Pose library · Vajrasana · reviewed by a teacher
Thunderbolt Pose (Vajrasana)
Vajra means thunderbolt, and is also translated as diamond, while asana means posture. It is the kneeling seat: you sit back on your heels with the spine upright.
Pronunciation and meaning
Vajrasana: vahj-RAHS-uh-nuh. The j is soft, as in jar, and RAHS takes the stress.
Vajra means thunderbolt, and is also translated as diamond, while asana means posture. It is the kneeling seat: you sit back on your heels with the spine upright.
How to do Thunderbolt Pose
- Kneel on your mat with your knees together or slightly apart and the tops of your feet flat on the floor.
- Bring your big toes to touch and let your heels open slightly, making a small cradle for your hips.
- Sit back slowly onto your heels, or onto whatever support you have placed there.
- Rest your hands on your thighs and stack your shoulders over your hips.
- Lengthen through the spine and relax your shoulders and face.
- Stay for one to three minutes to start, then lean forward onto your hands and uncurl your legs one at a time.
Teacher's note from Joahnna Lee
“Let the weight drop evenly through both sit bones. Check that you are not leaning into one heel.”
“Tingling in the feet is common here. When it starts, I want you to come out, shake the legs and try again with a block, rather than sit through numbness.”
“Feel the tops of the feet and the shins spread on the mat, like a wide base under a tall column.”
Make it easier
- Place a block between your feet and sit on it to reduce the bend in the knees.
- Put a folded blanket between your thighs and calves.
- Roll a small towel under the fronts of your ankles if the tops of the feet ache.
- Kneel on a folded blanket if the mat feels hard on your knees.
Pregnancy and after birth
Pregnancy. Adapt. Take the knees a little apart so the belly has room, and sit on a block to ease the bend in your knees and ankles. Come out whenever your legs feel tingly, and check with your OB or midwife before starting yoga in pregnancy.
After birth. Adapt. After your OB or midwife has cleared you to exercise, sit on a block or cushion and keep the hold short at first. If the perineum or a scar is still tender, choose a chair or a raised seat instead.
Prenatal and postpartum guides live on joahnnalee.com.
Common mistakes
- Sitting through numb feet. Come out and add height under the hips.
- Letting the feet splay out wide to the sides, which twists the knees.
- Slumping the lower back. Lift the chest a little and sit higher if you need to.
- Standing up quickly after a long hold, before the legs have woken up.
Thunderbolt Pose is a steady kneeling seat. It is also the starting point for several other poses, including Camel and Child’s Pose. It asks a lot of the knees and ankles, so props make a real difference here.
For beginner yoga, a block between the feet or a folded blanket under the knees is a good place to begin.
When sitting on the heels is easy, Hero Pose, with the feet beside the hips takes the same kneel a step further, on a block, and Reclined Hero Pose, leaning back onto a bolster is the step after that, only for knees that are fully comfortable.
This kneel is the traditional seat for Lion Pose, a strong breath out through the mouth.
Thunderbolt Pose questions
Does Vajrasana help digestion?
You will often read that sitting in Vajrasana after meals helps digestion. That is a traditional recommendation, not a proven effect. If you have a digestive complaint, speak to a doctor; if you simply enjoy sitting this way after a meal, it is a comfortable seat.
Can I sit in Vajrasana if my knees hurt?
Try it with a block under your hips or a blanket behind your knees. If it still hurts, sit cross-legged or on a chair instead, and ask a doctor or physiotherapist about your knees.