Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Steps

Sit on a blanket. Bring the soles of the feet together.
Slide the feet away from you until the knees are comfortable.
Hold the ankles or the feet. Sit tall. You can hinge forward a little from the hips.
To come out, use your hands to help the knees together.

What this pose may help with

These lines describe why people practice the shape. A pose may help with ordinary stiffness or with settling your attention. They are not claims that the pose treats or cures a condition.

An outer-hip stretch you can measure by how easy the breath is.
A common seat for breathing if the knees are supported.
Useful before or after standing hip poses.

Common mistakes

Pushing the knees toward the floor with the hands or elbows.
Rounding the back to look flexible.
Sitting with the feet so close that the knees hurt.

Modifications

Blocks or blankets under the thighs.
Sit against a wall, or do the pose lying down with the soles together.

Practicing Bound Angle Pose at home

Bound Angle Pose, or Baddha Konasana, is a simple seated shape for your hips. You bring the soles of your feet together and let the knees open, but the pose usually feels better when you stop trying to make it look deep. A good sign is that your breath stays easy. If your back starts to round or your knees complain, move the feet farther away and sit up on a folded blanket. Many people also find it steadier with blocks or blankets under the thighs, or with the back lightly touching a wall.

Let your hands hold the ankles or feet without pulling. Sit tall through the chest and the back of the neck, and if you fold at all, let it come from the hips in a small way. You should notice sensation around the outer hips, not a sharp pull in the knees or groin. Never press the knees down, and don't bounce them. To come out, help the knees together with your hands so the exit feels as calm as the setup.

This pose fits well before or after standing hip work, or as a quiet seat for a few slow breaths if your knees are supported. If it's working for you, your face stays soft, the breath stays steady, and you can remain without bracing. On days when sitting upright feels hard, try it lying down with the soles together instead.

Safety

Knee or groin pain: move the feet farther away or come out.
Do not bounce the knees.
If you have a hip injury, ask before deep outer-hip poses.

If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.

Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana, said BAH-dah koh-NAHS-uh-nuh) is listed here as a Beginner Seated pose. The body area it emphasizes is Hips. Soles of the feet together, knees open. The feet can be farther from the pelvis. Never press the knees down.

Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: Pushing the knees toward the floor with the hands or elbows. That line is there because the usual error is doing too much, not because a tighter shape is a better practice. The modifications keep the same idea when the full shape does not fit today. Use them on purpose. They are part of the pose, not a demotion.

People practice Bound Angle Pose for a plain reason: An outer-hip stretch you can measure by how easy the breath is. That “may help” is a description of why the shape is in a beginner library. It is not a claim that the pose treats, cures, or prevents a condition. Knee or groin pain: move the feet farther away or come out.

If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Bound Angle Pose. A safety note on a website is education. It is not clearance. Sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or pain that runs down a leg is a reason to stop and get care, not a reason to hold the shape longer. The medical disclaimer on this site says the same thing in more detail.

When you are done, come out slowly. One calm repetition you can repeat tomorrow is the point of the page. Pair Bound Angle Pose with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.

Routines that use this pose

Bound Angle Pose: common questions

How far should my feet be from my pelvis in Bound Angle Pose?

Far enough that your knees feel comfortable and your spine can stay tall. If the feet are very close and your knees hurt or your back rounds, slide the feet farther away. The shape does not need to be tight to be useful.

What if my knees lift high in Bound Angle Pose?

That's very common. You can place blocks or folded blankets under your thighs so the legs feel supported. The aim is not to force the knees down. Many people find the pose becomes calmer when the legs have something to rest on.

Can I fold forward in Bound Angle Pose?

Yes, but only a little if it lets you keep length in your spine. Think of hinging from the hips instead of collapsing the chest. If folding makes your back round or creates knee or groin pain, stay upright or come out of the pose.