After increase a superb sweat throughout an extended yoga class, I prefer to put college students proper into pigeon pose. However this isn’t the one hip-opening choice earlier than savasana: The glute stretch from pigeon pose pairs completely with the inside thigh stretch of frog pose or frog stretch (mandukasana in Sanskrit).
Contemplating how a lot time we spend seated, our glutes are inactive for big parts of our days, which might trigger tightness. Internal thighs endure an identical destiny, but are not often focused for a stretch just like the one loved in frog pose. That ends now!
Frog Pose (Mandukasana): Step-by-Step Directions
- Begin in tabletop place: Get on all fours, along with your arms straight under your shoulders and your knees straight under your hips.
- Slowly start strolling your knees out to the edges, preserving your toes flexed and your ankles in keeping with your knees.
- Retaining your backbone impartial, let your pelvis sink as the within edges of your toes contact the mat. Come down onto your forearms, if snug.
- Let gravity do the work; simply breathe and really feel the stretch for 5 breaths.
- To come back out of the pose, gently rock your hips ahead, stroll your knees in, and press out of your palms again as much as the beginning place.
The best way to Make Frog Pose Simpler
Mandukasana is an intense inner-thigh stretch, so it’s necessary to keep away from going too deep earlier than you’re prepared. There are just a few methods to attenuate the stretch with out decreasing its effectiveness.
- Flip frog pose right into a restorative posture. Place a agency pillow or bolster between your legs and decrease your chest onto it.
- Place blocks beneath your hips to assist you as you decrease into mandukasana.
- The only option to make frog stretch simpler is to withhold reducing your self as far. In case your breath feels brief, you could have gone too deep.
The best way to Deepen Frog Pose
For a complicated yoga practitioner, the inside thighs is perhaps much less tight than for others. There are just a few methods you possibly can intensify mandukasana.
- Decrease your physique farther, bringing your pubic bones to the ground.
- Flippantly press your hips again towards your heels to accentuate the inner-thigh stretch.
Newbie Suggestions for Doing Frog Pose

In case you’re working towards frog pose for the primary time, listed below are some methods to organize for and get essentially the most out of this stretch.
- Earlier than entering into frog pose, heat up your knees in baby’s pose.
- Don’t be afraid to fidget. It’s OK to maneuver forwards and backwards gently to open your hips.
- It’s also possible to flippantly cat and cow your backbone to discover a extra snug place.
- In case you wrestle with knee ache, place a blanket beneath your knees.
Advantages of Frog Pose
Mandukasana is mainly a hip opener that actually encourages aware respiration. Based on BODi Vice President of Health Programming Stephanie Saunders, “This deep stretch might be an train in endurance, as most individuals need to get out of it after about 30 seconds. Nonetheless, should you breathe into it, and let gravity do the work, you’ll be shocked at how a lot your hips and groin can open.
“It may be an ungainly place, nevertheless it requires little effort when you’re in it. And should you aren’t positive of your positioning, utilizing a wall in opposition to which to press your toes is not going to solely help in your alignment, however may also help to deepen the stretch as nicely.”
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