Dolphin
Ardha Pincha Mayurasana
ard-ha PIN-cha my-YUR-AH-sah-nah
Strengthens shoulders and back, stretches hamstrings
Improves digestion
Calms mind, relieves fatigue
How to perform dolphin
- Begin on all fours. Align your knees under your hips. Lower your elbows to the floor and align them underneath your shoulders, forearms parallel.
- Tuck your toes under. Lift your knees from the floor with an exhale. Reach your tailbone up and back toward the sky behind you, straightening your legs. Align your head in between your upper arms.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Lower your knees to the floor with an exhale.
Alignment cues
- Press forearms into floor
- Widen collarbones
- Draw shoulder blades onto upper back
- Draw lower ribs in
- Fingers spread wide
Modification: Bend your knees.
Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure or shoulder or neck injury.
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More yoga poses to discover
Wide Legged Forward Bend · Prasarita Padottanasana
Headstand / Head stand · Sirsasana
Humble Warrior · Baddha Virabhadrasana
Dolphin (Ardha Pincha Mayurasana in Sanskrit) is an intermediate yoga pose that belongs to the forward bends and inversions categories. This asana targets hamstrings and shoulders, and also involves middle back / lats and upper back & lower traps muscles. Dolphin improves digestion; strengthens shoulders and back, stretches hamstrings and also calms mind, relieves fatigue. 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!
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Discover our best-selling Yoga Cards – professional study, class sequencing and practice guide for beginners and beyond.
New to yoga? Our Yoga for Beginners pack covers everything you need to know to get started with your practice.
Personal trainer? Try Train - our beautifully simple training platform you and your clients will love.
