When I was a girl I would do Mandukasana yoga pose, or frog pose, at every ballet class I went to. At the time, I didn’t know all the benefits of the pose, but I knew that it was an amazing hip opener. It was one of my favorite stretches and still is.
Mandukasana comes from the Sanskrit word “manduka” which means “frog”.
Benefits of Mandukasana Yoga Pose
- improves posture
- opens chest, shoulder, hips, and thighs
- strengthens back muscles
- stimulates digestion
Contraindications of Mandukasana Yoga Pose
You should not do this pose if you have a knee or ankle injury, or if you have low back pain.
How to Do Mandukasana Yoga Pose
- start in table top
- bring your knees out as far as comfortable, keeping your ankles behind your knees, flex your feet and rest the big toe side of your feet on the mat
- bring your forearms down onto the ground (only if this is comfortable, staying up on your hands is also an option)
- hold for 3-5 breaths, or longer
- to release come back to a table top position, you can also walk the hands forward and release your whole body slowly to the mat
Placing a blanket under the knees or a block under your forearms are great modifications for this pose.
Here is a great video from Gaia demonstrating the pose, along with many different modifications you can use. It’s three minutes and is worth watching.
This pose could be used within a Yin Yoga series. There are many other great Yin Yoga poses that are wonderful hip openers. If you are new to Yin Yoga, I recently wrote an article on Yin and Restorative Yoga, Yin Restorative Yoga: What is the Difference? It has been very popular on Pinterest. Enjoy!
Namaste,
Abby
Disclaimer: Not all exercise programs are suitable for everyone. Check with your doctor before beginning any fitness/health program to avoid/reduce the risk of injury. Perform these exercises at your own risk. Abby is not responsible or liable for any injury sustained as a result of using any fitness/health program presented or advice discussed on the Journeys of Yoga blog. Please see my full disclosure for more details.
Want 11 audio files to guide you into the most relaxing Savasana ever? Click here to get them for free!
