Seated Yoga Poses arrow Seated Forward Bends arrow Seated Yoga Seal
Upavistha yoga mudra
Level of Difficutly: Basic
Print

Instructions

1. Seated on the heels in Hero pose, exhale the arms behind your back and interlace the fingers together.

2. Draw the shoulders away from the ears and squeeze the shoulder blades together to press out through the sternum.  Inhale and arch the chest up towards the ceiling. 

3. Keep the chest open as you exhale and hinge at the hips, lowering the forehead down to the floor.

4. Lift the arms up as high as you can keeping the palms press together if possible.

5. Inhale and lift the hips up, rolling on to the crown of your head. Press the arms forward and keep the fingers interlaced but allow the palms to separate.

6. Breathe and hold for 2-6 breaths, making sure to breathe into the belly and the chest.

7. To release: lower the hips back to the heels with the forehead on the floor. With the shoulder blades squeezed together, inhale back up to a seated position on your heels.

Benefits + Contraindications

Benefits: Seated yoga mudra opens the heart center and rib cage and stimulates the brain and nervous system. This posture stretches the back muscles, neck and shoulders.

Contraindications: Recent or chronic injury to the knees, arms, neck or shoulders.

Cautions:  Unmedicated high blood pressure and glaucoma.

Modifications + Variations

Modifications: Use a yoga strap between the hands.

Variations: Hold with the hips on the heels and forehead on the floor.

Vinyasa

Use one or more of the following postures to build a sequence leading up to this pose: Hero, Child.

Use one or more of the following postures to build a sequence ending after this pose: Child, Camel, Half Circle, Hero.




Last Updated:
Our Sponsor
Yoga Retreat
Come to our Winter Yoga & Meditation Retreat and spend 7 days practicing yoga in paradise!
Premium Content
Our membership site is chocked full of detailed yogic information and deluxe features. Take our membership tour to find out all of the benefits of joining.
Spread the Love
Add this page to one (or more!) of your favorite social bookmarking sites:
Bookmark this page at: Digg Bookmark this page at: Del.icoi.us Bookmark this page at: Reddit Bookmark this page at: StumbleUpon Bookmark this page at: Yahoo Bookmark this page at: FaceBook Bookmark this page at: Google
Yoga Scholarships
To encourage and support the development and training of great yoga teachers we have created a Yoga Scholarship program. If you need financial assistance for your 200+ hour yoga teacher training please apply for our scholarship. Partial scholarships are awarded twice a year to qualified candidates.
Yogic Wisdom
The best things in life are nearest: Breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of right just before you. Then do not grasp at the stars, but do life's plain, common work as it comes, certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Ahimsa, the yogic practice of non violence must be adhered to when engaging in the practice of hatha yoga. Respect your body's limitations and inner wisdom, if something feels wrong or dangerous, please do not do it.
Please consult your health care practitioner before starting a yoga, pranayama or other exercise program.

All contents copyright 2001-2012 Timothy Burgin and Yogabasics.com. All rights reserved. Om shanti peace.