Saddle Pose (Supta Vajrasana)

Pronunciation and meaning

Supta Vajrasana: SOOP-tuh vuj-RAHS-uh-nuh. Supta stresses the first syllable, and Vajrasana stresses RAHS.

Saddle is the Yin yoga name for a reclined kneeling backbend. The closest active pose is Supta Vajrasana, where supta means reclined and vajra means thunderbolt. You kneel, sit back between or on the heels, and lean back onto a support so the front of the thighs and hips can stretch.

How to do Saddle Pose

1. Kneel on a folded blanket and sit back on your heels, or on a block between the heels if the knees prefer. Place a bolster or stacked pillows lengthwise behind you.
2. Lean back onto your hands, then onto your forearms, checking the knees and lower back as you go.
3. If both feel fine, lie back onto the bolster so your back and head are supported. Stay propped higher if you need to.
4. Let the arms rest by your sides or overhead. Relax the muscles and breathe slowly into the belly.
5. Stay for one to three minutes to begin, building to five minutes in a Yin class if the knees and back stay comfortable.
6. To come out, press onto the forearms and hands and rise slowly, then lift the hips and stretch the legs out one at a time. Rest on your back or belly for a few breaths.

Make it easier

• Do the half version: stretch one leg out in front and fold only the other leg back.
• Sit on a block or two between the heels so the knees bend less.
• Stay upright on the hands and forearms instead of lying back.

Pregnancy and after birth

Pregnancy. Adapt. Sit upright on blocks rather than reclining, keep the stretch mild because joints loosen in pregnancy, and avoid lying flat on the back later in pregnancy. Check with your OB or midwife.

After birth. Adapt. After your doctor or midwife has cleared you, use the half version with plenty of height under the back. Skip it if you feel pulling across the belly or a caesarean scar.

Expecting? Joahnna Lee Yoga has notes on adapting each trimester.

Common mistakes

• Pushing into the pose with knee pain. A stretch at the front of the thigh is fine; pain in the knee joint is not.
• Letting the knees splay wide to go lower, which twists the knees.
• Coming out quickly, which can feel sharp in the lower back after a long hold.

Saddle Pose is a long, quiet backbend from the Yin yoga style. It stretches the front of the thighs, the front of the hips and the belly, and it gently arches the lower back. The name comes from the shape of the lower back, which curves like a saddle.

It is usually held for minutes with the muscles relaxed and the body supported. A bolster or a few pillows are part of the pose. If you want to explore it with a teacher, Yin yoga sessions with Joahnna Lee take the time to set up each prop.

How is saddle pose different from hero pose?

Hero Pose is the upright seat. Saddle is the reclined version, held in the Yin way, with soft muscles and support under the back. The shorter, more active hatha version of the same shape is Reclined Hero Pose, Supta Virasana. If kneeling is hard, start with Thunderbolt Pose and stay upright.

What is the counterpose to saddle pose?

A gentle forward fold balances the backbend. Caterpillar Pose, the Yin seated fold, is the usual choice, and the lower back stretches give some useful options too.