Ear-Pressure Pose

Karnapidasana — "ear-pressing posture"

Also known as: Knee-to-Ear Pose

The folded-up cousin of plow: knees bend beside the ears, gently closing off outside sound. A deep, inward-turning shape that asks for a very flexible spine and a well-supported neck.

Step by step

1Begin in plow pose with blankets under your shoulders and your toes on the floor overhead.
2Bend your knees and lower them toward the floor on either side of your head.
3Let your knees rest lightly against or beside your ears.
4Either keep your hands on your back for support or extend your arms along the mat behind you.
5Allow the shape to be soft — this is a folding-in pose, not a pushing pose.
6Keep your neck completely still and your weight on your shoulders.
7To exit, return to plow, support your back, and roll down slowly.

Benefits

✓ Deeply stretches the entire spine and the muscles along it
✓ Muffles sight and sound, encouraging a quiet, inward focus
✓ Releases the hips and lower back in a fully folded position
✓ Extends the plow–shoulderstand family for practitioners who fold deeply

Make it yours

· Rest your knees on blocks or a bolster beside your head rather than the floor.
· Stay in plow with bent knees hovering if the knees don't reach down comfortably.
· Keep the hands supporting the back at all times while learning.

Take care

Avoid with neck injuries or ongoing neck pain.
As with other deep inversions, generally not advised with high blood pressure, glaucoma or other eye conditions, or during pregnancy.
If breathing becomes labored in the deep fold, back out to plow or roll down.

This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.

Practiced in

Ashtanga — as “Karnapidasana” (#51)

Props that help here

Yoga blanket — Folded under the hips in seated poses, under the knees in kneeling ones, under the shoulders for shoulderstand. A firm household blanket works too. find one
Wrist wedge — Reduces the wrist angle in plank, chaturanga, and arm balances. Worth trying before concluding your wrists can't do this. find one

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