Upward LotusSave PDF
Urdhva Padmasana
OORD-vah pahd-MAH-sah-nah
Stretches neck, shoulders and legs
Stimulates thyroid and kidneys
Improves focus and balance
How to perform Upward Lotus
- Begin in Shoulderstand with your hands supporting your back. Cross your legs into Lotus.
- Lower your legs with an exhale, bringing them perpendicular to the floor.
- Balancing on your shoulders, release your hands from your back and press them against your knees, arms straight.
- Hold the pose and take normal breaths.
- Support your back with your hands, lift your legs with an inhale and return to Shoulderstand. Repeat with the other leg on top.
Alignment cues
- Do not turn neck
- Press hands against knees
- Energetically press knees toward floor
- Arms straight
- Keep shoulders on floor
Modification: Support your back with your hands and lift your knees toward the sky.
Avoid this pose if you have high blood pressure, back injury or knee issues.
More yoga poses to discover
Upward Lotus (Urdhva Padmasana in Sanskrit) is an advanced yoga pose that belongs to the hip openers and inversions categories. This asana targets abs, glutes & hip flexors and neck & upper traps, and also involves ankles, knees, quadriceps, shoulders and upper back & lower traps muscles. Upward lotus stimulates thyroid and kidneys; stretches neck, shoulders and legs and also improves focus and balance. 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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