Step by Step Guide with Breathing Instructions

  1. Sit on the mat with your spine straight and legs extended.
  2. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your chest to expand.
  3. Feel the breath moving down into your abdomen, creating space in your torso.
  4. Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together, allowing your knees to drop outward
  5. Hold your feet with your hands, interlacing your fingers around your toes or ankles
  6. Bring your heels as close to your pelvis as comfortable while maintaining a gentle stretch.
  7. Allow your knees to drop toward the mat, creating a diamond shape with your legs
  8. Keep the outer edges of your feet grounded on the mat.
  9. Lengthen your spine by sitting tall, engaging your core, and lifting through the crown of your head.
  10. If comfortable, hinge at your hips and fold forward from your pelvis, keeping your spine straight.
  11. You can use your elbows to gently press against your inner thighs to encourage them to open.
  12. As you start to hinge at your hips and fold forward, exhale slowly through your mouth or nose.
  13. Focus on releasing tension in your inner thighs and allowing your upper body to surrender gently.
  14. While in the forward bend, take a deep inhalation through your nose.
  15. Feel the breath filling the back of your ribcage and expanding into the lower back.
  16. Exhale gradually and consciously, softening into the pose with each breath.
  17. Release any unnecessary tension in your neck, shoulders, and jaw.
  18. If comfortable, on the next exhalation, you can deepen the forward bend slightly. (Optional)
  19. Ensure that the movement is gradual and in harmony with your body’s comfort.
  20. Continue to synchronize your movements with your breath, inhaling to expand and lengthen, and exhaling to soften and release.
  21. Once you find a comfortable depth in Butterfly Pose, maintain slow and mindful breathing in stillness.
  22. Focus on the rise and fall of your abdomen, fostering a sense of calm and relaxation.

Benefits of Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

  • Stretches Inner Thighs: Butterfly Pose is excellent for stretching and opening the inner thighs.
  • Hip Mobility: It improves hip mobility and flexibility.
  • Relaxes Lower Back: The forward bend can provide relief to the lower back.
  • Stimulates Abdominal Organs: The pose stimulates the abdominal organs, potentially aiding in digestion.

Beginner Tips:

1.Modify hand movement: If reaching for your feet is challenging, rest your hands on the floor in front of you to support the stretch.
2. Use Props: If your knees are high off the ground and you feel strain, place cushions or blocks under your knees for support.
3. Gradual Progression Ease into the forward bend gradually, respecting your body’s limitations.
5.  Hold Butterfly Pose for 3 to 5 minutes, gradually increasing the duration as your body becomes more accustomed to the stretch.