Knees to Chest (Apanasana) Pose in Yoga

Knees to Chest Apanasana

Instructions

1. Lie on the floor on your back.

2. Bring your knees to your chest and clasp them with your hands.

Benefits

Ayurvedic practitioners and yoga therapists often recommend this pose for the following conditions:

• Releases tension in the lower back. May be helpful for sciatic nerve pain.
  
• Stimulates peristalsis which helps to relieve constipation.
  
• Author and yoga therapist Mukunda Stiles notes in his book, Structural Yoga Therapy, that holding this pose for 10 to 30 minutes may relieve back spasms.
  
• Often recommended for IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).
  

Personal Observations

I like to do this pose with both knees first, followed by just the left knee to the chest and then just the right knee. My left leg has more tension than my right leg so I hold that pose a little longer to try to get the muscles more balanced.

General Notes

A deceptively easy pose that may have many therapeutic benefits, especially for the back.