt around each foot. The back is lightly arched by raising the coccyx, and the body is inclined forwards.[6][3][4][2] In the completed pose, the body leans forwards until the chin and nose touch the ground.[3] People who cannot sit on the floor in dandasana can sit on a folded blanket for the pose.[1]

Parsva Upavistha Konasana, the side variation, has the body facing one leg, and the hands both grasping the foot of that leg, without raising the opposite hip.[7]

Urdhva Upavistha Konasana, the upwards variation, is similar to Ubhaya Padangusthasana but with legs wide. It has the first and second fingers grasping the big toes, the legs wide apart, straight, and raised to around head height; the body is tilted back slightly to balance on the sitting bones. The pose can be practised with a strap around each foot if the legs cannot be straightened fully in the position; a rolled blanked can be placed behind the buttocks to assist with balancing.[8]

The pose provides a stretch for the hamstrings,[4] and is stated without evidence in Light on Yoga to assist the circulation in the pelvic region and to relieve sciatica.[4] The pose is stated, again without evidence, to be useful for "gynaecological problems",[3] and safe in both menstruation and pregnancy provided no strain is applied.[3] However, the founder of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, K. Pattabhi Jois, states that it should not be performed in pregnancy, though agreeing on its benefit for the sciatic nerve.[9]

• List of asanas

• Iyengar, B. K. S. (1979). Light on Yoga. Unwin Paperbacks.
• Lidell, Lucy; The Sivananda Yoga Centre (1983). The book of yoga. Ebury. ISBN 978-0-85223-297-2. OCLC 12457963.
• Mehta, Silva; Mehta, Mira; Mehta, Shyam (1990). Yoga: The Iyengar Way. Dorling Kindersley.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Murugan, Chillayah (20 October 2012). "Yoga Asanas for Health and Fitness". Silambam. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
• Swami Satyananda Saraswati (1996). Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (PDF). Yoga Publications Trust. ISBN 978-81-86336-14-4.