Pose library · Supta Baddha Konasana · reviewed by a teacher
Reclined Butterfly (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Supta means reclined, baddha means bound and kona means angle, so the name is reclined bound angle posture. It is Butterfly Pose done lying back.
Reclined Butterfly (Supta Baddha Konasana) is Butterfly Pose done lying back on a bolster, a resting pose with a mild inner thigh stretch. Sit against the bolster, bring the soles together, prop each outer thigh with a block and lie back for five to ten minutes. If the lower back pinches, raise the head end.
Pronunciation and meaning
Supta Baddha Konasana: SOOP-tuh BAH-duh koh-NAHS-uh-nuh. Say the double d in Baddha as a single soft d.
Supta means reclined, baddha means bound and kona means angle, so the name is reclined bound angle posture. It is Butterfly Pose done lying back.
How to do Reclined Butterfly
- Place a bolster lengthways on your mat, with a folded blanket at the far end for your head and two blocks or firm cushions within reach.
- Sit with your back against the near end of the bolster, bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall open.
- Slide a block or a folded blanket under each outer thigh, so the knees are held and the inner thighs feel only a mild stretch.
- Lower yourself back onto the bolster, one forearm at a time, until your spine and head are supported along its length.
- Rest your arms out to the sides on the floor or on extra blankets, palms up, and let your breath slow down.
- Stay for five to ten minutes. To come out, press your knees together with your hands, roll onto one side and push up slowly.
Reclined Butterfly appears in the 10-minute bedtime wind-down sequence and the 8-pose hip-opening sequence, both printable with holds and cues. For other poses that work the hips, open the pose finder set to the hips.
Teacher's note from Joahnna Lee
“Keep adding support until nothing is holding on. If your knees are hovering in the air, the props are too low.”
“Let your heels rest a comfortable distance from your pelvis. Closer means more stretch, and here I would rather you had less.”
“Feel the back of the ribs widen into the bolster as you breathe in. That is the only thing you need to pay attention to.”
Make it easier
- If your lower back pinches, raise the head end of the bolster with a block, or slide the feet farther from the pelvis.
- Loop a strap around your lower back and over the tops of your feet, so the feet stay close without effort.
Pregnancy and after birth
Pregnancy. Adapt. The bolster already gives you an incline, which is the way to do this pose in later pregnancy. Raise the head end further with a block if lying back feels uncomfortable, keep the knees well supported and do not push into the stretch. If you feel dizzy, breathless or unwell, roll onto your left side. Check with your OB or midwife before you start.
After birth. Adapt. Once your OB or midwife has cleared you to exercise, this is a restful shape for your first weeks back on the mat. Keep the blocks high under the knees, and after a caesarean birth use your hands to bring the knees together before you roll to the side and come up.
Prenatal and postpartum guides live on joahnnalee.com.
Common mistakes
- Lying back with nothing under the knees, so the inner thighs strain the whole time. That turns a resting pose into a stretch.
- Sitting a little way from the bolster, so the lower back drops into a gap. Tuck your seat right against its end before you lie back.
Reclined Butterfly is a good shape for a tired day. Set up over a bolster, it gives the hips a mild opening and the chest a little room, while the body is completely held.
It belongs to restorative yoga with props, where the bolster and blocks are in place before you lie back, so nothing has to hold on. If you do not own a bolster yet, yoga bolsters and blankets lists what to buy and which household cushions work instead. With warmth on the belly, it is also a comfortable shape for the heavy days of a period.
Bring the knees together and let them fall to one side, and you have a reclined twist, the quietest of the twists.
Counter-poses for Reclined Butterfly
Shapes that move the body the other way or let it rest straight after Reclined Butterfly.
- Windscreen Wipers beginner
Props that help in Reclined Butterfly
- Bolster: supports the body so you can stay longer with less effort.
- Block: goes under the sacrum, the head or a knee for support.
- Blanket: supports the head or the back so the neck stays relaxed.
- Strap: extends the arms when the hands do not reach the feet or each other yet.
Programs and sessions that use Reclined Butterfly
- The one-month challenge 3 of its 30 sessions
- The 14-day flexibility plan 1 of its 14 sessions
- The 4-week beginner program 1 of its 12 sessions
- Sequences: bedtime routine and hip-opening practice
- Practice app sessions: evening wind-down and hip opener
Sources: Mayo Clinic, Fitness program: 5 steps to get started; NCCIH (US National Institutes of Health), Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety; NHS, Exercise in pregnancy; CDC, Pregnant & Postpartum Activity: An Overview; Canadian Family Physician (Chan et al., 2014), via PubMed Central, Hot yoga and pregnancy: Fitness and hyperthermia. Last reviewed 2 October 2026.
Reclined Butterfly questions
What is the difference between Butterfly Pose and Reclined Butterfly?
Butterfly Pose is seated and upright, with the spine lifting and sometimes a fold forward. Reclined Butterfly takes the same leg shape lying back, and in restorative practice it is fully propped so the body can rest rather than stretch.
How long should I stay in Reclined Butterfly?
In a restorative practice, five to ten minutes, or longer if you are comfortable. If the inner thighs or knees start to ache, add height under them or straighten the legs for a while.
What is Reclined Butterfly good for?
Reclined Butterfly is mainly a resting pose. Lying back over a bolster gives the chest a little room and the inner thighs a mild stretch while the whole body is supported. Many people find it a calm shape for a tired day or the end of a practice. The same applies to anyone, whatever their gender.
Who should not do Reclined Butterfly?
Skip it, or straighten the legs, if you have a knee, groin or hip injury that the open-knee shape aggravates. If the lower back pinches, raise the head end of the bolster or slide the feet farther away. If lying back leaves you dizzy or unwell, roll onto your side, and check with your doctor or physio first.
Can you fall asleep in Reclined Butterfly?
Many people drift off in it, and a doze is fine if the knees are well propped and the back is comfortable. It is not a good shape to sleep in overnight, because the hips and inner thighs can ache after a long time open. To come out, press the knees together with your hands and roll onto one side.
Pairs well with
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