CamelSave PDF
Ustrasana
oosh-TRAH-sah-nah
Stretches front body, improves posture
Stimulates abdominal organs
Relieves fatigue and anxiety
How to perform Camel
- Begin kneeling with your knees hip-width apart. Curl your toes under.
- Place your hands on your lower back. Lengthen your spine and expand your chest with an inhale.
- Slowly arch back with an exhale, keeping your hips over your knees. One at a time, bring your hands to the insides of your ankles. Rest your neck in a neutral position.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Return your hands to your back, then rise with an inhale and sit back on your heels.
Alignment cues
- Keep neck neutral
- Lengthen tailbone toward floor
- Reach chest toward sky
- Align hips over knees
- Knees hip distance wide
Modification: Keep your hands on your low back to lessen the stretch.
Avoid this pose if you have a neck or back injury.
More yoga poses to discover
Camel (Ustrasana in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the back bends category. This asana targets chest, neck & upper traps and spine, and also involves abs, glutes & hip flexors and lower back muscles. Camel stimulates abdominal organs; stretches front body, improves posture and also relieves fatigue and anxiety. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
Exercise illustration licensing: Our exercise and yoga pose illustrations (static and animated) are selectively available for licensing for commercial and non-commercial projects. Visit our exercise illustrations licensing page for detailed information and to submit in inquiry.
©
Our exercise illustrations represent original artwork registered with and protected by the U.S. Copyright Office. Unauthorized use violators will be prosecuted. More details.