- Category
- Standing
- Level
- beginner
- Hold
- 3–5 breaths
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Inhale to lengthen up, exhale to bend over the extended leg.
Gate Pose
Parighasana — "gate-bar posture"
Kneel on one leg, stretch the other to the side, and arc up and over it. Gate Pose is one of the clearest side-body stretches in yoga.
Step by step
- 1Kneel upright with your hips over your knees, padding the knees if needed.
- 2Extend your right leg straight out to the side, foot flat on the floor with toes pointing away or forward.
- 3Keep your left hip stacked over the left knee.
- 4Rest your right hand lightly on your right shin or thigh — avoid pressing into the knee.
- 5Inhale and sweep your left arm up beside your ear.
- 6Exhale and arc up and over to the right, lengthening the left side of your body.
- 7Keep the chest open toward the front rather than folding forward.
- 8Inhale to rise and repeat on the other side.
Benefits
- ✓ Stretches the side body and intercostal muscles
- ✓ Stretches the inner thigh and hamstring of the extended leg
- ✓ Improves side-bending mobility of the spine
- ✓ Opens the breath into the stretched side of the ribcage
Make it yours
- · Kneel on a folded blanket.
- · Rest the lower hand on a block beside the extended leg.
- · Rest the extended foot's sole against a wall for orientation and support.
Take care
- Pad the kneeling knee well, or practice a standing side bend instead, if kneeling is uncomfortable.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Practiced in
Props that help here
- Manduka PRO — The buy-it-once option — dense, stable, famously durable. Heavy, so it lives at home, which is where practice happens anyway. find one
- Liforme Original — The grippiest mat we've used, with alignment markers that genuinely help beginners place hands and feet. Priciest of the three. find one
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