Standing Half Frog Pose - Ardha Bhekasana

Standing Half Frog Pose - YanvaYoga

Contents

Standing Half Frog Pose, or Ardha Bhekasana, is a great preparatory standing yoga pose. This pose helps the practitioners to warm up, increase flexibility and build strength in the legs while also improving balance and focus. It stretches and opens up your hips while empowering you to go beyond your perceived limits. Regular practice can improve posture by strengthening your upper body, abdominal muscles. Additionally, it can help to stimulate the abdominal organs and reduce blood pressure.

Pose Detail

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1
Start standing in Tadasana
Step 2
Shift your weight to the right leg
Step 3
Bend your right knee and reach back with your right hand to grasp your right foot.
Step 4
Lift your right foot up towards your glutes, while keeping your knees aligned.
Step 5
Reach your left hand up and back towards your right foot, grabbing hold of your right ankle.
Step 6
Draw your right heel towards your glutes as much as possible, and press your foot into your hand.
Step 7
Keep your left arm straight and strong, and gaze forward.
Step 8
Hold the pose for several breaths, then release and repeat on the other side.

Benefits and Contraindications

Benefits

stretches and opens the hips

strengthens the upper body

abdominal muscles

deep hip flexors

and knee joints

stimulates the internal organs and can reduce blood pressure

increases balance and focus

Contraindications

any shoulder injuries

pregnancy any knee

hip, or back issues

high blood pressure

heart conditions 

Photo poses in different angles

Standing Half Frog Pose Anatomy

  • Quadriceps: The rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, and vastus medialis muscles are stretched in this pose.
  • Hips: The hip flexors (psoas and iliacus muscles) and the hip rotator muscles (piriformis, obturator externus and internus, and quadratus femoris) are involved in this pose.
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Iana Varshavska
Iana Varshavska
Website administrator

In love with yoga and everything that goes along with it. Iana is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) who has completed the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification by the Yoga Alliance U.S. In addition to that, she is constantly studying and improving her skills in various aspects of yoga philosophy, yoga anatomy, biomechanics, and holodynamics.