Wind Release
Pavanmuktasana
pah-wahn-mook-TAH-sah-nah
Strengthens low back, stretches spine
Improves digestion, massages reproductive organs
Promotes breathing awareness
How to perform wind release
- Lie on your back with your legs together.
- Bend your right leg with an exhale, interlace your fingers around your shin and hug your knee into your chest. Inhale deeply.
- Lift your head with an exhale and touch your forehead or chin to your knee. Hold for a few seconds.
- Lower your head to the floor with an inhale. Continue hugging your knee and take slow, deep breaths. Release.
- Change sides.
Alignment cues
- Press straight leg into floor
- Hug knee into chest
- Lift shoulders from floor
- Press thigh to belly
Always start with the right leg as this follows the movement of the colon.
More yoga poses to discover
Wind release (Pavanmuktasana in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the forward bends and supine categories. This asana targets lower back and spine and also involves abs and knees muscles. Wind release stretches and strengthens legs, opens chest; rejuvenates abdominal organs and also reduces fatigue, increases energy. 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.
©
Our exercise illustrations represent original artwork registered with and protected by the U.S. Copyright Office. Unauthorized use violators will be prosecuted. More details.