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Noose Pose

Noose Pose combines a full squat with a closed twist, wrapping the arms around the knees and behind the back so the bind resembles a noose. It opens the ankles and calves while deeply rotating the mid and lower spine, making it a favorite for coaches building squat mobility and thoracic rotation. Keep the heels working toward the floor and the twist driven from the trunk, not wrenched by the arms.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Back, Glutes
Type
Stretching, Yoga
Muscles worked
Target
Abdominal External Oblique, Erector Spinae
Secondary
Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius, Soleus Gastrocnemius
Tertiary
Deltoid Posterior

How to do it

  1. 1

    Squat with the feet together or hip-width, heels reaching for the floor.

  2. 2

    Keep the knees pointing forward and lengthen the spine on an inhale.

  3. 3

    Exhale and twist to one side, hooking the opposite upper arm outside both thighs.

  4. 4

    Sweep that arm around the shins and the other arm behind the back to clasp the hands.

  5. 5

    Turn the chest open toward the ceiling and breathe steadily in the twist.

  6. 6

    Release the bind, return to center, and repeat on the second side.

Tips

  • Place a rolled blanket under the heels if they lift so you can stay balanced.
  • Initiate the rotation from the belly and ribs before reaching for the bind.
  • Keep both feet fully grounded and knees tracking together throughout the hold.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The squat drops all the way to the bottom before the twist starts, and a chest pressed flat against the thighs has nowhere to rotate; stop an inch higher so the turn has room to happen.
  • The upper arm hooks high on the thigh near the hip crease, which leaves far more distance for the hands to cover behind the back than they can; aim it low, down toward the knees.
  • Your arches roll inward as you chase the heels down, so the load lands on the inside of the knees rather than the ankles; take the feet slightly wider and keep the weight even across each sole.
  • Once the bind closes around the ribs, the breath shrinks to short sips. If you cannot take a full breath inside the clasp, hold the shin instead and keep the twist.
  • Unwinding in a hurry puts a rotating load on two deeply bent knees; release the hands, return to center, then stand.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold Noose Pose, and what do you need before trying it?
Own a deep squat with the feet together and both heels down, plus a simpler seated bind such as Marichi's pose, before you reach for this one. Then five slow breaths per side, two rounds each way, late in a session when the ankles and hips have already worked. Hold the shin or a strap for the first few weeks and close the clasp only once the heels stay down without a blanket. End the hold when the breath turns shallow rather than pushing for a sixth breath.
How do you make Noose Pose easier or harder?
Easier: sit the hips onto a low block, rest the heels on a folded blanket, and hook the elbow outside the opposite thigh while holding that shin instead of binding. A strap between the hands closes any gap behind the back. Harder: lose the blanket, bring the feet fully together, and turn the chest toward the ceiling for longer holds. Taking the feet to hip-width is the quickest way to make the bind possible, and narrowing them again is the quickest way to make it demanding.
What is Noose Pose good for, and when is it a poor choice?
It asks for ankle dorsiflexion, deep hip and knee flexion, and mid-back rotation at the same time, so it suits squatters whose bottom position feels blocked at the ankle, and the bind teaches you to rotate from the trunk rather than the arms. It is a poor choice if a full squat already bothers your knees, since the twist adds rotation to a joint near its limit, and a poor one for a low back that reacts badly to end-range rotation. If ankle range is all you want, a knee-to-wall drill gives you that with none of this.

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