Sit on the floor with legs straight out in front of you. Shift onto the right buttock and bend the left leg back to virasana. Shift to left buttock and fold right leg in bringing right foot sole to left knee. Place hands under the lower right leg and gently lift the foot and ankle onto left thigh. Draw the heel of foot close to left hip crease. Balance the sit bones evenly. Inhale and lift up from sternum to lengthen torso. Turn upper body to the right, left hand on right knee, right hand reaching around back waist to hold back toe. To deepen the pose, lengthen tailbone toward the floor, draw left shoulder back, press shoulders blades down and back. Eye gaze over right shoulder.

• Stretches spine, shoulder, hips
• Massages abdominal organs
• Improves digestion
• Relieves lower backache and sciatica
• Relieves carpal tunnel syndrome
• Relieves stress

• Twisting knee (modify pose)
• Knee raised off ground (place on blanket)
• Knee pain (use chair method)
• Back pain (sit on blocks and turn to comfortable or desist)

• Headache
• High blood pressure
• Pregnancy (caution)
• Menstruation (caution)
• Spinal injury

• Place blanket or block underneath hip to even sit bones
• Place folded knee on blanket
• Use strap to hold toe
• Hold elbow instead of toe
• Place hand on block behind hips instead of toe
• Place legs astride hips (animal resting pose instead of ½ lotus
• Seated on a chair, cross right leg over other, bring right hand to back of chair, left to knee

• Bend left leg, foot sole on floor

• Cobbler’s pose (Baddha konasana)
• Extended triangle (Utthita trikonasana
• Seated forward bend (Pachimottanasana)
• Virasana (Heroes pose)
• Tree pose (Vrkasana)
• Warrior 1 (Virabharasana 1)
• Warrior II (Virabharasana II)
• Janu sirasana (Head-to-knee pose)