Eight Angle Yoga Pose
Eight Angle Yoga Pose Exercise Description
Eight Angle Pose (Astavakrasana) is an advanced arm-balance that blends flexibility with precise upper‑body and core control. It primarily challenges the shoulder girdle (serratus anterior, rotator cuff, triceps), forearms/wrists, and the abdominal/oblique complex while demanding strong adduction from the inner thighs to clamp the legs on the upper arm. With the knees extended and hips flexed, many practitioners also feel a hamstring stretch as the legs reach long to the side. The pose reinforces scapular stability (protraction with slight depression), elbow alignment close to the ribs, and a long, organized spine as you shift your center of mass forward. It’s best approached gradually after preparing the wrists, hips, and hamstrings, and performed with calm, even breathing to maintain control.
- Muscle Groups: Chest, Triceps
- Target Muscles: Serratus Anterior, Triceps Brachii - Long Head
- Assisting Muscles: Pectoralis Minor, Triceps Brachii - Lateral Head
- Stabilizing Muscles: Adductor Magnus, External Obliques, Infraspinatus, Rectus Abdominis, Subscapularis
- Body Area: Upper Body
- Body Parts: Arms, Chest, Upper Arms
- Body Surface: Back, Side
- Body Symmetry: Unilateral
- Equipment: Bodyweight
- Exercise Patterns: Other
- Exercise Type: Stretching
- Functional Grouping: Elbow Extensors, Scapular Protractors, Scapular Upward Rotators
- Joint Involvement: Multi-joint
- Muscle Location: Inner Tricep, Rib Cage Muscle
- Movement Direction: Other
- Muscle Position: Lateral, Posterior
- Gender: Female
How To Do The Eight Angle Yoga Pose Exercise
‘- Sit tall with legs extended. Place hands beside hips, fingers spread, shoulders over wrists.
– Bend the right knee. Thread your right arm under the right thigh and work the thigh high onto your upper arm (above the elbow).
– Plant both hands shoulder‑width. Stack shoulders over wrists; press the floor to engage serratus anterior.
– Cross the left ankle over the right at the shins. Flex both feet and squeeze the inner thighs to clamp the right upper arm.
– Lean your chest forward, keep the neck long, and slightly protract and depress the shoulder blades (no shrugging).
– Bend elbows straight back toward 90 degrees, tracking close to your ribs (chaturanga arms).
– Shift weight into the hands, then lift the feet and hips from the floor while maintaining the thigh clamp.
– Extend both knees to the right side, keeping ankles crossed. Press the top ankle down to “lock” the legs; keep chest reaching forward.
– Maintain steady breathing, firm core, and even pressure through the hands.
– To exit, gently bend the knees, set feet down with control, straighten the arms, and return to seated. Repeat on the other side.
Eight Angle Yoga Pose Tips
‘- Sit tall with legs extended, then place your hands beside your hips with fingers spread and shoulders stacked over wrists.
– Thread your right arm under the right thigh and work the thigh as high as you can onto your upper arm above the elbow.
– Plant both hands shoulder‑width and actively press the floor to help engage the shoulder girdle.
– Cross the left ankle over the right at the shins, flex both feet, and squeeze the inner thighs to firmly clamp the right upper arm.
– Lean your chest forward with a long neck while slightly protracting and depressing the shoulder blades to avoid shrugging.
– Bend your elbows straight back toward 90 degrees, keeping them tracking close to your ribs (chaturanga‑style).
– Shift more weight into your hands before lifting the feet and hips, maintaining the strong thigh clamp on the upper arm.
– Extend both knees to the right side while keeping the ankles crossed and pressing the top ankle down to “lock” the legs.
– Maintain a long spine with the chest reaching forward, a firm core, and even pressure through both hands as you hold the pose.
– Use calm, steady breathing and controlled movement when exiting: bend the knees, set the feet down softly, straighten the arms, and return to seated before repeating on the other side.
Eight Angle Yoga Pose Beginner Introduction
Eight Angle Pose (Astavakrasana) is a challenging arm-balance from yoga that brings together strength, flexibility, and refined control. In the final shape, the body is supported mainly by the hands while the legs extend out to one side, hooked high over an upper arm with the ankles crossed. This creates an intense demand on the shoulders, triceps, forearms, and wrists, along with strong engagement through the abs and side abs. The inner thighs work powerfully to hug the arm, and many people notice a stretch through the hamstrings as the legs lengthen away from the torso.
The pose places special emphasis on steady support around the shoulder blades, elbows tracking close to the body, and a long, active spine reaching forward as the weight shifts into the hands. It is typically introduced after time has been spent mobilizing the wrists, hips, and backs of the legs, since all of these areas are involved. Calm, even breathing is central to holding the position with stability, helping the whole body stay organized while balancing off the ground.