Urdhva Upavistha Konasana (Upright Seated Angle Pose)

Urdhva Upavistha Konasana is an intermediate asana in which your spine plays an important role, you need to keep your back straight along with balancing your body on the sit bones.
Urdhva Upavistha Konasana Basics
Sanskrit Pronunciation | Urdhva Upavistha Konasana (Uerd-vah oo-pah-veest-ah kone-ah-sah-nah) |
Meaning | “Urdhva” — meaning “upright” “Upavistha” — meaning “seated” or “sitting” “Kona” — meaning “angle” “Asana” — meaning “pose” or “posture” |
Pose Type | Seated pose |
Pose Level | Intermediate |
Style of yoga | Hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga |
Other Names | Upward Facing Wide-Angle Seated Pose, Spinal Column Pose, Merudandasana |
Stretches | Hamstrings, thighs, triceps-biceps, hip flexors |
Strengthening | Core, calves, and shoulders |
Duration | As per your capability or 30 to 60 seconds |
Meaning
The Sanskrit word urdhva means upright or upwards, upavistha means sitting or seated, kon means angle and asana means pose. The word asana means sitting, getting up, lying down, or staying in a particular position. Thus, in English, this pose is translated as Upright Seated Angle Pose. Urdhva Upavistha Konasana is also known as Spinal Column Pose.
Holding Urdhva Upavistha Konasana improves balance, and strengthens and tones the spinal column. Apart from this, it also strengthens the abs, shoulders, and legs. It is a strong and energetic mudra that allows energy to flow upwards i.e. from the base of the spine (Muladhara or Root Chakra) towards the crown of the head (Sahasrara or Crown Chakra).
This balancing pose with the grounding of the sit bones increases the energy in the body. In fact, it can be incorporated into hatha yoga, vinyasa yoga, and Iyengar yoga to help the yoga practitioner increase flexibility and enhance core strength. Also, it can be practiced as a cardio workout included in power yoga.
Given the nature of the pose, the Rudandasana resembles the grizzly bear sitting position so that it is sometimes referred to as the Balancing Bear Pose.
Urdhva Upavishtha Konasana is considered a medium difficulty yoga asana of Hatha Yoga. Its practice time is said to be 30 to 60 seconds. There is no repetition in this asana.
Practice Guide For Urdhva Upavistha Konasana
The Practice Guide to Perform Urdhva Upavistha Konasana serves as a valuable resource for yoga enthusiasts seeking to advance their practice, offering a structured and detailed approach to mastering this challenging yet rewarding yoga pose.
Preparatory poses
- Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)
- Wide-angled Seated Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)
- Head-to-knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana)
- Garland Pose (Malasana)
Steps To DO Urdhva Upavistha Konasana
- Begin by sitting in Dandasana, keeping the legs in front and the back straight.
- Bend the legs at the knees, and grasp the big toe with your hands.
- Take a few breaths here to release any tension around the lower back.
- Inhale again and start spreading your legs straight up.
- Your knees should be straight and your toes should be facing up.
- Lift your chest up and at a certain point, keep your neck aligned.
- Your legs will be at an angle to the torso.
- Take a long and deep breath inwards.
- Stay in this position for a few seconds.
- In no time, you will feel a good stretch in your legs.
- Rolling the shoulders back helps keep your spine straight and long. Stretch the spine as much as possible.
- If you feel uncomfortable, stop immediately.
- Take long, deep breaths and hold for up to one minute.
- After that slowly exhale and come back to the normal position.
Benefits of Urdhva Upavistha Konasana
The practice Urdhva Upavistha Konasana helps to stretch the adductor muscles or the muscles of the inner thigh. These muscles are responsible for bringing the feet closer.
The constant apprehension of this yoga stimulates the various organs of your body including the abdominal organs, spinal cord, vertebral column, and the digestive system. It stimulates, tones the abdominal organs, and keeps them healthy.
Regular practice also helps in improving overall digestive health and provides relief from conditions like constipation, indigestion, etc.
Yoga helps improve blood circulation in the body and promotes the overall health of your body’s connective tissues, improving balance and posture by lengthening the spine.
It also improves the flexibility of the legs, shoulders, etc., as well as opens the hips and waist.
Follow-up Poses
- Boat Pose (Navasana)
- Wide-angled Seated Forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)
- Wide-Legged Standing Forward Bend (Prasarita Padottanasana)
- Hand-to-Big Toe Pose (Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana)
Precautions
This pose is also not suitable for individuals with back, hips, knees and hamstring injuries. Therefore, in case of injury to your groin and hamstring area, it is recommended that you do not practice Urdhva Upavishtha Konasana.
Avoid practicing in the following conditions:
- Lower-back injury
- Hernia, Slip disc
- Sciatica
- Recent surgery
- Issues in the neck, shoulder, hip, chest, elbows
- You are pregnant or menstruating
Conclusion
Urdhva Upavishtha Konasana is a difficult asana, before practicing which you have to overcome the fear in your mind that you may fall while practicing. Once perfected, this asana provides important physical benefits.