Reclined Bound Angle

About This Pose

Reclined Bound Angle is a restorative pose that looks completely passive and is, in fact, completely passive. The goal is to let the body open through surrender and weight rather than through effort. Lie on your back and bring the soles of the feet together, letting the knees fall out to the sides. The hands rest on the belly or alongside the body with palms facing up. If the inner thighs are tight and the knees are elevated significantly, support them with folded blankets or blocks so the muscles can release rather than holding the position. This is a groin and inner thigh opener, but in restorative practice it works slowly, over several minutes, rather than through active pressure. The nervous system needs to stop protecting the area before the tissue will soften. This takes time, and it's why two or three minutes in this pose produces more opening than thirty seconds. Breathe into the lower belly. Feel the belly rise on the inhale and fall on the exhale. This diaphragmatic breathing pattern reinforces the parasympathetic response the pose is trying to create. Reclined Bound Angle is particularly useful before sleep, as a recovery pose after intense practice, and for anyone carrying tension in the pelvic floor, which is more common than people realize and can contribute to lower back and hip pain. A bolster under the spine, lengthwise from tailbone to head, turns this into a chest-opening restorative variation that addresses both the groin and the front body simultaneously.

How to Practice

1. 1

   Sit with the soles of the feet together and the knees open to the sides.

2. 2

   Lean back onto your forearms and lower your back to the mat, or onto a bolster placed lengthwise along the spine.

3. 3

   Let the knees fall open. Place a block or folded blanket under each knee if the inner thighs feel strained.

4. 4

   Rest the arms by your sides with the palms up, or place one hand on the belly and one on the chest.

5. 5

   Close your eyes and breathe slowly into the belly, letting the hips soften with each exhale.

6. 6

   Stay for 1–5 minutes. To come out, press the knees together with your hands and roll to one side.

Benefits

• Opens the inner thighs and groin
• releases the pelvic floor
• deeply restorative and calming for the nervous system

Modifications & Variations

• Blocks under the knees: support each knee so the inner thighs can relax

• Bolster along the spine: lie back over a bolster to open the chest

• Strap around the hips: loop a strap around the lower back and the feet to hold the shape without effort

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