- Category
- Reclining
- Level
- beginner
- Hold
- 5–10 breaths per side, then both knees together
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Exhale to hug the knee closer, inhale to ease off slightly.
Wind-Relieving Pose
Pavanamuktasana — "wind-freeing pose (pavana = wind, mukta = released)"
Also known as: Knees-to-Chest Pose
Hug one or both knees into your chest while lying on your back. A simple, honest pose: it compresses the belly, releases the lower back, and the name means what you think it means.
Step by step
- 1Lie on your back with your legs extended.
- 2Draw your right knee toward your chest and interlace your hands over your shin.
- 3Keep your left leg active, pressing the back of the left thigh toward the floor.
- 4Hug the knee in with each exhale, keeping your shoulders and head relaxed on the floor.
- 5Hold for several breaths, then switch legs.
- 6Finish by hugging both knees in together and rocking gently side to side.
Benefits
- ✓ Releases tension in the lower back after backbends or long sitting
- ✓ Gently compresses the abdomen, which can help things move along
- ✓ Stretches the back of the hip of the drawn-in leg
- ✓ Easy enough to do in bed, first thing in the morning
Make it yours
- · Loop a strap or towel behind the thigh if your hands don't comfortably meet.
- · Place a folded blanket under your head to keep your neck long.
- · Keep the bottom leg bent with the foot on the floor if a straight leg strains your back.
Take care
- In later pregnancy, hugging the knees to the chest while flat on your back won't be comfortable — practice a side-lying alternative instead.
- If a knee is sensitive, hold behind the thigh rather than over the shin.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Props that help here
- 8-foot cotton strap — Extends your reach in hamstring and shoulder work — the honest substitute for grabbing a foot you can't yet reach. Get 8ft, not 6ft. find one
- 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
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