Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)
Baddha means bound, kona means angle and asana means posture, so the classical name is bound angle posture. In English it is called Butterfly because the knees rise and fall like wings as people settle in.
At a glance
- Sanskrit name
- Baddha Konasana
- Pronunciation
- BAH-duh koh-NAHS-uh-nuh. Baddha has two syllables with the stress on the first, and Konasana stresses the second.
- Family
- Seated and floor
- Practised in
- Yin yoga
- In pregnancy
- Adapt
- After birth
- Adapt
Butterfly Pose is a simple seated shape that appears in almost every style, from a warm-up in Vinyasa to a long, quiet hold in Yin. The difference lies less in the shape than in how much effort you bring to it.
In a slow, fully propped Yin lesson it becomes a long hold with cushions under the knees, which feels very different from the quick warm-up version.
For a wider and stronger stretch of the same inner thighs, Frog Pose, on all fours with the knees apart is the Yin shape I pair it with.
How to do Butterfly Pose
Sit on the mat, or on the edge of a folded blanket, with your legs out in front of you.
Bend both knees and draw the soles of the feet together, letting the knees open out to the sides.
Choose your distance: heels close to the pelvis for a stronger stretch along the inner thighs, or a foot or so away for a softer shape.
Hold the ankles or shins rather than pulling on the toes, and lengthen up through the spine as you inhale.
If you want to fold, hinge forward from the hips on an exhale with a long front body, and stop where the inner thighs ask you to.
Stay for eight to ten breaths in an active version, or a few minutes in a Yin class, then press the knees together with your hands and stretch the legs out.
My cues
- Let gravity bring the knees down. Pressing on them with your elbows or hands tends to make the inner thighs grip.
- Think of the soles of your feet as a book opening. Letting them turn upward can give the hips a little more room.
- In the Yin version I want you rounded and still, with the head supported if you like and the effort turned right down.
Modifications
- Place a block or cushion under each knee so the legs can release without hanging.
- Sit on a folded blanket if your lower back rounds before you have even started to fold.
- Rest the forehead on a bolster or stacked blocks set on the feet for a supported forward fold.
- Lie back into Reclined Butterfly with a bolster along the spine if sitting upright is uncomfortable.
In pregnancy. Adapt. Keep the spine upright or only lightly folded, use blocks under the knees, and move the feet further out so there is room for the belly. Keep the stretch mild. Check with your OB or midwife before you start.
After birth. Adapt. Once your doctor or midwife says you can exercise, begin with blocks under both knees and a short hold. If you are still sore from the birth, the reclined version with support may feel better than sitting upright.
Common mistakes
- Bouncing the knees hard. A gentle flutter is fine, but forceful bouncing jars the inner groin.
- Pushing the knees toward the floor with the hands or elbows.
- Rounding from the upper back when you mean to fold from the hips in the active version.
- Pulling the heels in so close that the knees start to ache.
Pairs well with
- Reclined ButterflySupta Baddha Konasana
- Seated Forward BendPaschimottanasana
- Pigeon PoseEka Pada Rajakapotasana