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Turtle Pose

Turtle Pose is one of the deepest seated forward folds in the practice, opening the hamstrings, inner thighs, and the full length of the spine at once. It is an advanced shape that asks for warm hips and honest hamstring length, so earn it after plenty of forward folding. Treat it as a long, quiet hold near the end of a mobility session, never a pose to force.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Back, Hamstring
Type
Stretching, Yoga
Muscles worked
Target
Semitendinosus, Biceps Femoris, Erector Spinae
Secondary
Adductor Longus, Adductor Magnus, Gluteus Maximus
Tertiary
Trapezius Middle

How to do it

  1. 1

    Sit tall with the legs wide, roughly mat-width apart, knees bent and feet flat.

  2. 2

    Fold forward from the hips and slide each arm, palm down, underneath the corresponding knee.

  3. 3

    Walk the hands out to the sides and slowly straighten the legs to draw the torso lower toward the floor.

  4. 4

    Let the chest, chin, and shoulders settle toward the mat as the knees rest over the upper arms.

  5. 5

    Breathe slowly and evenly, lengthening a little more on each exhale.

  6. 6

    To exit, bend the knees, slide the arms free, and rise up with a neutral spine.

Tips

  • Only straighten the legs as far as your hamstrings allow while the chest stays low.
  • Keep the neck long and the throat soft instead of jamming the chin down.
  • If the shoulders cannot slide under the knees, sit on a folded blanket and stay higher.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The legs are straightened before the shoulders are under the knees, and once the knees lift off the arms the shape is gone and only the hamstrings are left pulling.
  • The chest is dragged down by rounding the back hard, so the fold happens in the lumbar spine rather than at the hips.
  • The arms thread under the knees palm-up, which jams the shoulder; the palms face down so the forearms can slide out to the sides.
  • The pose gets attempted early in a session, when this much hamstring and adductor range is not available until plenty of folding has already happened.
  • The exit is a scramble, with the arms yanked out while the legs are still straight, which is where shoulders and hamstrings get tweaked.

Frequently asked

What is a sensible way to start working toward turtle pose?
One or two attempts of five to eight slow breaths, at the end of a session that has already included plenty of forward folding, once or twice a week. Before you try it you should be able to sit with the legs wide and bring the chest toward the floor with straight legs, and slide the shoulders under bent knees without the hips rolling back. Progress by straightening the legs a little further each time while the chest stays low.
How do I make turtle pose easier or harder?
Easier: sit up on a folded blanket so the pelvis tips forward, keep the knees bent, and slide the arms only as far as the shins while the chest stays lifted. Threading one arm under one knee gives you most of the sensation one side at a time. Harder: once the legs are straight and the chin and chest rest on the mat, hold for ten breaths before you think about the bound version.
What is turtle pose good for, and who should avoid it?
It lengthens the hamstrings, inner thighs and the whole back of the spine at once and makes a long, quiet hold near the end of a mobility session. Avoid it with a disc problem or any low-back pain that worsens with a rounded spine, and with a high hamstring strain, since it keeps you in deep flexion for the whole hold. It is not a warm-up and it builds no strength, and if your shoulders will not pass under your knees, a seated wide-angle fold reaches the same muscles.

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